Goodwill fashions order out of chaos

Barbara Mason was on a mission Thursday morning as she entered the new Goodwill superstore on State Road 56.

She had seen a teapot she liked the day before, but didn't buy it. The thought of it gnawed at her overnight.

Mason described the 25,000-square-foot store as "tidy," which she said was unlike the discount retailers in her native Ontario.

She is perhaps the new store's first regular customer.

"I bought a sign to hang in the kitchen for my grandchildren and some plastic bags for packing" on Wednesday, she said.

The store at 2390 Willow Oak Drive opened quietly this week, but a grand opening is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday. The new location is the latest in a series of warehouse-concept stores Goodwill has opened in the region over the past several years.

With its contemporary, eye-catching architecture and mix of new and used merchandise, the Wesley Chapel superstore is Goodwill's way of competing with larger discount retailers. The free-standing store is in the Cypress Creek retail development on the north side of S.R. 56 just east of Interstate 75; it employees 45 people.

The Cypress Creek location also features a drive-through lane where people can donate items.

"This will become a destination for anyone interested in bargain shopping," said Michael Ann Harvey, Goodwill spokeswoman. "In this dreadful economy, we think a big, beautiful store is a welcome addition to the community. We buy closeouts and discount items from wholesalers, and we get donations from other companies.

"It helps us compete with other retailers, including very large ones."

Harvey said the new store is expected to attract most of its shoppers from New Tampa and south Pasco County. On Thursday morning, shoppers from as far away as New Port Richey and Hudson browsed the aisles.

Other Goodwill superstores were built in Oldsmar last year, and Spring Hill and St. Petersburg in 2008.

Revenue from Goodwill stores supports the agency's human services, which includes employing people with disabilities. Goodwill also has employment and training programs for people with other barriers to employment, such as those in community corrections programs.

Although the grand opening isn't until Saturday, Harvey said word-of-mouth advertising had already drawn lots of shoppers.

As she entered the store Thursday morning, Diana Murphy's eyes lit up.

"Wow," she said. "This is a good store and beautiful."

Mason brought friend Margaret Brock, also of Zephyrhills via Ontario, with her on Thursday.

"At home, our (discount stores) don't look like this. This is modern," Brock said. "It kind of welcomes you to a clean place. It even smells clean."