Bargain Quest

“Goodwill of Central Virginia is getting a tad fancy.
The agency that operates thrift stores throughout the Richmond area plans to open a boutique in Carytown. Goodwill will lease about 5,000 square feet that had been part of the Leo Burke Furniture store for Second Début by Goodwill. It opens in February. The boutique will feature high-quality, designer-label apparel, accessories and home furnishings…”

(Richmond Times Dispatch 12/25/06, second note down)

We have several good thrift boutiques in Richmond already, but I’m intrigued to see how this Goodwill endeavor turns out.

I was also curious as to whether this is a national trend, Goodwill organizing to offer designer fashion. Sure enough, a Google search for Second Debut led me to seconddebut.org, a website established for a similar store that opened in Minneapolis, MN in Fall ‘05. Although it doesn’t use the name, Second Debut MN revenues support the local Goodwill/Easter Seals organization, and its stock is culled from the same donation pool as other Goodwill stores in the area. (Other cities with stores titled “Second Debut” include Burbank, CA; Charleston, WV; and Sault Ste Marie, MI, but I can’t confirm that any of those are affiliated with Goodwill.)

In a snapshot of what I imagine Richmond’s version will be like, at the Minnesota store:

“…Specially trained staff hand select designer merchandise and art for Second Début. Items are generally higher-end fashions of the best quality and presented in the boutique environment for shoppers who appreciate buying second-hand but do not wish to “hunt” for the treasures themselves and are willing to pay for that convenience.” (Second Debut, About Us)