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For release January 21, 2010
Goodwill Opens Superstore in Wesley Chapel
Grand Opening set for Saturday, Feb. 6
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc. is set to open a high-profile superstore in the Cypress Creek retail development area of Pasco County, just east of I-75 on S.R. 56. The Grand Opening of the store, at 2390 Willow Oak Dr., Wesley Chapel, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m., contingent upon pending inspections and permits. The Grand Opening will feature brand new merchandise at special prices and complimentary donuts for early birds.
The 25,000 square-foot Goodwill Superstore employs 45 people, creating new jobs in Pasco County. It is now being stocked with donated clothing, furniture and household items, as well as a wide variety of brand-new products to complement donated, nearly new merchandise. Besides being a bargain-hunter’s dream-come-true, the store offers a drive-through donation lane. This will give area residents a convenient place to drop off items they no longer need, contributing to a greener community while supporting Goodwill-Suncoast’s services to tens of thousands of Floridians.
Goodwill-Suncoast’s Cypress Creek Superstore is the sixth superstore opened in Tampa Bay since 2001. In an increasingly competitive economy, the bright, contemporary superstore model allows Goodwill to compete more effectively with other retailers. In fact, at its 15 stores in greater Tampa Bay, Goodwill-Suncoast same-store sales were up 5.5% through Dec. 31, compared to the previous year, while other retailers reported declines.
Shoppers are expected to flock to the Wesley Chapel store, enjoying the hunt for brand-name merchandise at very low prices. Goodwill-Suncoast proved that venturing into high-profile retailing was a wise strategy, with its superstore in Brandon consistently ranked as the top-selling Goodwill store in the eastern U.S. and now ranked #5 in the nation out of more than 2,200 Goodwill stores.
Successful stores are critical to Goodwill's mission, as retail revenue helps support the agency's many human services. In Pasco County, Goodwill provides both short- and long-term employment services to people with disabilities. In addition, the Wesley Chapel store will serve as Pasco County headquarters for Goodwill’s BookWorks, our early childhood literacy program.
Goodwill-Suncoast opened superstores in Oldsmar in June of 2009; central St. Petersburg in August of 2008; and Spring Hill in April of 2008. The Sembler Company, St. Petersburg, has managed the development of the superstores. They were designed by Tampa architects Lyman Davidson Dooley, Inc., and built by Hawkins Construction, Tarpon Springs.
Goodwill Industries-Suncoast, Inc., founded in St. Petersburg in 1954, operates 15 retail stores and three outlet stores in its 10-county region. Its mission is to help people achieve their full potential through the dignity and power of work. The organization's successful donated goods/retail operation helps support its employment and training programs for people with barriers to employment; affordable apartment communities for seniors and people with disabilities; and community corrections programs. For more information, visit www.goodwill-suncoast.org
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