Goodwill’s Choctaw store draws record crowd on opening day

By Jeff Harrison
Choctaw Times

Shoppers lined up before sunrise Thursday as Goodwill celebrated the grand opening of its newest retail store in Choctaw, drawing record crowds and setting a new mark for opening-day sales.

More than 500 people visited the store during the first 90 minutes, and the location recorded 838 purchases by the end of the day, the largest opening day total in Goodwill Central Oklahoma’s history.

The store is located at 14407 NE 23rd St. in Choctaw Plaza.

“We’ve been wanting to open a store in Choctaw for a long time,” said Will Lufburrow, president and CEO of Goodwill of Central Oklahoma. “When Goodwill opens a store, we are able to provide jobs to the local community, and we saw that Choctaw was an area we hadn’t served yet.”

The enthusiasm was evident hours before the ribbon cutting. A total of 253 shoppers were waiting when the doors opened, including the first customer, who arrived about three hours early and received a $100 Goodwill gift card. The first 50 shoppers also received commemorative tote bags, and additional gift cards were raffled off throughout the day.

“We’re grateful and surprised,” Lufburrow said. “We had a long line of people waiting to shop with us.”

One shopper even traveled from Elk City to attend the grand opening.

Melissa Richey, vice president of marketing and development, said Goodwill spent nearly three years searching for a location before selecting the Choctaw site about two years ago. The building had sat vacant for several years after the former Williams grocery store closed.

“We really see that there is a need in this area,” Richey said. “Choctaw is just a great feel-good spot. The chamber here has been incredibly welcoming. We have not had any resistance at all from coming into this space.”

After securing the property, Goodwill spent several months renovating the building and preparing enough donated merchandise to meet the anticipated demand.

“We knew it was going to be a big opening, and we certainly didn’t want to run out of donations,” Richey said. “That’s why it’s so important for people to donate to Goodwill so we can continue putting new items on the sales floor.”

The Choctaw store employs about 24 full-time team members. Employees from several other Goodwill locations were brought in to help with the opening-day crowds.

While the store does not currently offer on-site job training, Richey said Goodwill plans to assess community needs before expanding workforce development services in the area. The nonprofit is also exploring partnerships with the Choctaw Area Chamber of Commerce and Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center and may bring its mobile training unit to Choctaw.

Lufburrow said every purchase helps fund Goodwill’s mission.

“When folks shop at Goodwill, they help us provide life-saving services to the community,” he said. “We are happy to be in Choctaw.”

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Choctaw Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brandi Buys welcomed Goodwill to the community.

“Thank you for bringing this opportunity to eastern Oklahoma County,” Buys said.

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan also attended the event and presented a proclamation recognizing the store’s opening.

The store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Donations are accepted at the drive-through donation center located at the front of the building.