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Health & Fitness

Goodwill store has array of fashionable merchandise

Khaki pants in women’s and junior sizes, not dozens or just a few brands but scores were in the apparel collection at Brookfield’s Goodwill Store & Donation Station at 165 Federal Road shortly before Halloween.

Among merchandise were costumes, quality items with many under $20 for kids and grownups.

The store’s overall inventory of women, men and kids fashions, home furnishings and lamps, decorative pieces, kitchen electrics, books, records and many other items are of good quality judging by the recent visit.

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It is perhaps reflective of the region and since all the items are donated, clothing would mimic trends area consumers have chosen for themselves.

A trip to the Danbury Mall the same day confirmed some of the same fashions being sold at popular retailers. A similarly styled hip faux fur jacket, for instance, seen at Goodwill for around $40 was at one of the junior apparel chains.

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Other area stores like Home Goods and Marshall’s that day also had the same kinds of merchandise.

Of course everything Goodwill sells has been pre-owned and is rarely new.

But the quality is acceptable, some items impeccably so. There was no discernable odor and items were dust free. What’s more is some clothing racks had clothing for $15.

It was a rainy, cold day and belted trenches and fall jackets were in abundance. There were pea coats and long ones, blazers and jackets of fake and real leather, down ones too.

Other clothing included acrylic, wool, cotton and other fabric sweaters. There were blouses, skirts and dresses and jeans were exceptionally represented, trendy styles for the most part in colors like blue denim, acid and faded wash. Cuts featured skinny and skinnier - jeggings, and there were straight, bootleg and capri also; a few "Mom" jeans but less than a handful on one of the racks.

Black jeans were displayed separately as were trouser style and dressier pants, tailored styles for women and juniors.

Makers included Talbot’s, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, The Gap, J. Crew, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and many others. There were dressy and casual, shoes, boots, booties, sandals and heels, spiked, chunky and wedges with a large majority of leather and though all worn, mostly hardly.

In the home section there was a dining room and six chairs and an upholstered and wicker sofa that looked brand new was in the lobby.

Other goods included bookshelves and dressers, lamps and glassware, rows, upon rows of crystal, china, flatware, errant vases, and arts and crafts items, some kvetchy crafty things with messages like “Kiss the cook,” and wedding favors that serve little purpose.

But artsy pieces were also on display, English teapots, cups and saucers, for instance, sets of China, holiday dishware, blown glass and pretty figurines. Items were evenly spaced on racks of shelving for easy browsing. The aisles were wide enough to fit strollers, and although the store was crowded there was plenty of staff around to unlock dressing rooms and ring up sales.

“It’s great stuff,” said Dorothy Viets, director of community relations for Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut, Inc. based in Bridgeport.

Opened since 2007, the store in September 2012 was rebranded to create an engaging, lively and fun customer experience, she said later in an email.

“This included new paint colors, the introduction of our GW sub brand, and signage that better reflects it.” The store has a drive-up donation station where donors can drive up and receive personal assistance.

A Goodwill attendant will unload donations and provide donors with tax receipt that includes a customer service survey.

In addition to offering a retail option, the site serves as a career center to provide free job assistance to those who are unemployed or underemployed. Viets said 270 people have been placed in jobs since it opened (visithttp://www.gwct.org/career-centers).

“Store inventory is updated every day providing customers with hundreds of new items,” said Vice President of Marketing Melisssa Cwiertniewicz.

For more information and store hours, call 203-775-6861

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