The thrifting and e-commerce surge is driving online sales at Goodwill of Orange County, whose ShopGoodwill.com website in October reached a new milestone of $2.5 billion in cumulative sales over its 25-year history, up from $1 billion in 2021.
About 130 Goodwill organizations in the U.S. use the resale site to list donated apparel, jewelry, antiques, collectibles and other inventory from more than 2,500 stores. More than 85% of an item’s final purchase price goes back to the local community of the sister organizations to support their job placement and career training programs.
“While sales from other secondhand sites line the pockets of investors, sales on ShopGoodwill.com positively impact communities across the U.S. and Canada,” Chief Executive and President Nicole Suydam said in a statement. The online business, operated by the local Goodwill division, was designed in 1999 to be an additional funding source to the traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
In 2023, ShopGoodwill.com grew to $341 million in site-wide sales showing a 10% jump over 2022.
This increase is on top of double-digit growth over the previous several years, according to Goodwill OC. Data shows that the site receives nearly 40 million unique page views a week and currently counts 4 million registered shoppers.
Following a modernization and branding refresh of the site in 2021, ShopGoodwill.com launched its first-ever mobile app in 2022. More than 60% of online shoppers were visiting from a mobile device before the digital addition, according to officials.
The app allows consumers to browse, bid and buy from the phone, featuring category searching, quick bids and personal shopping services along with real-time push notifications on favorite items.
As for the Santa Ana-based nonprofit’s philanthropic mission, the organization says sales from ShopGoodwill.com have provided 5 million people “with valuable 21st-century skills and secure stable employment.”
Developing a Top Secondhand Site
The online resale industry is expected to more than double to $70 billion by 2027, according to GlobalData’s 2022 Resale Report.
Looking forward, Goodwill of OC plans to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into the site. The technology will be used in the process of photographing, identifying and cataloging items to be sold on the platform which will help expand the range of available items.
“Hitting this major milestone of 25 years while the site continues to grow exponentially further solidifies ShopGoodwill.com’s place among the top online secondhand sites,” Chief Operating Officer George Burt said.
The nonprofit also reported that its online sales have diverted 52 million-plus items from landfills to date.
“The site gives a whole new definition to conscious consumerism,” Suydam added.
Goodwill of OC was the county’s second largest nonprofit ranked by OC revenue on the Business Journal’s list last year with sales of $169 million for 12 months ended June 30, 2023.
