Bloomington’s east side Goodwill has moved to a new location. We visited the store to discover what’s new and how thrifting has made an impact on Bloomington youth.

The New Goodwill

The College Mall location closed on September 16th, 2025, after having rented the building for around 10 years, according to the Herald-Times. The new location, which opened on September 17th, 2025, is fully owned by Goodwill. 

As we walked through the door of the brand new store, which replaced the old Party City and Staples off of Pete Ellis Drive, we observed surprisingly ample room for clothing, books and furniture. 

South senior Abilmansur Kassym, however, noted that the new Goodwill’s lighting “is too harsh, so it hurts being in there,” which could make shopping there a less enjoyable experience. He said, “I prefer the old one, to be honest.”

The sections within the store followed the same layout as the last location except that the books were moved to the front corner and furniture took up a smaller space to the right of the wares. 

There is also less space for the line. The clothing racks are too close to the registers, allowing room for only two dividers, leaving a narrow area in between. This could lead to a lot of foot traffic near the front of the store. 

Kassym said that he was at the store on its opening day and noted some crowds, which is to be expected during peak times. We recommend going earlier in the day when it is less busy and before clothes get picked over; furthermore, weekdays may also yield better results. Items are often restocked on Tuesdays, according to Goodwill’s website.

Customers will be relieved to know that prices have remained the same after increases in recent years. Goodwill stated in the Herald Times article that they would retain the same staff, though we noticed signs saying they are currently hiring.

Thrifting’s Impact

Thrifting, or buying clothes secondhand, has grown more popular in recent years, especially among young people. According to Capital One Shopping, approximately one third of clothing items purchased in the U.S. in 2024 were secondhand. 

This is thanks in part to a changing view of thrifting – what was once seen as old fashioned or embarrassing, is now considered cool as it provides a way for young people to experiment with their personal styles. 

South senior Alice Racek said that shopping at Goodwill is “a way to find unique pieces that are just really interesting and that are difficult to find new.” Kassym said that he thinks “every piece kind of has some history behind it.”

Thrifting offers a balance between clothes that are well made, but expensive, and poor quality fast fashion. South senior Jonah Beavers said that he likes how shopping secondhand is more affordable than buying clothes new.

Shopping in thrift stores such as Goodwill has also become an enjoyable, low-cost, social activity for young people. Beavers said that he usually never thrifts alone, and was inspired to start thrifting because his friends did.

Both Racek and Beavers noted an increase among their friends in shopping secondhand. Racek tied this increase to “people think[ing] about their personal impacts on the environment and, also, it’s just the better choice financially.”

Racek encouraged students to try their luck at Goodwill, and thrifting in general: “If you go thrifting once and you don’t find anything, don’t give up on it. Keep going back.”