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Neighbor News

Goodwill of Western & Northern Connecticut Offers Online Shopping

New ecommerce platform allows customers to shop merchandise from across the region

Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut (GWNC), a non-profit organization that helps individuals, businesses, and communities come together to support people with disabilities, economic disadvantages, and other barriers to employment, today announced the launch of its online shopping platform. Now, customers can shop for merchandise collected from stores throughout GWNC’s region with the click of a button.

“There are always a wide-range of items available in our retail stores, but online shopping gives customers an opportunity to browse products they may not have seen in their local store,” Ken Bennett, VP of Retail, Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut, said.

GWNC’s new e-commerce platform is an auction-based system that allows the market to dictate the value of an item. However, unlike other online auction sites, the proceeds from purchases made through Goodwill directly support the communities that the nonprofit serves within northern and western Connecticut.

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“When you shop online–and in stores –with GWNC, you help individuals who are unemployed, under-employed and face other barriers to employment gain access to job coaching and training programs across our region,” Bennett said. “It’s a win-win – customers gain the convenience of shopping with us from home and we get to help more people in our community.”

Customers shopping online with GWNC are encouraged to check back often, as product availability will vary based on goods donated. In addition to browsing the new online store, customers are also encouraged to visit their local GWNC retail location as all items are not available for online purchase.

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GWNC did a soft launch of its ecommerce platform in December 2019. To shop online with GWNC visit: https://www.gwct.org/shop/shop-online.

About Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut

Goodwill is a non-profit organization that helps individuals, businesses, and communities come together to support people with disabilities, economic disadvantages, and other barriers to employment. Last year, Goodwill of Western and Northern Connecticut (GWNC) helped 2,766 Connecticut residents find work. And, in 2018, one out of every 275 hires in the US were the result of services provided by Goodwill. Donations of goods and revenue generated from store sales power this mission, with more than 90% reinvested into the programs and services strengthening Connecticut families. GWNC is headquartered in Bridgeport, Conn., and has store, donation, and career center locations around the state. To learn more, visit: www.gwct.org.

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