Goodwill is one of the most well-known thrift store chains in the world. Millions of people donate clothes, furniture, books, and other goods so that the company sells them at lower prices. For many years, Goodwill offered a few benefits to those who donated, like discount coupons for future purchases. However, the company has recently stopped some of these benefits without making big announcements, which has caused confusion among its most loyal donors. So, let’s find out more about this.
How does Goodwill work?
As every thrift store, Goodwill sells used goods donated by people who don’t use them anymore. Then, the company sells them at its stores.
One of the reasons why this store became so popular is that it offered very low prices and great incentives. For example, in many stores, when someone donated objects, they received a discount coupon for their next purchase. This made donors feel appreciated and encouraged them to keep donating.
Something changed
Goodwill has started removing these discount coupons, but they didn’t clearly announce it everywhere. As you can imagine, many donors found out about this once they tried to receive them.
A clear example of this is a woman from Emporia, Kansas, who had been donating to Goodwill for years. Recently, she took two bags full of clothes, blankets, and curtains; and as she always did, she asked for the discount coupon. She wanted that coupon because she wanted to buy a shelf she saw at the store, but an employee told her they weren’t offering discount coupons for donating anymore.
Of course, she was mad about this, and she posted a post on Facebook explaining that Goodwill profits from donated items, yet no longer offers even a small discount in return. She also said that without donations, Goodwill would not be able to operate.
Other complaints
The experience of this woman is not an isolated case. Other donors commented on social media, like Reddit, that in their local stores also removed the 20% discount coupons for donating. Some people said that multiple locations had ended the same policy.
Many customers feel that Goodwill is forgetting how important donors are to its business. Some people said they would rather donate their items to women’s shelters or churches, where they feel their donations are more appreciated.
Removing other discounts
Apart from coupons for donating, the thrift shop has reduced or removed other discount programs in different regions. At the beginning of 2025, some stores in the areas of Milwaukee and Chicago discontinued tag sales, senior discounts, military discount days, and customer appreciation days.
Customers in Central Virginia also complained that Goodwill had ended two long-running programs over the years. These included a frequent shopper stamp card program and a frequent donor stamp program. These changes appear to be part of a larger effort by Goodwill to increase revenue as operating costs rise.
Future changes
Goodwill is preparing big changes for this year, like improving the shopping experience by renovating their stores with better lighting, exposed ceilings, and concrete floors.
The thrift shop is also expanding its number of store locations with 42 new stores and plans to continue growing. As part of this expansion, Goodwill plans to open larger stores in wealthier neighborhoods which could result in donations of higher-value items.
Another major focus is social media. Goodwill plans to use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to attract younger customers and donors. The company hopes to reach Gen Z by using influencers and short videos showing people shopping at Goodwill stores or dropping off donations.
So…
Along with the removal of other discounts, these changes suggest that the company is adjusting its business strategy to deal with higher costs and future expansion. Do you think this is a good strategy?