Goodwill readies move of La Jolla retail store to Herschel Avenue

The Goodwill retail store in La Jolla is set to close soon in preparation for a move to a bigger Village location that the nonprofit organization believes will be more advantageous.

The existing shop at 7631 Girard Ave. will shut down Saturday, Jan. 17. The grand opening for the new location about a quarter-mile north at 7849 Herschel Ave. is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 21. The event will include a ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m., along with discounts and giveaways throughout the morning.

The new two-story store will be more than twice the size at 3,332 square feet, compared with 1,479 at the current location, according to Darlene Cossio, director of community relations and marketing for Goodwill Industries of San Diego County.

A staffing increase is on the way, too, as the store will start with 26 employees — up from the current 19.

Goodwill’s motivation for the move is twofold, Cossio said.

“One [reason] is its location … closer to the gateway of the city, and that gives us better access to tourists and people visiting The Cove and all the other destinations that people tend to come into La Jolla to see,” Cossio said.

“The second reason is the location is significantly larger, so that’s a great way for us to expand our offerings to the community and provide a better shopping experience and donation experience as well.”

La Jolla’s original Goodwill location opened in June 2013, welcoming a crowd of hundreds for its debut.

At the time, now-retired Goodwill Industries of San Diego County Chief Executive Mike Rowan said the organization was in La Jolla “for the long term” and that it intended to be a “valued asset to residents and local merchants.”

Goodwill uses the revenue from selling donated items to help fund its paid job-training programs and employment services. According to Cossio, 58% of Goodwill employees have a disability or some other barrier to employment.

Over time, the La Jolla operation demanded more space, Cossio said.

“We have had a really great response and support from the community as far as donations and shopping purchases at that location,” she said. “It is quite small, so I know based on customer feedback that they’re going to be incredibly excited to be shopping in a larger space.”

Learn more about Goodwill San Diego County and its other retail locations at sdgoodwill.org.