You may find a Kate Spade bag one day, a pair of funky Stella McCartney shoes the next, and still score a $5 item at the boutique

Goodwill is back in Newmarket with an upscale new look, but the charity remains true to its 117-year-old roots.

The new Goodwill Boutique on Mulock that opened its doors to the public June 27 brought with it 15 new jobs, a drive-and-drop donation centre, and carefully curated merchandise that will make designer, vintage and higher-end finds a breeze.

Nearly 100 per cent of all the merchandise is sourced from community donations and the store employs individuals who face barriers in the labour market.

“We decided a long time ago we didn’t want to look and feel like thrift, we wanted to look and feel like doing good,” Goodwill Industries, Ontario Great Lakes CEO Michelle Quintyn said. “With the boutique, we tend to watch that donation stream and pull those unique finds, those particular items that might be too pricey to sell in the regular thrift platform.”

Newmarket’s Goodwill Boutique is a multi-faceted store that carries active and casual wear for men and women, along with a babies and children’s section, accessories and more.

You may find a Kate Spade bag one day, a pair of funky Stella McCartney shoes the next, and still score a $5 item at the boutique.

“All the while people are donating to Goodwill or shopping at Goodwill they are doing two important things,” Quintyn said. “First and most importantly, they’re helping to sustain a person or their family who might otherwise be facing a barrier getting into the labour market. We exclusively hire people who need jobs the most, from the Ontario Works and health-care system, to those who were incarcerated. Our doors are open.”

And, with its commitment to recycling and reusing consumer goods that otherwise may go into the waste stream, Goodwill is making a “pretty big impact on climate change”, Quintyn added.

“We’re turning what might have become waste into human potential,” she said. “We’re the largest social enterprise and employer of persons with disabilities in North American, and Ontario as well. We have almost 1,000 employees with Goodwill and we’re a pretty major force in terms of helping individuals on their pathway.”

The “good” in Goodwill stems from the organization’s mission to provide job experience and skills training, and help build the confidence and resumes of its employees. It also provides benefits and scholarships to help its staff move on and up in the world of work.

“We like to graduate our folks,” Quintyn said, adding that the London, Ontario-based charity aims to create 900 jobs within the GTA by 2023. “Isn’t that weird, we’re the only employer that likes to see people leave.”

But make no mistake, it’s been a long road of rebuilding for Goodwill Industries, after its Toronto, Eastern, Central, and Northern Ontario branch went bankrupt in early 2016, and closed its 16 stores, including one in Newmarket, 10 donation centres, and two administrative offices.

The charitable organization’s demise affected more than 400 workers, who were owed about $4.2 million in severance and vacation pay.

“We were a neighbouring Goodwill, we were financially stable, thriving and growing,” Quintyn said of the former Newmarket store. “And we were trying to make sure that Goodwill thrived. We were really not happy when it started to falter, it was unprecedented in North America to see that. We did everything we could to keep it from faltering. Unfortunately, we had nothing to do with the fact that it did. We were in shock.”

Through the international headquarters based in the United States, Goodwill Industries engaged the Ontario Great Lakes to essentially start over, develop a business plan and rebuilt the organization across Ontario.

“Newmarket was a really good place to do that,” Quintyn said.

If the community reaction on social media about Goodwill being back in town is any indication, Quintyn may be right.

“I was there today when it opened. Lovely and very reasonable prices,” Andrea Fiore said in a comment on a local Facebook group. “It gives those who do not have the money a lovely opportunity to browse high-quality items at bargain prices. Why should they not have the opportunity to enjoy a classy setting. Kudos to Goodwill for rebranding themselves.”

Amanda Smith said “there are people who can only afford to shop second-hand. I think it provides a shopping experience that some people could otherwise never afford to walk into”.

For Karen Bowen, however, the ‘boutique’ branding made her question the store’s affordability.

“I love thrift stores and totally support reusing, but ‘boutique’ makes me wonder if they’ll be charging too much for second-hand items,” Bowen wrote. “I’ve almost stopped shopping at Value Village because their prices doubled/tripled in the past year. Thrift should be really inexpensive. Especially these days, when most people are buying poor quality goods made overseas. A brand new T-shirt can be had for $6, a glass bowl for $10. I’ll definitely check out the new boutique though.”

Before you head over to the Goodwill Boutique on Mulock, here are some tips from 25-year-long thrift shopper Joanne Brathwaite. The marketer and career strategist has made a name for herself on social media by posting her thrift store finds.

“My favourite finds have to be a pair of cream leather Sergio Rossi ankle boots that I scored for $11.99, a pair of over-the-knee grey suede boots for $4.99, a vintage Betsey Johnson printed trench coat for about $8, and a large (like new!), sturdy, every-day, black all-leather tote that I got for $5.99. I still keep the price tag on it because people never believe how little I paid for it,” she said.

Tips for successful thrifting:

Give your item a good once (or twice) over before buying

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it's easy to fall in love with an item in a dimly lit change room, only to get it home and realize it's dirty or has some damage.

Pay particular attention to stress points: seams, zippers, buttons, hems, underarms and crotch area.

Try the item on and examine it from all angles to see if there are any gaps or holes. After you take it off, give it a final examination outside of the change room to make sure you haven't missed anything like pilling, pulls, runs, small rips, stains, missing buttons or broken zippers.

Browse in racks outside of your size range

You can often find gems in the racks that are a few sizes out of your normal range. Whether due to time or budget constraints, some shoppers often "hide" items in different areas in hopes of coming back to the store later to make the purchase.

Also, due to modern "vanity sizing," true vintage items are sized much larger than what we're used to today.

Don't overlook a great piece because you don't like the number it bears. I'm a size 2-4 by North American sizing, but wear anywhere from a size 8 to 14 in vintage.

Find out the return policy before you buy

Some people believe that a thrift purchase is forever, but a lot of stores have reasonable exchange policies.

Thrifting can be intoxicating (so many deals for so little) but buyer's remorse is all too real when you get home and find that something is damaged or doesn't quite fit the way you wanted it to (see rules 1 and 2).

So before you pay, just ask the cashier which items, if any, are returnable. Most thrift spots don't issue refunds, but will allow you to exchange something within seven days of purchase if you fall out of love.

Goodwill Boutique on Mulock is located at 570 Mulock Dr.

For more information, visit here or to shop online, visit here.