Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is opening its first hardware resale store in Pelzer, stocking shelves with donated power tools, DIY essentials, and other equipment for budget-minded builders and weekend fixer-uppers. The store, called ReTool & Supply, holds its grand opening and ribbon-cutting Wednesday, August 26, with a VIP reception at 8 a.m. and doors opening to the public an hour later.
As reported by Greenville Online, the specialty store will sell donated tools, power equipment, and DIY essentials rather than mixing them into general thrift aisles. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is being held in coordination with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, according to Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina.
ReTool & Supply will operate inside the existing Pelzer Goodwill building at 297 Highway 20, according to the Post and Courier. Regular store hours will run Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the store closed on Mondays, per the same account.
A Grocery Chain Backs the Hardware Concept
Regional supermarket chain Ingles Markets is serving as the official sponsor and community partner behind the new hardware concept, the nonprofit says. Ingles operates grocery stores across South Carolina and neighboring states, giving the launch a recognizable corporate backer as Goodwill expands into a new retail category.
ReTool & Supply is the latest in a string of specialty thrift concepts the regional Goodwill affiliate has rolled out in recent years, joining Auten's Loft for boutique fashion, rePLAY for athletic equipment, and SecondStory for secondhand books. Several of those concepts previously launched together at the organization's Goodwill at the Trail hub in Greenville.
Executive Ties Store to Environmental and Economic Goals
Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina President and CEO Pat Michaels, who has led the regional affiliate since 2007, framed the hardware store as a response to growing demand among thrift shoppers for affordable, eco-friendly tools for home renovation, trade work, and hobby projects, the Post and Courier reports. The model also diverts usable equipment from landfills rather than letting it go to waste.
Goodwill also offers job training and placement programs, tying the new hardware sales to workforce initiatives.
Retail Sales Fund a Regional Job Training Network
Across its Upstate and Midlands territory, the nonprofit operates retail stores, attended donation centers, and Career and Training Centers, and it diverts donated goods from landfills. Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina also helps connect job-training participants with employment and contributes to the local economy.
Proceeds from specialty retail sales help fund free career accelerator programs, including the organization's Clean Tech Accelerator. The affiliate also offers specialized career training, including a healthcare pathway, funded in part by the same retail network now expanding into hardware.
Located along SC Highway 20 in Anderson County, the Pelzer store is about half an hour from downtown Greenville.
