Goodwill Whyte Ave Thrift Store and Donation Centre - Edmonton, Alberta

monica S.

Disgusting. The prices are super high. The security guard,african, TRIED TO KEEP ME IN THE STORE BECUAS3 I TOOK A PIC OF A SUPER EXPENSIVE ITEM..HE TRIED TO KEEP ME IN THE STORE!!!TOLD HIM SECTION 2 OF THE CHARTER SAYS I CAN. do not shop here. Look at this pic

Natalia D.

This location used to be my favourite to come and thrift at! Unfortunately now the prices on items are higher than at the store!! $20 for a normal brand top. For a charity shop this is insane especially when donations are given with the goal of supporting those that cannot afford to shop retail and individuals with disabilities. On top asking for additional donations at the till is CRAZY. Will be donating my items elsewhere and won’t be back to shop either. Only positive is that they have some free parking spots.

Allie N.

01/22/25 I’ve donated a lot of clothing and items to this location and always had pleasant interactions with the staff handling donations. Nothing but good experiences there. Popped in this evening after school to look at the jewelry as I like to repurpose it in my own crafts. I guess I hadn’t noticed the lockers in the front before and a really rude security guard approached me and gave me a lot of attitude about having my school bag on. Asked me if it was my first time in a super condescending manner. Led me to a locker and tried to have me put my bag in while he would keep the key? To MY bag? After an initial attempt to get my bag in it was clear it was going to be a struggle to fit. I just gave up and handed him back the jewelry I wanted to buy. Had he just been polite when approaching me it would not have been an issue. This is a non-profit organization that serves the community and is made possible by the community. It’s too bad this individual can’t be pleasant toward that community and seems a bit too eager to attempt to exercise a relatively small amount of authority over others. Not sure this is the right placement for him, many vulnerable populations shop here.

Christiana M.

I love this Goodwill and I shop there all the time. The staff are really lovely and for the most part it’s a great shopping experience and I feel good about supporting such a worthy cause.

With that said, I’ve noticed over the past few months that the prices have increased substantially! To the point where the prices are even higher sometimes than regular price! Sweaters are often priced at $28+ and coats are $46+. These prices are blanket across the board, regardless of the condition of the item. The prices have now become comparable with (or even more than) shopping on Facebook Marketplace, Plato's Closet, or at consignment, and without the benefits of that experience.

The change has been noticeable, and it seems unfair and as though the organization is looking to make a profit potentially at the expense of customers. I just wanted to share this viewpoint, as I am sure many other shoppers have noticed the change as well.

Chelsea P.

Imagine putting a $28.50 price tag on an item that is *clearly* riddled with stains - just because it’s considered an “expensive” brand. Which regardless, shouldn’t even matter at the end of the day - given the fact that every single one of these items is donated from the public!

This is not the first time (nor will it be the last I’m sure) that I’ve seen this happen at this particular location / Goodwill stores in general. They are blatantly hiking the prices up for items that they personally deem as valuable, regardless of their condition!

P.S. This location pulls *all* of the items with the tags that are on “sale” that day… This was brought to my attention when I arrived at opening & the manager was telling the employees on the floor to pull all items with red tags - which were the ones that were suppose to be on sale? Huh.

After overhearing this, I asked the employee with the rack closest to me if I just heard them correctly & proceeded to confirm that red tags are suppose to be on sale though, right? She then snarkily replied “yeah, if you can find them”.

Do better, Goodwill.

👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽

B

Do not judge people security...
Just cause I dress different for a person in my mid 50s doesn't mean I'm like others but i understand
Honestly their prices are more costly than most other stores sadly as I bought one like that see photo in way better shape at value village less than that price

Inácia L.

I've been a loyal customer of this location for three years, and I've always appreciated the clean, organized store and friendly staff. However, today's visit (August 6, 2024, around 1 PM) was completely overshadowed by a terrible encounter with the security guard.

While browsing the kids' section, the guard approached me and pointed to my medium-sized purse, demanding I put it in a locker because it was "too big." I said but this is a purse and I know purses are allowed. I felt extremely humiliated as he accused me of potential shoplifting. To prove I wasn't stealing, I had to open my purse and show him its contents. This was completely uncalled for and embarrassing.

While Heather (an employee) apologized for his behavior, the damage was done. My shopping experience was ruined, and I'm left feeling targeted and discriminated against. I sincerely hope no other customers are subjected to such biased treatment by this security guard.

I hope this review will encourage the store to address this issue and ensure that all customers are treated with respect.

Christopher F.

Today I went in with well behaved, 8lbs dachshund held in my arms, because it was far too hot to leave her in the car. I got as far as the home goods section when I was approached by a store employee asking for her papers to prove she’s a support animal (of some sort). I said I don’t have any such papers and was rudely told I have to leave, now. I asked why, I was told because ‘it’s policy’. I asked why it was policy and was told ‘because it’s policy’. Very politely I asked further ‘but why is it policy, I’d honestly like to know the reasons for the policy’. I was given no answer except ‘some people don’t like dogs, that’s why’ and I was then escorted to the exit, like a criminal, humiliated.
I checked the store entrance, there is no sign saying pets are not allowed.
This is a thrift store, full of dirty, used clothing and household items, what harm is an 8lbs dog held up in someone’s arms going to do?!
Look around the store, my dog is cleaner than most of the people in there, and is certainly more pleasant than the employee I had to deal with. There are people doing drugs on the sidewalk outside the store but somehow my 8lbs daschunds is a problem.
This is a thrift store not Hermés. Oh wait, Hermés actually allows dogs in their stores, and doesn’t treat their customers like garbage.

To the owner’s reply:
1) put a sign on the door.
2) reevaluate your policy because it lacks common sense.
3) don’t be rude to customers.
4) actually read reviews and give a thoughtful response.