Inside Seattle's 70,000-square-foot thrifting behemoth
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Racks on racks. Photo: Christine Clarridge/Axios
Seattle is home to the world's largest Goodwill — a 70,000-square-foot thrifting behemoth hiding in plain sight at the edge of the Chinatown-International District.
Why it matters: The Dearborn Street flagship is a treasure hunt on an almost absurd scale, with about 10,000 new items hitting the sales floor every day, per Evergreen Goodwill.
- Roughly 18,000 people shop there each week.
- Its donation center is also the busiest in Goodwill's network, averaging a carload of donations every 55 seconds while it's open.
Zoom in: With school just getting underway, the sprawling store can also be a budget-friendly place to fill holes in back-to-school wardrobes — if you're willing to hunt.
Seattle resident Paris Smith, who learned to thrift as a kid from her mom, was looking for jeans when Axios visited recently, but she wasn't limiting herself.
- "Look at everything," Smith said. "You never know what is jammed in between things."
- Her other advice for taking on a store this big: Give yourself time.
Flashback: Goodwill has been at the Dearborn and Lane site since 1930, seven years after the nonprofit opened its first Seattle location at Boren Avenue and Virginia Street.
- The store got a distinctly Seattle touch this summer with a permanent mural by local artist Stevie Shao inspired by the Chinatown-International District and surrounding community.
Between the lines: Smith said part of the fun isn't even what's on the racks. A self-described people-watcher, she likes studying other shoppers' color palettes for inspiration.
Pro tip: Want a little breathing room to browse? One employee told Axios that, from what he can tell, Tuesday is the best day for a more peaceful peruse.
The bottom line: Come looking for jeans. Leave enough time to find whatever is jammed in between.
