Goodwill Launches Trendy Boutique to Court Thrifty Millennials
*By Christian Smith*
The resale market is [booming](https://wwd.com/business-news/financial/apparel-resale-market-expected-to-hit-41-billion-by-1202642422/): in April, reports surfaced that the industry would swell by 2022 and hit an estimated $41 billion. Resale shopping may even outrun traditional retailーand Goodwill wants in on the success.
What's the strategy? Millennials’ love of thrifting. So Goodwill is launching a new boutique concept to do just thatーpartnering with YouTube influencers and students at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It's not a bad idea. According to Thred Up's [reseale report](https://www.thredup.com/resale?referral_code=datafeed_pla_connexity), millennials shop second-hand more than any other generation.
Attracting younger customers is not only a major priority, it's a necessity: the company's average customer is roughly 45 years old, says Katy Gaul-Stigge, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey.
But to achieve that, Gaul-Stigge added company execs had to make some real changes.
"The traditional second-hand shopper at a Goodwill store is skewing older,” Gaul-Stigge told Cheddar's Hope King. “So it's time for us to disrupt that."
The new boutique features both high-fashion brands to more commercial pieces. But beyond cheap pricesー$10.99 and up for a skirt and $14.99 and up for a jacketーGaul-Stigge believes Goodwill’s mission of altruism will entice new customers.
“We sponsor programs for people with disabilities. We help people get back to work. We create jobs in our stores, and that's what it's all about,” Gaul-Stigge said.
Goodwill NYNJ opened its first “Curated by Goodwill NYNJ” boutique in New York City’s Upper West Side on July 13. Gaul-Stigge says that the company plans to debut more Curated stores within existing, more traditional Goodwill spaces.
Orangetheory Fitness is redefining the future of workouts with smarter tech, strength-based programming, and community-driven studios built for what’s next.
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
Wealthfront’s CFO Alan Iberman talks the $2.05B IPO and the major moment for robo banking as the company bets on AI, automation, and “self-driving money."