SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – On Thursday, June 22, Goodwill Manasota will open another specialty store: the Manatee Book & Art Store, its newest retail location in Manatee County. Located at 5512 Manatee Avenue West, the store will offer 5,800 square feet of retail space and an attended donation center to take donations of unwanted items from the community. Inventory will include 17,000-20,000 books and a large selection of art for sale.
This location was previously a traditional Goodwill retail store, selling donated goods such as apparel, shoes, home goods, and more. It was closed in April so that inventory could be redistributed to other locations and the interior could undergo a complete makeover – from painting and unique displays to new flooring.
The renovations were executed by Mint Construction. The hours for shopping will be 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday; donations will be accepted from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
“We have found that our customers absolutely love our bookstores and we also know how this community loves art. This was the perfect opportunity to reopen this location to engage the cultural community,” said Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “While the square footage did not really support the traditional inventory of our retail stores, the size will be perfect to showcase the generous donations made from our community. This concept was created after listening to our customers and through our desire to create a unique customer service experience.”
Currently, Goodwill has three bookstores, located at 1752 S. Tamiami Trail in Venice, 5831 Derek Avenue in Sarasota, and 7200 55th Avenue E. in Bradenton. Artwork can be found at most of the traditional retail stores and Bargain Barns throughout the region.
This facility will bring the total of Goodwill retail stores to 17 in its service area of Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Hardee counties. The Manatee Book & Art Store, along with the attended donation center, will add nine team members to Goodwill Manasota’s total workforce. The donation of unwanted items to Goodwill supports programs and services throughout the region, enabling the organization to change lives through the power of work.
For more about Goodwill Manasota, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.