Seattle Goodwill

Reviews

• JS

  Julia Shaffer

  May 12, 2026
  5.0
  Great things are brewing... ☕ I recently stopped into the Goodwill flagship store and spotted something really special tucked way back in the corner, almost out of sight. I normally never even walk that direction. Fulcrum Coffee Roasters and Evergreen Goodwill are partnering on a barista training program and café space right inside the store. Honestly, it was exciting to actually see one of the training programs in action and connect the dots between donations, shopping at Goodwill, and where that support is going. Real people learning real job skills right there in front of you. This deserves to be more up front where people can see it and celebrate it.
• OF

  Opal Fenn

  May 8, 2026
  1.0
  From the reviews I've read, the management has supposedly been made aware of the over-pricing issue on multiple occasions. Not only are things priced too high, but it's also inconsistent. I've seen identical items in the same condition with different prices. It's absurd. To the person(s) responding to these reviews, instead of giving another canned or AI-generated response, can you please tell me if anything is *actually* being done about it? Or are customers expected to attempt to solve the issue themselves on an individual basis? And with varying degrees of success depending on how management decides to handle a request? Asking for a price adjustment doesn't seem to go over well. That solution also doesn't take into consideration that people have different levels of communication abilities. Language barriers, anxiety, disabilities, etc. can all prevent someone from being able to ask. It shouldn't be on the customer to fix what is clearly a widespread issue in this store. I would really appreciate an actual human response as to what is being done to solve the issue, if anything. Making management aware isn't a solution. Asking people to request an adjustment isn't a solution. "Raising funds for Job Training & Education Programs" is not an excuse for the price gouging and inconsistency.
• SP

  Sofia’s Photos

  Apr 26, 2026
  5.0
  I never thought I’d be writing a review for Goodwill. I’m generally not the biggest fan of thrift stores, but I was passing by with a friend and she suggested we stop in. I didn’t mind, and honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it’s in a rougher area, this location had a huge selection. Compared to some other thrift stores I’ve visited, it felt much more organized and actually worth browsing. There was a lot to choose from, and not just random leftovers. What really stood out was the variety and quality. They had great prices on furniture, home items, and even clothing. I also noticed some really good brands, which was unexpected. The layout made a difference too. Certain sections felt more curated and thoughtfully displayed, almost like a regular retail store rather than a chaotic thrift shop. And then the biggest surprise of all: there was a coffee shop inside. A thrift store with a coffee shop experience? I was genuinely impressed. Definitely one of the best thrift store experiences I’ve had, and I’d absolutely recommend stopping by.
• JH

  Jess H

  Apr 24, 2026
  1.0
  4/23 5pmish -Terrible for drop off- Nasty staff that clearly profiles/uses personal feelings instead of professional behavior. . We arrived, hopped out, and tried unloading like everyone around us. Instead some big dude with a lazy eye came *running* over to us and insisted on seeing each item? It was clearly targeting. He made us go through item by item- something NO ONE ELSE in either lane was going through!? (I'm watching people unload trunk fulls of random boxes and bags into bins but here we were having to explain every item?? ) The pictures I posted are an example of what he rejected- a BRAND NEW (cats didn't touch it once) Armacat toy? He touched the natural jute, which is frayed looking by nature, and asked nastily "what do you expect Goodwill to do with this?" We explained it's brand new; he snatched it and yelled at us "fine we'll just throw it out!!", not listening to us saying "no, we'll just keep it and donate it to a cat shelter if you don't want it!". He did that with every item. His attitude felt pointed; this experience was terrible. To recap : everyone else was getting to quickly unload. When we pulled up, he made a point to run over to us, and didn't hide his disdain as he spoke to us. May he have the miserable life he clearly earns. The Goodwill in Ballard NEVER treats us this way.
• ZM

  Zoe M

  Apr 5, 2026
  2.0
  I've been shopping at this Goodwill for 8 years and I have seen a marked decline in the quality of goods, the organization of the store, and ease of shopping. It's terrible. Thrifting at Goodwill used to be a delightful adventure and treasure hunt. But there have been changes in the thrifting industry over the past decade, especially since covid. High quality merchandise is pulled from donations before it can ever reach a store and much of what is left over is overpriced. This is a trend across all goodwills in the Seattle area, but my most recent trip to this location was extremely unpleasant. The store is wholly disorganized across all categories. Every single section is overflowing and crammed with goods. Every single part of the store I went to was almost unshoppable. Hard goods was filled with avalanches and breakable items teetering on shelves. Notebooks and paper crammed like a brick wall. Beauty item bags in mounds, tangled with small decor. Teacups and dishes so precariously balanced or stacked pulling anything out would result in broken items. Merchandise constantly spilling onto the floor, whether you touched it or not. Any sort of rack with a hanger (clothes, bedding, etc...) was crammed so tightly and in disarray that one can barely pull an item out to look at (before struggling to put it back on the rack). Why even bother? Many clothing sections were barely organized by size or color. Especially the bras, whose tags often did not match the size on the bra itself. When I asked an employee about this, they said it's better to just check the bra itself. Then why put the size on the tag at all? There has been a complete breakdown of organization in this store and it feels like the bins, or a dumpster dive. Sizes don't mean anything. Sections don't mean anything. Categories don't mean anything. It's just a mishmash of 1,000 different items piled on shelves and in fixtures. It's shameful. I used to spend hours at goodwill, and now I don't have the bandwidth to literally dig through piles of junk. My hands come away dirty and sticky. Can't wash your hands because the bathroom is closed. There did seem to be a lot of staff milling around, but I don't know if they are to blame. I really wonder what kind of leadership choices are being made to cause this kind of impact on a store. My guess is they're not scheduling enough workers for closing shift or they're not allowing enough time for close, so that the store can have adequate recovery. I've worked in retail before and that's often the culprit. Closing shift has to do way too much and can't also clean up the store. Too much merchandise not selling? Lower the prices then, so it moves faster. Most merch is donated, so it's all profit. There is just too much in this store at any given point and it's becoming downright unpleasant to shop in. It's a big store, so you need to staff accordingly. Not attracting enough applicants? Increase the wage then. It's really just simple stuff. But corporate is greedy and putting money towards profit rather than resolving things that affect customers like the bathroom issue. People would stay in the store longer, shopping if they had a bathroom to use. If the bathroom is so hard to maintain, then hire a dedicated bathroom cleaner to just hang out there all day, like fitting room. Really almost all the problems of the store could be resolved by hiring more staff, or specifically designating staff to certain areas to only do recovery. Something has got to change. It's unsustainable. The greed is palpable and impacting the customer experience.

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