Goodwill is a thrift store and charitable organisation that donates its proceeds to local shelters, food banks, and other community-supporting initiatives. Thrift stores, buy-outright shops, and consignment shops are all considered forms of resale shops, and each has an own business model and motivation.
Goodwill is a thrift store organisation that accepts personal contributions on consignment, as do all thrift stores. There are some for-profit resale stores that are labelled as thrift stores, but true thrift stores use their proceeds to support charities and non-profit groups. As long as the contribution is made to a 501(c)(3) charitable organisation, contributors can deduct their contributions from their taxes. Compared to buy-outright stores and consignment businesses, thrift stores typically provide the lowest pricing.
Consignment and buy-outright stores can be operated for profit. Buy-outright stores, unlike consignment shops, allow consumers to receive cash for whatever items they bring in. The quality of goods at buy-outright stores is typically superior to that of consignment shops and thrift stores because sellers are typically motivated to maximise their profits. The proprietor of a consignment shop sells products donated by customers and pays them a share of the proceeds.