Goodwill launches new shop

Business Beat

By Marijke Rowland

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Modesto's second Goodwill store is set to open this weekend with a show of good will.

Giveaways and prizes will be part of the grand opening Saturday and Sunday at the store, 3900 Sisk Road in the former Ethan Allen building.

The 14,400-square-foot north Modesto location has been in an informal soft-open for a week and includes a store and donation center.

A ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. Friday will be followed with opening festivities Saturday and Sunday.

The first 100 shoppers both days will receive gift cards. There will be drawings as well for $200 grocery cards and a grand-prize drawing at the end of the weekend for a 50-inch Samsung plasma flat-screen TV.

"I think people are excited. I am surprised by how many people are already coming in with no signs up," said Sally Wooden, public relations and development director for Goodwill Industries of San Joaquin Valley Inc.

The store, about 2,000 feet larger than the McHenry Avenue shop, has hired 18 employees.

"I think it's a real good thing for the county and certainly a good thing for people who need help

with our job training programs," Wooden said.

Proceeds from the store will fund job-training programs. Goodwill provides free training and placement services. Last year, the not-for-profit agency helped about

4,700 people in the San Joaquin Valley.

The store is the third in Stanislaus County; there's one at 601 N. Golden State Blvd., Turlock.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to www.goodwill-sjv.org.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

Hollywood Video/Game Crazy on McHenry Avenue has closed.

The signs on the store, at McHenry and Standiford avenues, directed customers to return rentals to the northwest Modesto store at 2100 Standiford Ave.

Oregon-based Movie Gallery Inc., which runs Hollywood Video and Game Crazy, announced the closure of 200 Game Crazy locations across the country last month.

Customers who were members of PowerPlay, the store's monthly rental program, can call 877-244-6684 for more information. ...

Looking to amplify your next event? Check out Audio Flair Sound Reinforcement.

The Modesto-based business runs public address systems for live outdoor and indoor events.

Husband-and-wife team Mike and Bodil Bacciarini own Audio Flair. They can provide and operate

PA systems for everything from festivals to concerts, weddings and more. Mike Bacciarini has more than 20 years of experience as a musician and technician.

For more information, call 531-8700 or visit www.audioflairsr.com. ...

And finally, more than 750 people lined up for the second phase of the grand opening of Forever 21 in Vintage Faire Mall.

The fast fashion store unveiled its first floor in the old Gottschalks building. The popular retailer previously had opened only its second floor. The first 600 guests received gift cards Saturday.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.