council bluffs retail store
I-80 & madison avenue
click here to map location

Goodwill’s Council Bluffs location was voted the favorite thrift store by the readers of The Daily Nonpareil in the “Reader’s Choice Awards 2006”!

“Our customers and donors are the best,” said Becky Sue Sterns, store manager.  “We try to provide them with a retail experience that makes them want to come back for more.”

One way to keep customers coming back is by providing sales incentives.  “Thrifty Thursdays” is one such incentive for Council Bluffs customers.  Specific items are marked 50% off before being recycled. 

The store’s layout is also key to an enjoyable Goodwill shopping experience.  Council Bluffs’ staff makes sure that the store is merchandised like any other retailer – aisles are clean, clothing is sorted by color, themed toppers sit above the racks to give shoppers ideas, house wares and books are organized.

The Council Bluffs staff works hard to keep the store fully stocked and clean, but they do have some help. 

Through Goodwill’s Work Experience program, 14 students from Abraham Lincoln, Lewis & Clark, Thomas Jefferson high schools and the Iowa School for the Deaf, learn and work alongside Goodwill’s employees, customers and donors.  Not only do the high school seniors provide a valuable service to Goodwill, they are also preparing for the working world after graduation.

Jassper J. is enrolled in Goodwill’s Work Experience program housed in Council Bluffs.  One of Jassper’s areas of responsibility is the electronics. It is his job to make sure the electronics are in working condition before hitting the sales floor and that the area is organized. 

“Everything I learn helps me,” said Jassper.  “The faster I become, the more I get paid.” 
In the Work Experience program, participants are paid a commensurate wage for the work they perform.

Shop our Council Bluffs
store today!
1850 Madison Avenue
Council Bluffs IA 51503

To learn about Goodwill's other 10 retail stores, please click here.