Why Goodwill is closing its doors

Dozens of Bay Area workers will soon be out of a job as Goodwill announced it is shuttering locations in San Francisco and Oakland.

On Monday, the nonprofit thrift chain filed a notice with the California Employment Development Department, noting the “permanent” closure of the Oakland location and the layoff of 72 employees. The closure of the San Francisco location affects 18 employees, according to NBC Bay Area.

CEO Tim O’Neal of the Goodwill of the San Francisco Bay Area said in a statement that it is “actively working to secure and open new future locations that will reflect larger, more efficient operational spaces, and an enhanced shopping and donating experience for our community.”

“These updates are intended to serve the local community more efficiently,” O’Neal added. “However, some staff reductions have occurred as a result.”

“A few stores and donation centers will close in the coming weeks as size and operational limitations do not align with future growth opportunities, and a few career service locations will be consolidated,” GSFB said in a statement. “There are currently two headquarter offices in the region and an additional Oakland warehouse that will also close in the coming weeks.”

The laid-off employees are reportedly able to apply for jobs at other Goodwill locations.

“That’s a shame, ’cause you got people, maybe they have an opportunity and now they’re losing what little hope they might have had,” a San Francisco resident identified as “Rhino,” told NBC. “It employs a lot of people, which is important in a city that has extremely high rents, food costs, everything else.”

Goodwill SF Bay layoffs

• laying off most corporate employees (according to CA WARN documents)

• SF HQ & Oakland outlet shutting down

• Goodwill SF Bay is now a “wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary” of the Arizona Goodwill chapter pic.twitter.com/wHhpw4peHI

— Danielle (@DLVermeer) April 9, 2025

The Goodwill announcement came after FedEx filed notices last week, noting it would lay off 79 employees at its Emeryville location and 95 employees in Oakland.

Last year, the local Goodwill reportedly “merged with a Goodwill chapter run out of Phoenix, dropping its entire C-suite in the transition,” according to SF Gate, which cited an auditor’s report that showed the San Francisco Bay local is now a “wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary” of the Arizona chapter.

Deteriorating conditions and crime in the Bay Area locations have led to the closure of other stores recently including Target and Lululemon.

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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