In episode 432 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matt Kaness, CEO of GoodwillFinds, an online, curated selection of hundreds of thousands of unique items, showcasing a wide variety of secondhand clothing, books, home decor and more. Listen in as Kaness provides an overview of GoodwillFinds (0:55), discusses his professional background and what excited him about this role (3:30), and offers insights into the surge in consumer interest in resale items (7:45).
In addition, Kaness discusses the steps GoodwillFinds has taken to capitalize on the increased demand for resale (12:15) and the company's successes over the past year (16:00). Lastly, he shares his advice for other retailers and brands that have already or are in the process of getting into resale (20:45).
Matthew A. Kaness is the CEO of GoodwillFinds, the new social enterprise and e-commerce marketplace that extends Goodwill’s mission of creating social impact through the power of work. Under Kaness’ leadership, GoodwillFinds launched in October 2022 and quickly expanded from supporting four Goodwill regions on the platform to now 14 — representing more than 500 stores across the country — while growing GMV to over $25 million in year one and introducing the Goodwill brand and mission story to millions of online shoppers.
Kaness is a seasoned retail veteran with nearly 20 years of experience leading some of the most innovative and well-loved brands in the direct-to-consumer, digital commerce, and fashion retail industries, including Walmart e-commerce, URBN (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, Nuuly), ModCloth, and Afterpay. Over his career, Kaness has spearheaded innovations that have catapulted brands to the next level, including overseeing the transformation of ModCloth from a pure-play fashion e-tailer to a digital-native omnichannel brand, resulting in acquisition by Walmart, as well as leading the strategic development of the e-commerce channel at URBN to $1 billion in revenue, and advising Afterpay through its successful entry into the U.S. market.
