A new 28,000 square-foot AMVETS thrift store is coming to Erie's Liberty Center

The AMVETS National Service Foundation helps veterans secure benefits and provides scholarships to veterans and their families.

Formed in 1944 and chartered three years later by Congress and President Harry Truman, AMVETS funds much of that work through a network of 46 thrift stores in 20 states.

The nonprofit's 47th location, and its first in northwestern Pennsylvania, is coming to Erie.

AMVETS plans to move before the end of the year into Liberty Center in a 28,000 square-foot space that was last occupied by Gordmans, a discount department store.

Gordmans, which also did business in the same space as Peebles, closed as part of the COVID-19 shutdown in March of 2020. The store, along with other Gordmans locations, reopened briefly in June of that year for a liquidation sale.

The store is expected to create about 50 full- and part-time jobs.

What do you know about AMVETS?

The AMVETS name should be familiar to many in the Erie area. After all, the 46-mile stretch of Interstate 90 that passes through Pennsylvania is named the AMVETS Memorial Highway.

The name might also ring a bell for a certain number of Erie-area residents who shop at the AMVETS store in Buffalo, said Keith Haley, director of thrift store operations for the nonprofit.

What should customers expect?

Haley said Amvets stores tend to be a favorite among thrift store shoppers.

"We don't gouge and we don't put all of our best stuff online. We are a thrift store and we remain true to our roots," he said. "We are going to price everything like we are a thrift store."

Most locations, he said, specialize in women's clothing and accessories as well as housewares. Shoppers should also expect kitchen items, furniture, books, shoes and media.

Haley said he's also a big fan of the nonprofit's mission, especially the work it does to represent veterans who might be struggling to receive benefits.

"It's really hard to navigate the VA system," he said. "You get denials with no explanation. Our staff represents veterans free of charge. They don't expect anything from that."

Sherry Bauer, leasing agent for Levin Management, which owns the shopping plaza, said the lease with AMVETS continues a string of wins for Liberty Center, where F&F Hibachi Express and the Erie Gymnastics Center opened new locations earlier this year. That's in addition to recent expansions by Tops Friendly Market and Werner Books and Coffee.

"We are also talking to a couple of other prospective tenants," Bauer said. "I think the trend is that the Liberty Center is going to be a home for a lot of valuable business partners in the community."

For now, crews working for the building's owners are busy making improvements to heating and ventilation systems, she said.

Haley said he would like to see the store open soon, but said the timetable will depend largely on the ability to secure permits and complete construction.

"Once we get going, it's going to take six to eight weeks to furnish this store and fill it up," he said.

Haley said he's not worried about the competition in a community that already has a number of thrift stores.

"We welcome competition," he said. "Having had a good experience in Buffalo, the next logical step was to come down to Erie. We will start in Erie and work our way towards Pittsburgh."

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Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: AMVETS thrift store to open in Gordmans spot in Erie's Liberty Center