Seattle’s third Goodwill store will open at 4552 University Way Nov. 5. The non-profit, second-hand store will cater its new location to students with “hip and trendy clothing and jewelry,” according to a press release.

The U-District location is the first of a new business model of smaller, neighborhood-based stores, said Goodwill’s Director of Retail Sales Nicole Roberts. The non-profit has been considering smaller stores for a few years and was excited to find the U-District property, Roberts said.

At 5,400 square-feet, the new location is almost a fourth smaller than the usual Goodwill store, which means it won’t accept donations. Tommy’s Nightclub left the space at 4552 University Way N.E. after citations from the Liquor Control Board in late 2007, and Goodwill signed a lease of the property eight weeks ago.

Tommy’s kitchen has been torn out and replaced with storage space, but Goodwill is keeping the cracked wooden columns, which along with earth-tone walls, will give the store a casual and urban feel.

Roberts said the store will target UW students with “dorm essentials,” including housewares and new mattresses.

The store will also sell jeans, T-shirts, CDs and records — all selected especially for the U-District location.

Clothing will be organized into sections according to style, including western, vintage and rocker, said Roberts.

Goodwill also hopes to appeal to students’ social activism, emphasizing its non-profit status and contributions to job training and education programs.

There are already four second-hand clothing stores on the Ave, in addition to half a dozen other clothing retailers, but Roberts isn’t worried.

“I think competition is good,” she said.

Goodwill’s next-door neighbor is Red Light Clothing Exchange, which sells new and second-hand clothing.

Despite the two stores being in such close proximity, Red Light’s assistant manager, Monica Chiotti, isn’t worried. Red Light sells higher-priced vintage clothing from a variety of decades.

“We have a special niche,” Chiotti said, explaining that if the store doesn’t have what a customer wants, Red Light refers them to other second-hand clothing stores, including Goodwill.

Gianna Cannataro, assistant manager of Crossroads Trading Co., said that while she is a little concerned about competition from Goodwill, she’s more disappointed that they won’t be accepting donations.

“I was a little bummed out because we don’t have that many places to refer donations to,” she said. Crossroads also does not accept donations.

The Goodwill store will open its doors to customers at 4 p.m. Nov. 5. Regular hours of operation ­— 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays — begin the following day.

Reach reporter Roselle Kingsbury at news@dailyuw.com.