It specialized in retailing on-trend apparel, accessories, cosmetics, footwear, and housewares.

At one time Goody's operated close to 500 stores in the U.S South and Midwest, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

[citation needed] Brands exclusively found at Goody's include Valerie Stevens; Signature Studio; Sun River; Rustic Blue; Rebecca Malone; and Wishful Park.

"Goody" was the college nickname of M. D. Goodfriend's son Bob, who had joined the family business in 1972.

[6] On May 10, 2020, Stage announced it had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, and that it would liquidate all locations, Goody's and Gordmans included, unless a buyer could be found for the chain.