You Should Find a 'Bin Store' Near You (2024)

When customers return merchandise to retailers, it often winds up sold at so-called “bin stores” where the prices decline over time—and you can get some serious bargains.

Jeff Somers

You Should Find a 'Bin Store' Near You (1)

Credit: Ground Picture / Shutterstock

Once prices go up on merchandise, they rarely—if ever—go back down. Even if the systemic reasons behind their initial rise change or improve, prices typically stabilize at the new, higher point—until the next shock raises them again. Everything is more expensive today than it was just a short time ago, so you probably could use every bargain you can find. One of the best tools for finding discounted items has become a rapidly growing trend around the U.S.: the bin store. Chances are there’s one or more of them near you right now, and the way they operate can translate into incredible savings if you’re willing to put a little effort into their gamified shopping experience.

What is a bin store?

A “bin store” is a store that takes all the overstock, returned, and clearance merchandise that big retailers like Amazon or Target need to get rid of. These stores deal in huge volumes (Americans return a little over $800 billion worth of stuff every year), and need to make room for incoming inventory on a regular basis. Bin stores accept weekly shipments of this unwanted inventory, and then dump it all into categorized bins—hence the name. The stores are typically large retail spaces filled with tables covered in bins, and in each bin is a jumbled collection of similar products (shoes, electronics, clothing, etc.).

Most of these stores then operate on a weekly schedule of declining prices. A typical schedule works like this: They receive a fresh shipment of merchandise on Thursday, so they’re closed. On Friday, they open again, and everything in the store is $12. On Saturday, everything is $10. On Sunday, it’s $8—and so on, until the next Thursday, when they close to restock and the pricing resets.

This turns shopping into a bit of a treasure hunt or a game. If you go on the first day of the cycle, you’ll pay more—but there will be more to choose from, and your chances of getting a bargain on what you're looking for are much higher. Go later in the cycle and you can buy more with your money, but you might have a harder time finding what you want or need. Some bin stores keep a flat price all week, but those are uncommon exceptions.

How to find a bin store near you

Bin stores are a relatively new phenomenon, but they’re multiplying rapidly. There’s probably a bin store near you, and there are a few ways to find them:

  • Websites like Bin Store Finder offer listings by state. Just click on your state to see a list of the bin stores located there.

  • Bin store companies like Opan Bins or Where Ya Bin maintain listings of their locations on their sites as well.

  • Facebook. A lot of bin stores use Facebook as their point of contact, so searching through local listings on the social media platform can help identify bin stores that aren’t in other listings.

Tips for shopping at a bin store

Shopping at bin stores can be chaotic fun, but they don’t operate like other retailers. Aside from the declining prices, which adds an element of strategy to your shopping excursion, there are a few other things to consider in order to amplify the potential savings:

  • It’s physical. The merchandise is dumped into bins, so you’ll need to be ready to dig through piles of boxes and bagged stuff to see what’s there. These stores can get crowded, especially on the first day of the price cycle, so there’s an element of Black Friday energy, as well; be prepared for some jostling and crowding.

  • Scout. Many bin stores post previews of the latest shipments the day before they reopen, and this can give you an idea of what to look for—and where. Noting the physical location of specific bins can help you zero in on the good stuff immediately. Plus, bin stores all have their own policies; for example, some only accept cash. Scout those policies as well so you’re prepared.

  • Inspect. The stuff in these stores is often “like new,” but they can also have defects and damage. Examine everything before you buy it. If it’s boxed, most bin stores have employees who will unbox it for you so you can see what you’re buying.

You Should Find a 'Bin Store' Near You (2024)

FAQs

What's the deal with bin stores? ›

It's a retail store that sells overstock, returned, and clearance merchandise from major retailers. The merchandise is typically sorted into bins (in case you were wondering where the name came from) by category, and shoppers can dig through the bins to find deals on name brand products.

What makes a bin store successful? ›

Bin stores can be profitable if they are managed effectively and efficiently. These stores typically sell merchandise like overstock, customer returns, and discontinued items, at far lower prices than other retail stores.

Do bin stores make money? ›

Because bin stores sell items for dirt-cheap prices, their profits depend on moving a lot of volume.

What are the Amazon return stores called? ›

An Amazon Liquidation Bin Store is a platform that allows businesses to purchase excess, overstocked, or returned Amazon merchandise at a discount.

What are the benefits of a bin store? ›

These units store your wheelie bins simply and easily, locking them shut while still allowing you to access them easily and help with making your bins look a lot less of an eyesore too.

What does sold at bin mean? ›

The BIN (Buy It Now) is a price the seller has set where you can just buy it out right rather than bidding on the item. Sometimes you have just a BIN which is just the seller selling for a set price.

What are the benefits of BIN? ›

Waste bins are an essential part of any residential or commercial space. They help keep the environment clean and hygienic by collecting and storing waste. However, not all waste bins are created equal. There are several types of waste bins available, each with unique features and advantages.

What does the BIN tell you? ›

“Bank Identification Number,” or BIN code, refers to the initial sequence of four to six numbers that appears on a credit card. The number is used to identify the card's issuing bank or other financial institution. The BIN number ties an issuer to all the cards it issues, and to all the transactions on those cards.

What is bin reselling? ›

The short answer: Big U.S. retailers resell a lot of returned merchandise to liquidators, which then sell items to "bin stores," where consumers can buy the goods at a steep discount.

How to buy a pallet of unclaimed Amazon packages? ›

Amazon provides a liquidation program where sellers can resell the customer-returned products in the auction to make way for new stocks in the warehouse. You can buy Amazon Return Pallets directly through this program or from third-party liquidation companies.

Does Amazon sell pallets of returned items? ›

Amazon Bulk Liquidations Store sells palletized lots of Amazon or third-party seller items. A lot is defined as a group of items offered for sale as a single listing. Lots are composed of either overstock (new and unopened) or damaged items (returned by customer or damaged during processing).

What is the use of bin card in stores? ›

An inventory bin card is a record-keeping tool that tracks the quantity of a specific item in a specific storage location. It is used to keep a running tally of the items in stock, as well as the dates and quantities of items that have been received, issued, or transferred.

Why would someone steal a bin? ›

Wheelie bins have become attractive targets for criminals who either hope to find valuables (such as identify information) in the rubbish or resell the bins for cash.

How do Amazon liquidation stores work? ›

Amazon Bulk Liquidations Store sells palletized lots of Amazon or third-party seller items. A lot is defined as a group of items offered for sale as a single listing. Lots are composed of either overstock (new and unopened) or damaged items (returned by customer or damaged during processing).

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