

The items you’ll find at Amazon overstock stores will vary greatly. If you’re looking for an Amazon returns store close to you, or wondering what these stores sell and for how much, keep reading for more info and my shopping tips.Ī selection of Amazon returns at a liquidator near me, called Pallets 2 Bins. Not only do they save money, they also save all sorts of things from heading off to a landfill. I clicked on one of the seller profiles, and found out that an Amazon warehouse store called Kathalow Warehouse Treasures was about a half hour from my house (the store is also a Target salvage store).Īfter I visited the store in person and realized just how much *stuff* was out there, in great condition, and available at a cheaper price, I started to make an effort to seek out and shop at these stores more often. I noticed that certain sellers had dozens or even hundreds of listings of brand new, sort of random items that ranged from furniture, to kids toys, to electronics. I actually discovered this not-so-secret secret while browsing Facebook marketplace. If the box is open or the item is imperfect, or there’s simply too much of something, Amazon will either sell the item in its own online outlet, or sell the items in bulk to liquidation centers, who in turn re-sell the items for a big discount. Like many online retailers, including Target and Wayfair, Amazon doesn’t simply re-package all of its returns and sell them as new. If you’ve ever wondered where all the Amazon returns go, the answer is not back to the Amazon warehouses.

And when I got really honest with myself in the middle of those bins, I had to ask: Would judging someone for sorting through a bargain bin make me any better than feeding the two-day shipping beast from the privacy of home? I want to shop less on Amazon, but the hard truth is, those little cardboard smiles litter my home this time of year.A screenshot of an Instagram story I shared about an Amazon return store near me, in Connecticut Third parties like Hotbins give castoff drapes and fidget spinners a second chance before hitting the dump. After investigations in 2021 revealed that Amazon was destroying perfectly good products, the company introduced programs to work toward “a goal of zero product disposal.” Sellers can lose money in the time and effort it takes to restock and repackage items.

Fraud abounds in the world of e-commerce, but most returns are the product of an eternal quest for convenience - e.g., buying four sizes and returning the three that don’t fit. Consumers are expected to return more than $816 billion worth of merchandise in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation. Shoppers buy more than ever online, and impulses don’t always pan out. Viral TikToks have only driven people to the gates.Ĭustomers wait in line to shop at Hotbins on Friday, Dec. Unlike some businesses, Hotbins welcomes lookie-loos and influencers. He’s an open book about the inner workings of his fledgling store. “This concept is not for everyone,” said manager Mike Ijak. It’s a mashup of modern shopping, a tableau of humanity, a romp through consumerism snatched up and left behind. This is not a Target stroll, Starbucks in hand, nor is it an Amazon scroll from the couch. Hotbins buys up pallets of Amazon returns and overstock from Target, Walmart and Kohl’s, then sells the items at a discount decrescendo. The Florida family business has four locations and one on the way, the latest entry in a growing bin store trend around the country. Hotbins opened across from Busch Gardens in October and has steadily gained viral notoriety for its au courant model of treasure hunting. Customers hurry to look for bargains at Hotbins on Friday, Dec.
