It’s the hottest trend in saving money on a wide range of items, but it’s also something most people haven’t heard of: “Bin stores” are having a moment.
South Florida shoppers call them treasures at rock-bottom prices: Returns, overstocked and liquidated items from online retailers and big box stores.
Debbie Carpenter, a retired waitress, now takes care of children and the elderly, and at a Lighthouse Point bin store, she found a $4 toy truck.
“I like to give gifts,” she said. “It makes me happy.”
Carpenter told CBS News Miami what makes her the happiest is shopping on a Tuesday because on Tuesdays, mostly everything you see on the store’s big, deep tables is only $4.
“Whatever you see this week, you won’t see it next week,” said store owner Moe Samara.
Samara has 10 bin stores across Florida. CBS News Miami met with him at his anchor store in West Palm Beach, where he explained the second part of the concept: The price goes down depending on what day you shop.
“Monday is $6, Tuesday is $4, Wednesday is $2,” Samara said. “Everything is $2 — whatever is left.”
What doesn’t sell is recycled, he said, adding that restocking starts Thursday and on Friday, the bargain game starts all over.
“Every week is different — electronics, clothing — we don’t know what we are getting,” Samara said. “We buy blindly.”
Samara told CBS News Miami that 80% of what he sells is from Amazon returns. Many times, the boxes are unopened and customers can take the box to a table, open it, and like the old-time Cracker Jack treat, they get a surprise.
He gave CBS News Miami a demonstration, in which one box revealed what appeared to be a small car part.
Rebecca Diamond is a nonprofit fundraiser and shops at the Lake Worth store every Friday when new stock is displayed.
“I look for brand new,” she said.
Diamond told CBS News Miami that she’s found all sorts of things, such as clothing from top brands like Barefoot Dreams and Carhartt.
Back at the Lighthouse Point location, flight attendant Lori Leonhardt found a $12 fan for her teenage son. Her family is in the building, and she told CBS News Miami she had scored some of the higher-priced items “not in the bins.”
“I’ve gotten sinks, faucets, all in the box — never opened,” she said. “For $80 to $90 and in a big store, it would cost $200 or $300.”
You can find similar big buys at an Oakland Park that CBS News Miami visited on Monday.
Shopper Joe said he’s never heard of them until he moved to South Florida. He said since finding out about bin stores, he shops at them three days a week, adding that the discounts are crazy, though they can be “hit and miss.”
“You can have a $100 item for $2,” Joe said. “If I really want something, I’ll buy it. Stuff maybe you wouldn’t think of, but I can use that.”
Back in Lake Worth, Samara is getting ready for his next truckload, telling CBS News Miami he hasn’t raised prices in three years despite inflation.
“We haven’t raised our prices because we know how much inflation is affecting the average customer, so we’re basically here to help the community as well,” he said.
So if you like surprises and the thrill of finding a bargain, then the hunt is on.
