I visited a 'bin store' that sells Amazon returns for as little as 25 cents. It made me rethink my shopping habits. (2024)

Still, those trips had a lasting impact. They made me rethink my cavalier return philosophy, which I've been known to call "catch-and-release shopping."

I return a lot. I'm not alone. The National Retail Federation has estimated that customers return nearly 18% of online purchases.

For various reasons, retailers determine some of these returns can't be resold to customers. So they sell pallets of them to liquidators and bin stores. (Amazon wouldn't answer specific questions about its relationship with bin stores and why certain products end up there. The company referred us to a blog post about returns.)

"People generally love it or hate it," Jason Carrick, the owner of Where Ya Bin, told me. It's not the store for shoppers "looking for a particular item or are in a hurry," he added. "Allow for plenty of time to shop as it is a treasure hunt."

The stores seem to have enough fans, though. Websites that track bin-store growth list several stores in nearly every US state. Local news sites announce store openings weekly, with reports of eager shoppers waiting in lines to get in. Many of the stores are independent, but some, like Where Ya Bin, are part of a growing chain. Where Ya Bin has eight locations in Ohio, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Carrick credits the deals for bin stores' growing popularity.

"We have had customers find items that retail for as much as $3,500. It's a fun way to shop where the customer basically sets the price," he said. "If you think the item isn't worth $14, wait it out and come back on $3 or $1 day."

What to expect when bin shopping

I visited a Where Ya Bin store in Columbus, Ohio, on a Saturday and a Wednesday in December.

The store was in a large open warehouse with rows of blue shallow bins. A handful of employees manned the store and the checkout area. The store accepted only cash.

The bins were filled with a mix of loose and boxed products. I spotted headphones, stuffed animals, an apparently used sweater that reeked of perfume, and a bunch of seasonal items, including Halloween and Thanksgiving decor.

I scanned product barcodes through my Amazon app to get an idea of different items' value.

The store displayed a long list of shopping rules, including "Keep your hands to yourself." Customers were civil when I visited, though I spotted employees firmly reminding some shoppers that they weren't allowed to open boxes on their own.

Customers can unbox items only on certain days with an employee's help. Carrick said he encouraged customers to "take advantage of our opening and testing station to ensure the item is the quality you expect and has all the parts/pieces."

When I visited on a Wednesday, customers weren't allowed to open boxes. But I found that many items had already been opened.

Bin shopping can be messy —and a little depressing

As I dug through the bins, I felt grime on my hands. I noticed that some serious shoppers wore gloves.

There were a few bins advertising a deal on books and calendars: "up to 10 for $3." As a writer, I found this bin particularly depressing.

I saw dozens of books by the influencer Charli D'Amelio, listed on Amazon for $23. I also spotted a Bible.

Some items were clearly going to be a tough sell

Even the biggest Kamala Harris fan might pass on her 2021 calendar, which was on sale at Where Ya Bin. I also spotted a fair amount of expired food, including protein shakes and bars.

But Casey Hightower, Where Ya Bin's chief operating officer, told me most items sell. "To many people's surprise, we typically do not have a lot of products left by the end of our $0.25 Thursday, which is the last day of our descending pricing scale," she said.

"Once our stores close on Thursdays, our staff sorts through the remaining products in the bins to determine what can be salvaged and what is garbage," she said. "The salvageable products are separated out and sometimes used for mystery boxes inside of our stores or donated to local charities in the community."

Despite my hesitations, I bought a few items and can see the benefits of bin-store shopping

On my first visit, when items were $10, I brought my 5-year-old daughter along. Do not make my mistake. I strongly recommend leaving young kids behind on your bin shopping trips if you can. My daughter couldn't help picking up various items, and, given her age, she had no idea if something was worth more or less than $10.

During my shopping trips, I started to wonder about the true value of any product. If Amazon felt it was essentially worthless, why would it have value to me?

Despite my existential questions about consumerism, we purchased a few items, including a table set, a "Frozen"-themed dress, and a huge pack of construction paper. All seemed worth more than $10, but, of course, none were really needed.

We also bought a five-pack of Oral-B toothbrush heads, which we actually needed. We found a similar product online for about $30.

While bin shopping wasn't for me, Hightower convinced me of the benefits.

"The world's manufacturing companies continue to overproduce, and the distributors and retailers eventually have what I like to call 'SLOB' — slow-moving obsolete inventory that are sitting on their books," she said. "If this product does not get recycled back into the economy, then it will end up in the landfills or elsewhere … and who doesn't like a deal?"

Have you shopped at a bin store before and have tips or advice to share? Email Gloria at gdawson@businessinsider.com.