LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The newest shopping trend to save money is “bin store” sales, where your online returns or in-store returns can get a second home for a fraction of the price.
Type “bin store” into the TikTok search engine, and you’ll see bin store shoppers brave crowds and show off the deals they’ve purchased after digging through bins or sifting through shelves.
The Las Vegas Valley has just several “bin stores” like Easy Flip LV off Eastern Avenue. The owner’s TikTok videos and Instagram reels educate shoppers on what you can encounter in a bin store, and what kinds of deals you can find.
“Maybe 90% are brand new. Some of them are open boxes. Sadly, major retailers can’t sell those things no more,” said Eddy Vargas, the owner, who buys the returns from third parties who work with major retailers like Amazon or WalMart. “They get sent back to us and [we] give them a second chance,” he said.
Though retailers may accept your returns, depending on the type of item or condition of use, stores may never re-sell those same items on their shelves or online.
“Amazon has so many things that customers return to their centers. They don’t want to throw it away or damage the planet,” Vargas said.
Easy Flip LV also has plenty of overstock or discontinued items from retailers. Many items are seasonal and are discarded by retailers.
The National Retail Federation estimated $761 billion in returns for 2021. With the surge of online shopping, company Optoro said 6 billion pounds of returns go to landfills every year.
If you want to go to a bin store, some advice:
- Arrive early. Shoppers may be waiting for the doors to open.
- Be prepare to dig through bins and shelves.
- Ask the bin store when new or specific inventory arrives, and plan accordingly.
- Check a schedule for deals on specific days.
The website Bin Store Finder lists four locations throughout Nevada.
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