If you’ve ever wondered where all the Amazon returns go, the answer is not back to the Amazon warehouses. It’s to Amazon resale stores, also known as Amazon return stores, Amazon liquidation stores, or simply “bin stores.”
Like many online retailers, including Target and Wayfair, Amazon doesn’t simply re-package all of its returns and sell them as new. If the box is open or the item is imperfect, or Amazon simply has too much of something, they will either sell the item in its own online outlet, or sell the items in bulk to independent Amazon liquidation stores and bin stores, who in turn re-sell the items for a big discount.
Over the last few years, Amazon resale stores have blown up – so there’s a good chance there’s one near you. I actually found out about my first Amazon resale store near me on Facebook marketplace. 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 clicked on one of the seller profiles, and found out that they ran an Amazon liquidation store called Kathalow Warehouse Treasures, that was about a half hour from my house, in Bethel, CT (the store is also a Target salvage store).
After I visited the store in person and realized just how much *stuff* was out there in the world, in great condition, and available at a cheaper price, I started to make an effort to seek out and shop at these stores and warehouses more often. Not only do they save money, they also save all sorts of things from heading off to a landfill.
If you’re looking for an Amazon liquidation store near you, or wondering what these stores sell and for how much, keep reading for more info and my shopping tips. I’ve also included a list of all of the Amazon resale stores I’ve found around the country at the bottom of the post! Or Click here to download my regularly updated bin store list.
Amazon Resale Stores – What Are They?
Amazon resale stores are retail stores, warehouses, and sometimes even individual sellers with storage units, that sell unsold or returned Amazon inventory at a discount. Typically, these stores bid on entire pallets of Amazon inventory without knowing exactly what’s inside. (I actually find this kind of fascinating from a business perspective — there’s a whole bunch of YouTube content on it if you’re interested!).
What do Amazon return stores and Amazon resale stores sell?
The items you’ll find at Amazon overstock stores will vary greatly. The warehouses and stores that sell Amazon salvage don’t get to pick the items they sell. Instead, they’ll bid on pallets of items in different categories. Think: homewares, electronics, clothing, office supplies, etc., and they don’t know exactly what they’re getting until the open their pallet.
So, you’ll want to think of your shopping experience as somewhat of a treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find.
Some stores will only sell certain categories of items, like furniture or clothing, but most sell a mix of things.
The items that Amazon return stores sell are new. Sometimes the boxes have been opened or there are small imperfections, but you won’t find used goods.
The overstock inventory comes through a few avenues.
The first is returns, and/or open box items that customers have sent back. Because Amazon can no longer sell these items full-price they send them to liquidators.
The other is through overstock items that Amazon can’t sell. I used to be an Amazon FBA seller (or fulfilled by Amazon), which meant I made my own products and sold them on Amazon. I had to send the items to the Amazon warehouse, and if they didn’t sell in a certain amount of time, I had the option to either take the items back of have them disposed of by Amazon. These overstock items that don’t sell can also be sold to liquidators.
How to find an Amazon liquidation store near you
If you’re wondering “is there an Amazon resale store near me,” there’s a good chance the answer is yes, as these resellers are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.
Sometimes, these stores can be hard to find, since they’re usually independently owned, likely people who don’t necessarily have huge marketing budgets to promote the stores.
So, here’s how I go about finding the Amazon liquidation stores near me.
Look on Facebook Marketplace
Oftentimes, owners of these salvage warehouses will list their items on Facebook Marketplace. This is how I found the Connecticut Amazon return stores, Kathalow Warehouse Treasures GNC Liquidators, and Pallets 2 Bins. So, open up Facebook marketplace and start searching. I’ll usually start with easy targets like “warehouse,” which will get you listings for people renting warehouses, but you’ll also usually turn up a liquidation store or two, also.
Then, I simply search for things I’d be interested in buying. When we were furnishing our Airbnb, that was TVs, bed frames, cookware and small kitchen appliances, for example. Turns out these were all things that Amazon resale stores typically carry, because searching for these items was how I found the first Amazon liquidation store near me. You can also search for items with the word “new” in front of it, i.e. “new dining chairs,” “new robot vacuum.”
I always look at the pictures first, and if it’s a stock photo of an item, or the photo looks like it was taken in a warehouse, I’ll click. Then, I look at the seller profiles. If someone has a bunch of reviews next to their name, I take a look at all their listings to see if they are a reseller.
You can also do some Googling.
The best Google search term to use, in my opinion, is “Bin Store.” Most store owners call their liquidation and returns stores bin stores these days.
So, try searching things like:
- “Bin stores near me”
- “[Your city] bin store”
- “Amazon returns warehouse”
- “Clearance center near me”
- “Liquidation warehouse near me”
- “Amazon liquidator near me”
- “Amazon warehouse”
- “Amazon liquidator”
Etc., since many of these salvage stores sell items from other retailers, too, you can also try adding in other stores like Wayfair, Home Depot, Kohl’s etc. Trying combinations of these terms can also work.
Another good place to search? Reddit. Open Reddit and just type “Bin store [ your state]” or “Amazon return store [your state]”
I’ve started to compile a list of all the Amazon return stores and bin stores I know of so far. Know a bin store not on my list? Drop it in the comments section or shoot me an email.
Alabama
- Bargain Hunt, 7 locations statewide
- Ollie’s, Locations statewide
Arizona
- The Bins AZ, Glendale
- The Bins AZ, Phoenix
- The Bins AZ, Mesa
- Liquidation Destination, Arizona City
Arkansas
- Crazy Hot Deals, West Memphis
- Bargain Hunt, 3 locations statewide
- Ollie’s
California
- California Bin Store, National City
- Home & More, San Diego
- Marini’s Discounts, Concord
- Ninja Warehouse, La Vista
- Outlet by ELS, Azusa
Colorado
- Black Fridays, Aurora
Connecticut
- Kathalow Warehouse Treasures, Bethel
- GNC Liquidation, Milford
- Crazy Bins, Orange
- CrazyHotDeals, Manchester
- B&T Furniture Warehouse, Stratford
Delaware
Florida
- HotBins, Lake Worth
- HotBins, Hialeah
- HotBins, Sarasota
- HotBins, Tampa
- HotBins, Fort Meyers
- HotBins, Tamarac
- Ollie’s, Locations statewide
- Where Ya Bin, Pensacola
- Daily Dealz, Orange Park
Georgia
- Keevado, Dalton
- Bargain Hunt, 15 locations statewide
- Ollie’s, locations statewide
- Daily Dealz, Macon
Hawaii
Idaho
- Big Deal Outlets, Burley
- Big Deal Outlets, Idaho Falls
- Big Deal Outlets, Pocatello
Illinois
- Bargain Bins, Urbana-Champaign
- Bargain Bins, Decatur
- Bargain Bins, Bloomington-Normal
- Ollie’s
Indiana
- Liquidation Bin Store, Michigan City
- Liquidation Bin Store, Portage
- Bargain Bins of Terra Haute, Terra Haute
- Black Friday the Store, Mooresville
- Bargain Hunt, Evansville
- Treasure Hunt, Evansville
- Ollie’s
Iowa
- DaaBin, Cedar Falls
- DaaBin, Cedar Rapids
- DaaBin, Dubuque
- DaaBin, Mason City
Kansas
- Retail Rebel, Kansas City
Kentucky
- P&B’s Bargain Bin, Morehead, KY
- Bargain Hunt, multiple locations statewide
Louisiana
- Crazy Hot Deals, Shreveport
Maine
- Buck Luck, Scarbourough
- Marden’s, 13 locations statewide
Maryland
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
Massachusetts
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
Michigan
- Bin-n-Out, Clinton Township
- Big Deal Bin Store, Kalamazoo
- B2 Outlet Stores, Locations Statewide
Minnesota
- Mystery Deals, Virginia
Mississippi
- Bargain Hunt, locations statewide
Nevada
- Bulldog Liquidations, Las Vegas
New Hampshire
- Mr. G’s Surplus & Salvage, Keene
- Mr. G’s Surplus & Salvage, North Walpole
New Jersey
- Browns Bargain Barn, Glendora
- Dealz4Less, Patterson
- Turn 7, Moorestown
- Daily Dealz ,Jersey City
North Carolina
- Go 42 North, Raleigh
- QuickLotz, Shelby
- Bargain Hunt, locations statewide
- Where Ya Bin, Concord
- Where Ya Bin, Matthews
- DaaBin, Elizabeth City
- DaaBin, Graham
- DaaBin, Kinston
- DaaBin, Rocky Mount
- DaaBin, Wilson
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
- Tyler Liquidations, Tyler
New York
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
- Empty The Bins, Yonkers
- Under One Roof, Alden
- Smokin Joe’s Outlet, Sanborn
- Barrel Full of Bargains, Buffalo
- Suffolk Liquidators, Port Jefferson
- Supreme Savers, Bronx
Ohio
- Bargain Hunt, locations statewide
- B2 Outlet Store, Toledo
- Krazy Bins, Twinsburg
- Krazy Bins, Parma
- Krazy Bins, Mentor
Oklahoma
- Where Ya Bin, Mcalester
Oregon
- Super Deal Bin Store, Portland
- Club Thrift Bin Store, Eugene
Pennsylvania
- Prime Bins, Wilkes-Barre
- Bill Town Bins, Williamsport
- Buster’s Bins & Pallets, Elkland
- Ollie’s, Locations statewide
Rhode Island
- Bag It All Bin Store, Rumford
- Ollie’s
South Carolina
- The Bin Store, Columbia
- Where Ya Bin, Columbia
- Overstock Bins, West Columbia
- Bargain Hunt, Easley
- Bargain Hunt, Greenville
- DaaBin, Union
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
South Dakota
- A Crate Deal, Tea
Tennessee
- Crazy Hot Deals, Memphis
- Crazy Hot Deals, Bartlett
- Keevado (formerly Gimme a 5), 6 locations across the state
- Bin Hunt, Columbia
- Bargain Hunt, locations statewide
- Ollie’s, locations statewide
Texas
- Crazy Hot Deals, Houston
- Black Fridays, El Paso (4 location in El Paso)
- Treasure Chest, Houston (vintage bin store)
- QuickLotz, Hurst
- QuickLotz, Arlington
- QuickLotz, Laredo
- Bargains Depot, San Antonio
Utah
- Big Deal Outlets, Ogden
- Big Deal Outlets, Layton
- Big Deal Outlets, Logan
- Big Deal Outlets, Midvale – coming 2024
- Big Deal Outlets, St. George
Vermont
- Mr. G’s Surplus & Salvage, Windsor
Virginia
- DaaBin, Newport News
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
Washington
- Best Prices Ever, Pasco
- Hot Deals Liquidation, Pasco
- Daily Deals, Yakima
- Family Deals Liquidation, Kennewick
- AMZing Outlet Liquidation and Bin Store, Centralia
West Virginia
- Ollie’s Locations statewide
Wisconsin
- Hot Bargain Depot, Milwaukee
- DaaBin, Rice Lake
Chain and Multi-Location Amazon Liquidation Stores
Ollie’s
Locations across the Eastern US, in AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WV
How cheap are Amazon liquidation stores?
Amazon salvage store generally sell items anywhere from 40-70% off, but the discounts can also be much greater. At the Amazon returns store near me, Kathalow Warehouse Treasures, the employees look up an item online and then mark it down to 40-50% off depending on what the item is.
At another one close by, called Pallets 2 Bins, they hold $12 sales where everything in the warehouse is $12 no matter what it is.
How do you buy wholesale Amazon returns?
Another interesting thing I’ve found out on my quest to discover all of the Amazon returns stores near me, is that there are also lots of ways to buy wholesale Amazon returns. Or in other words, to purchase entire pallets of Amazon items. If you’re interested in this, you can bid in online auctions, or visit a local wholesale liquidator near you.
There’s one in Connecticut called American Liquidations, for example. An interesting idea if you’re looking for a way to make some extra money!
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