Bin store: the price-drop retail model
A bin store is a retail store that sells mixed merchandise, often customer returns, from large bins at one set price per item that drops each day of the week until the bins are restocked. Shoppers dig for finds, and the store depends on a steady supply of high-unit-count loads.
Reviewed by Tyler Kober · Updated
Key takeaways
- Bin stores price by the day, not by the item: everything in the bins sells at the day's price.
- Supply is judged by unit count and item size, not by retail value.
- Restock day draws the biggest crowds; running short of stock breaks the model.
What is a bin store?
A bin store is a shop that sells mixed merchandise from large bins or tables at a single price per item. The price is highest on restock day and drops each day after, until the bins are cleared and refilled. Shoppers come for the hunt: they dig through the bins looking for something worth far more than the day's price.
How bin stores work
The model is built on volume and rhythm:
- Restock day. Fresh goods go into the bins; the price is at its highest and crowds are biggest.
- Price drops. Each day, everything left in the bins gets cheaper.
- Last day. The lowest price clears what remains.
- Clear-out. Unsold goods are removed, sold in bulk, donated or disposed of, and the cycle restarts.
Because every item sells at the same daily price, the store does not care much about retail value per item. It cares about how many sellable, hand-sized units a load contains, and how varied they are. Most stores also run a separate wall or case for higher-value finds pulled during sorting.
Example
A bin store buys a truckload of mixed home and general merchandise returns each week. Staff sort it before restock day: hand-sized items to the bins, larger items to the floor, high-value electronics to a locked case at fixed prices, broken items to the trash. The store's success depends on getting enough good units into the bins every single week.
The common confusion
Bin stores are often lumped in with dollar stores or thrift stores. They are different: dollar stores sell new goods at a fixed price point, thrift stores sell donated used goods, and bin stores sell mostly returns and closeouts at a price that changes by day. They are also different from off-price chains, which sell branded new goods on racks and shelves.
Most bin store supply is customer returns. For the operating model, see how to start a bin store and how bin store pricing days work.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
How does bin store pricing work?
The store restocks on a set day at its highest price per item. Each following day the price drops, until the last day before restock, when it is lowest. The store then clears the bins and starts again. Exact prices and days vary by store, and many also keep a fixed-price shelf for higher-value items.
Where do bin stores get their merchandise?
Mostly from customer returns and mixed general merchandise sold by the pallet or truckload, plus shelf pulls and overstock to lift quality. Sources include returns processors, liquidators, closeout wholesalers and B2B marketplaces such as Skyline Dealz Marketplace that offer loads to approved buyers.
Are bin stores the same as dollar stores?
No. A dollar store sells new goods on shelves at a fixed price point that does not change by day. A bin store sells mixed, often returned goods from bins at a price that drops through the week. The shopping experience and the supply they buy are very different.
Related
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