Thrift store shopping is multifaceted. Not only do you have your regular thrift stores, but you have the thrift store’s thrift store, like the Goodwill Outlet Store. It’s basically where all your non-sold or non sell-able thrift store castoffs land.
Recently I went shopping at a Goodwill Outlet Store and had quite the experience. It was kind of a frenzied mad house for the run-of-the-mill shopper like me, just there to find a few items. But I learned a thing or two, got some great tips from the few kind fellow shoppers I encountered {most of them are border-line cut throat!}, and am now fully prepared if ever decide to go back. If you are thinking of stopping by a Goodwill Outlet Store, heeding these tips might help you have a more successful trip!
Change Your Expectations: I thought the outlet store would be a cheaper version of the Goodwill with just a bit more junk. Boy was I wrong. It’s basically a store full of bins. Lots of bins with lots of junk. No shelves to go strolling by, calmly looking for bargains. For the most part, people are there to stock up on cheap stuff and resell it online. People walk in, shove mass quantities of stuff in carts as fast as they can and THEN stand off to the side and sort them. Think Black Friday, all day, every day. It was madness. And messy. And germy. And chaos. People were not there to make friends; they’d probably run you down with a cart if they thought you were taking one of their potential bargains. It was less of a shopping environment than a hoarding environment. Walk in knowing that and you’ll be better off.
Wear the Proper Attire: Gloves. You must have gloves! You’ll be digging through some perfectly fine merchandise mixed in with some really questionable stuff. Do not touch that with bare hands! Also, the store itself is dirty, so I’d recommend wearing grubby clothes you don’t mind grime on.
Watch Your Cart Like a Hawk: I saw customers shopping not only from the bins, but from other customer’s carts when they had their back turned. Do not leave your cart or there’s a good chance someone will make it their cart!
Don’t Carry a Purse: Keeping track of your cart and shopping for deals is enough to worry about. Wear a fanny pack or tuck your wallet into a zippered pocket and head to the outlet without your purse. Even if people don’t have sticky fingers, purses galore are sold there and yours may be mistaken for a great find!
Skip the Cart: Unless you are going for a big haul like a TV, furniture, etc. or you plan on loading a cart to the brim, skip the cart altogether and bring in some big bags of your own to fill. Then you won’t even have to worry about keeping an eye on your cart.
Leave Your Kids at Home: The outlet store is no place for kids. It’s madness, and I can’t imagine trying to navigate it and keep track of your children. Plus, I’ve heard Goodwill employees will actually kick you out if your kids don’t stay by your side! This is one shopping to trip to do without them.
Shop Back to Front: I noticed everyone else doing the opposite, so if you skip the bins at the entry and head straight to the back, you might find it’s less crazy {this only rings true if you are there right when they open}.
Know the Schedule: Avoid the first Saturday of the month {in many locations, this day of the week might be different} because that’s when they have a blowout sale and the already crazy cheap stuff is marked down even further. I’d avoid that Saturday like the plague. Also, learn the bin rotation schedule at your store. The bins are changed out at routine times during the day, so if you hit it right, you can dig through an old bin and then its replacement all in one trip!
Clear Your Calendar: Plan to spend a few hours in the store. There’s no way to hit an outlet store in a few minutes. It’s not that type of store. So block out an afternoon or a morning to do your digging.
Have a Plan: While it might be a free-for-all when you get there, at least going in with a plan will help you a little. There are basically 5 main sections: clothing, books, furniture, shoes, and miscellaneous. If you know what section you’re most interested in, you can avoid all the other areas. Or you can map out the store and create a trail prioritizing the departments you want to hit first.
Have you ever shopped at a Goodwill Outlet store? Any tips I missed? Share your Goodwill Outlet experiences. I can’t wait to hear ’em.
~Mavis
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Christy L says
I’ve been in a Goodwill Outlet, but my experience was nothing like yours. Yes, it was all bins of merchandise but it was not crazy like you described, maybe that’s associated with time/day of week.
Melissa Lin says
I think the aggressiveness varies by the store. I’ve been to my local Goodwill outlet several times, and it was always a mellow, relaxed environment. Everyone gave each other space and no one was shopping out of each other’s cart. There was plenty of merchandise to go around. Everyone was friendly and chatty.
That said, the NY times wrote and article about the NY Goodwill outlet that sounded just like what you described.
Delores says
This is so ironic! Or coincidental…. however you look at it. I was just at one yesterday and having a hard time finding jeans and thought to myself: I am going to see if Mavis has any hints about how to shop at a thrift store, because this is so frustrating!
And ta-da! Here it is. 🙂
Holly says
I love your blog and find it useful…most of the time. The thought of having to dig through bins with questionable substances on questionable items to the point where I have to wear gloves to find a “treasure” is way out of the question. I feel that if it’s that gross there, there is no amount of washing whatever the item may be that would make me want to wear it or display it or put my food in it. I will pass on the outlet store completely! Thanks but no thanks.
Sharon says
Agree 1000%! I might perhaps buy something wood like a bookcase, etc, but clothes or something where creepy-crawlies might take up residence? NOT gonna happen …..
Another Lisa says
Most of my family’s clothes come from the Outlet, especially warm coats, raincoats, fleece and hiking gear which there is a glut of in the PNW. My girls collect various toys (Little Pet Shops, Shopkins, etc) and they have found so many from digging in the bottom of the bins. They love getting them for pennies vs. the $2ish per piece retail price. I’ve found so many treasures perfect for homeschooling: books, videos/dvds. science equipment, sports equipment, craft supplies, activity kits (pricey Snap Circuits, Lego and Spirograph), Euro-board games, etc. I love the furniture, a book case for $3. A pet vacuum for $5. Lawn chairs for $1.
I go to the Seattle and Kent ones. It can be crazy. I ignore the new bins where the resellers are pouncing and just go to the bins they’ve already gone thru. I have my kids right by me, they love the experience.
I rarely get a cart, I just grab the preponderance of cloth bags or duffel bags they have for sale to hold my finds. It all goes in the wash at home, I’ve never had a problem with any substance and I’ve been at the stores probably a hundred times. We just wash our hands at the first opportunity after leaving.
One rule some of the Outlets have is to not be in an aisle when the bins are being moved, either in or out. They want the aisle and space clear for safety reasons. And then no touching until they give the “go”, and then it’s a free-for all. That’s the part I stay away from. And not all Outlets are the same. The one in Vegas is actually very organized and clean, it even has smaller bins. The one in Tacoma has different prices than Seattle, and are more picky about pricing each item (for instance, charging a CD price for a CD, then weighing the case it came in to add that price. So I avoid that location, do they want to make a sale or what?
One rule I have is to check zippers and buttons on clothing items. The zipper can be broken even on a coat that looks brand new.
One nice thing about the Seattle one is that it is right next door to RE:PC. They have 2nd hand computer stuff but also accept most electronics for recycle. A nice service.
Sifting thru items next to strangers can be fun. I’ve had people help me find pieces to a game or a specific size of clothing, and I’ve done the same to help. There’s always an odd thing to pull out and make a joke about. I’ve found all but the seriously in-the-mode reseller very pleasant and friendly, even the ones who look a little different or smell a little : )
Jamie says
I’m not an eBay shopper. Your experience makes me not want to buy anything off there, because who knows what it has been touching.
Ironically I have some brand-new in the box expensive knives I want to sell and have contemplated selling them on there or Amazon. I’ve only used facebook groups for selling before. I guess they’ll provably sit in my closet for awhile longer!
Katherine says
There is enough aggression at many of the Goodwill locations around me that are not outlets. With so many
antique mall type resell shops in metro Atlanta GW is one of the most popular store for many of their vendors to shop. They are aggressive and can be quite intimidating. I can’t imagine shopping with them in a GW outlet. Yikes!
Ms G says
Same in some parts of Florida. They do not speak English, perhaps a African dialect. And are extremely aggressive, all swooping in with their carts quickly to shut anyone else away until they’ve picked it through. Other shoppers just stay about an isle away to make sure we don’t anger them. It’s as if the store allows them to shop first and everyone can wait for their discards.
Denise Kruse says
I’ve been to the outlet store in my area and found some fun deals. What amazed me was the announcement before they brought out new bins. It more or less told you to not attack the bin bringer, don’t steal from others, no shoving, and basically behave! I noticed many regulars wearing gloves and face masks. Kind of scary! I thought books and records were really good deals. Some of the furniture had really great prices also. Folks behaved the day I was there but it sounds like it could be a little hairy at times with competition for the new bins.
Madelyn says
There is a boutique attached to the local outlet. I mean a real boutique the clothes are top notch , the jewelry & accessories are very upscale. It’s decorated and they have cute brown paper bags with GW imprinted and jewelry cards with the same thing. A few house pieces but lovely lovely clothes. Most of the prices typical GW prices. The really nice clothes might be a little higher.
Lisa says
What did you end up with, Mavis? Were they real bargains? Do tell us about your purchases if you had any!
Mavis Butterfield says
2 items. I wrote about it here -> http://www.stage.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/trip-goodwill-outlet-store-tacoma-washington/
JE says
I am with a girlfriend laughing as I read this to her. We stopped at a Good Will outlet about 6 months ago (my daughter had been to a very aggressive one also before, in Miineapols, so I had a warning). Quite the experience. They announce then bring the big bins out where everyone had to line up with their arms down ( no early touching!). Then I think they even blew a whistle. I saw a bag/purse but when I grabbed it (first :)) someone else grabbed on and wouldn’t let go. I did! Boy oh boy. We also wished we had gloves ha! Not sure we’ll go back, but maybe?
Tracy says
Everyone has their “thing” that they do to save money. But this one…nope, nada, no way!
Vikki says
We always go to the Good Will Bins in North Versailles Pa..This truly is my Therapy. My Outlet. I focus on What I’ve discussed on what I am looking for ..
Hours at a time there. EVERYTHING
I GET is for myself or someone else.
Not to sell ..Some people make a killing should I say living off of this