How (and Why) to Shop a Liquidation Store: Here's What I Found (2025)

We all love a good liquidation sale, but did you know there are stores that are always in closeout pricing mode? With these liquidation stores — often called bin or salvage stores — you can save up to 90% on the retail price when the stars align.

I went to a liquidation store near me and found name-brand appliances like Cuisinart and Instant Pot at major discounts. I even found furniture and clothing deals for dirt cheap. And from what I’ve seen, some of these deals are really worth purchasing in order to see savings. (However, some aren’t, but we’ll dig into that below).

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1. What are liquidation stores?

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Liquidation stores are discount retail shops that sell open-box items, returned items, models used for product photography, and discontinued products. They’re able to sell clothes, electronics, furniture, and toys (among many other things) at way-below-MSRP prices because they buy them at a discount.

Just keep in mind that some of the products might be a little damaged or missing some parts, so it’s a good idea to give everything a once-over before you buy it.

2. There are actually big-name liquidation stores that might surprise you, like Big Lots.

How (and Why) to Shop a Liquidation Store: Here's What I Found (2)

You actually might’ve shopped at a liquidation store chain without realizing it. That’s because some liquidators are also retailers. Stores like Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, and Ollie’s are considered liquidation stores.

Otherwise, you can start your search for one by Googling “liquidation stores near me,” and you’ll likely find a listing of local liquidation stores, pictures of what they look like, and shopper reviews.

Here are some popular liquidation stores and the list of states you can find them. These are chain liquidation stores that can be found in various locations throughout each state. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and there may be other liquidation stores in these areas that are not included here.

B-Stock

  • California
  • Florida
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Texas

Bargain Hunt

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Ohio
  • Texas

Big Lots

  • Available all across the United States

Direct Liquidation

  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Georgia
  • Indiana
  • Kentucky
  • Nevada

Dirt Cheap

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas

National Wholesale Liquidators

  • New York
  • Pennsylvania

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

Tuesday Morning

  • Alabama
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia

3. You’ll find a little bit of everything at liquidation stores, from homewares to styling tools.

How (and Why) to Shop a Liquidation Store: Here's What I Found (3)

I visited the liquidation store near me on two different days, and here’s what I found. Since deals are unique to each store, the ones offered at my store will vary from what you’ll find at your local liquidation store.

4. Cross-check big-ticket baby items with product recall lists.

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Even if a crib or carrier is unopened, it could be a recalled product or the construction might’ve worn off over time. I strongly recommend searching the product name of the crib, stroller, or carrier you’re considering online with any product recall lists.

You also might want to avoid purchasing dog DNA kits, and not for the reasons you think. (I know, random example. But yes you can actually find these at liquidation stores!). These kits are usually factory sealed when they’re resold, which means they’ve been unused. But dog DNA kits (or DNA kits in general) will often come with activation codes that help ensure you get the proper results. Once a DNA kit is purchased, the activation code expires, which means you’d have a completely useless kit.

More items I’d recommend avoiding include:

  • Stollers
  • Helmets
  • Mattresses
  • Makeup or skincare

And this might be more obvious, but you’ll also want to avoid outright bad deals. For example, I found the Vizio 24″ Class D-Series HD LED Smart TV ($99, Walmart) brand new at a few retailers at the same exact price. Hard pass!

5. Do price comparisons before checkout to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

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Cross-check prices online to see if you’re actually getting a good deal. For example, I found the Fitbit Ace 2 at the liquidation store near me listed for $35. I searched for the exact model online and found it at Macy’s for $69.95. That’s 50% savings!

It also helps to have your Amazon or Walmart shopping apps handy to do quick price comparisons.

RELATED: Here’s How You Can

6. Some local liquidation stores share their inventory online, so you can browse their selection ahead of time.

How (and Why) to Shop a Liquidation Store: Here's What I Found (6)

Before your visit, check if your liquidation store has a website or social media accounts to find timely deals. Some liquidation stores have websites so you can shop from home. The liquidation store near me in LA, OJI Closeouts, has a website, but there aren’t any deals listed there. It’s really to let shoppers know about their location and hours. Some stores might have social media accounts where they update you with new deals frequently.

How (and Why) to Shop a Liquidation Store: Here's What I Found (2025)

FAQs

What should I look for in a liquidation store? ›

WATCH FOR OUTSIDE GOODS

They can price these items however they like, which means they are not necessarily bargains. To avoid these items, check the tags to see if they differ from the retailer's usual tags. If they do, consider carefully the quality and value of what you're buying.

What is the purpose of a liquidation store? ›

In the retail world, liquidation is all about selling off goods and assets to pay off debts. Liquidation companies buy these items at a discount and then resell them to the public, often dealing in brand-name products from well-known companies.

What is the main purpose of liquidation? ›

The purpose of liquidation is to ensure that all the company's affairs have been dealt with and all its assets realised. When this has been done, the liquidator will apply to have the company removed from the register at the Companies House and dissolved, which means it ceases to exist.

Why choose liquidation? ›

Avoid court processes

By voluntarily choosing to liquidate the company, you can avoid being petitioned through the courts and be able to demonstrate to the public that liquidation was a company choice rather than a result of hostile creditor action.

Why are liquidation stores so cheap? ›

At a liquidation discount store like Treasurez For Less, customers are able to find discounted items purchased from either wholesale stores or warehouse stores in bulk and then resold for a fraction of the retail price.

What is the profit margin for a liquidation store? ›

The typical gross profit for a liquidation business is 75%. It is tough to estimate the typical gross profit for a pallet liquidation business because it really depends on which of the 4 business models that we discussed above you fall into.

Who benefits from liquidation? ›

The liquidation of an insolvent company allows an independent registered liquidator (the liquidator) to take control of the company so its affairs can be wound up in an orderly and fair way to benefit creditors. There are two types of insolvent liquidation: creditors' voluntary liquidation. court liquidation.

What are the main functions of liquidation? ›

Powers and Duties of Liquidators
  • to verify claims of all the creditors and consolidate them;
  • to take into his custody or control all the assets, property, effects and actionable claims of the corporate debtor;
  • to evaluate the assets and property of the corporate debtor in the manner and prepare a report;

What is one reason a retailer would use liquidation? ›

Improving cash flow — Getting rid of excess inventory enables businesses to turn obsolete or unsold goods into cash, improving cash flow and the overall bottom line. This cash can then be reinvested into different areas of the business.

What is a liquidation strategy? ›

Detailed Introduction. Liquidation is a strategic business process employed to convert assets into cash, and it involves selling off goods or assets at discounted prices. This can be a planned strategy, such as the orderly winding down of a business, or an unplanned event, like bankruptcy or financial distress.

What is liquidation in simple words? ›

Liquidation is a process in which the company is brought to an end. Also, the assets and property of the company are redistributed to the creditors and owners. Liquidation is also referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation.

What is the intention of liquidation? ›

An intention to Liquidate is telling creditors that you have the intention of placing your company into Liquidation. Typically, this will be Creditors Voluntary Liquidation. However, an intention to Liquidate is not confirmation that a company will be Liquidated but it will have implications.

Why buy a liquidated company? ›

For the buyer the prime benefit is that certain legacy liabilities of the insolvent business can be left behind. For employees it may be the case that their employment transfers to the buyer, preserving jobs rather than leading to redundancies.

What do you need to know about liquidation? ›

Liquidation is the process of finalising a company's affairs and selling its assets to repay creditors and shareholders. If all creditors can be paid successfully, it is called a Members Voluntary Liquidation (MVL). If the company is not able to pay all of it's debts, it needs a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL).

What are the priorities in liquidation? ›

In general, secured creditors have the highest priority followed by priority unsecured creditors. The remaining creditors are often paid prior to equity shareholders.

Is it safe to buy from liquidation stores? ›

Liquidation stores might unknowingly carry counterfeit goods. Purchasing fake items can be not only a waste of money but also a risk if the product is not up to safety standards.

What are the problems with liquidation? ›

disadvantages to Liquidation

Any employees will lose their jobs and so will the directors. Shareholders may have to repay illegal dividends (not paid out of profit). Overdrawn directors loan accounts will have to repaid. Suppliers and creditors will lose money.

Can you negotiate with liquidators? ›

Many types of fees can be negotiated with or can be offered by liquidators. All of these may be more or less acceptable depending upon circumstances and/or risk.

References

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