PHOENIX — A bin store selling overstock and returned items from major retailers has opened its first Arizona location in north Phoenix, offering shoppers deeply discounted prices on toys, home goods, electronics, and more.
MetroMerch, located near Interstate 17 and Peoria Avenue, soft-opened in December and is now celebrating with a grand opening weekend. A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Friday at noon, followed by a grand opening party Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The celebration will include food trucks, live music, karaoke, giveaways, and prizes.
Items in the bins start at $8 on Friday and drop throughout the week, reaching just 50 cents on Wednesday, before they’re re-stocked.
"Every day is kind of like a treasure hunt. We get in about 15,000 items, put them out in the bins, and it's all out there up for grabs," store manager Jacob Stokes said.
Each week, MetroMerch receives overstock and returned items from retailers including Amazon, Target, and Sam's Club, then sells them at deeply discounted prices.
"The amount of stuff you can get is pretty tremendous... especially with today's economy, everything going on, you know, we can bring a local deal," Stokes said.
During the grand opening weekend, shoppers will have the chance to win items through raffles, including Fitbits, smart watches, and gift cards. High-value items will also be available in the bins on a first-come, first-served basis — including a Nest Cam valued at over $100.
Stokes said the store's impact on the community is something he takes personally.
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"Something that kind of tugs on my heartstrings, because when I first started, customers would come in. They said, you know, 'we wouldn't be able to buy Christmas presents or birthday presents.' So it was really, really nice to see that, and the impact we had on the local community," Stokes said.
Regular shoppers Carol Applebaum and Debbie Bowman, both Phoenix residents, have been visiting MetroMerch since its soft opening.
"We usually come on $2 day, $1 day, 50-cent day," Applebaum said. "We're both retired, so we're on a budget.”
Applebaum says shoppers can find satisfaction in their savings by doing some price comparison.
"You can look up the prices sometimes on your scan it with your Amazon app and see what the retail price is, you know. So it's great," Applebaum said. “It's probably a tenth of the price of what it would be in the store.”
Bowman said the variety of items keeps her coming back.
"You just find fun and unusual things," Bowman said.
She added that the store is especially useful for families.
"With little kids, if you're going on a trip, you know, they've got things like that," Bowman said.
MetroMerch Phoenix is located at 10215 N. 28th Drive.
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