If you’re a bargain lover, serious thrifter, upcycler, or treasure hunter, there’s a good chance you’ve at
least heard of Goodwill Outlet Stores: the place you buy by the pound, sort through the big blue bins and conveyor belts, and find surprises you really didn’t know you needed (or wanted). 

If you’ve heard people talk about shopping “the bins” but haven’t worked up the nerve to go yourself, you’re not alone. Goodwill Outlet Stores are a little different from traditional thrift stores;  that’s exactly what makes them so popular. With a bit of know-how and an open mind, they can become one of the most exciting (and affordable) places to shop.

First things first: pricing. At Goodwill Outlet Stores in central and southern Indiana, most items are priced by weight at just $1.99 per pound. Yes, you read that right. Clothing, books, kitchen items, and more are weighed at checkout, which means you can walk away with an entire cart of items for the price of a single new shirt elsewhere. Larger items like furniture or anything over 15 pounds are individually priced, but even those are often a fraction of their original cost.

Goodwill Outlet Stores are also an important part of Goodwill’s sustainability efforts. Items you see at the bins have already been through a retail Goodwill store and didn’t sell there. Instead of heading straight to the landfill, they’re given a second chance at the outlet. In fact, Goodwill was able to keep 44 million pounds of usable goods out of landfills in 2024. Items only spend about two hours on the outlet floor before moving on to bulk purchasing, so shopping the bins really is a race against time.

Now, let’s talk about the experience. Outlet shopping isn’t your typical calm, aisle-by-aisle browse. Shopping at the outlet can feel chaotic, especially during busy times. Merchandise is placed in large blue bins, unsorted and uncurated. Finding great items takes patience, curiosity, and a willingness to dig. Many shoppers love this “treasure hunt” aspect, where you might uncover vintage clothing, unique home goods, or something you didn’t even know you needed.

A few important tips before you go: all sales are final, so inspect items carefully. Watch for bin rotations, which happen every hour, that bring out fresh merchandise and are only on the floor for 2 hours. And remember—your purchase does more than stretch your budget.

Every dollar spent at a Goodwill Outlet Store helps fund job training, education, employment and housing programs. So when you shop the bins, you’re not just scoring incredible deals—you’re supporting your community and the planet, one pound at a time.

Click here to find a Goodwill Outlet Store near you!