For bargain hunters there is Warrenton’s new Bin Store, The open boxoffers a box full of discounts and special offers to shoppers who are willing to dig deep into their pockets.
Friends Brittany Davis and Brandy Edwards founded The Open Box, which opened June 28 at Warrenton Towne Center.
The store offers overstock, returns and out-of-season merchandise from major retailers at heavily discounted prices. These products are stacked in large wooden crates on the sales floor for shoppers to browse.
“It’s like a fun little treasure hunt,” Edwards said.
Open Box bins feature home goods and decor, tools, outdoor accessories, electronics, toys, clothing and more. Retailers include Amazon, Target, Home Depot and Lowes.
The store is open six days a week and closes on Thursdays to restock with new products.
All items in the store are sold at a set price that depends on the day of the week. Prices start at $15 per item on Fridays when the store is restocked and drop to $1 on Wednesdays when the store sells off the previous week’s remaining inventory.
The store is decorated with light wood and white faux brick accents, and a sage green logo designed by Edwards himself is emblazoned on the walls. “Testing stations” are set up along the sides of the store where customers can test the products immediately after unpacking them.
Looking for bargains, shoppers at The Open Box in Warrenton sift through boxes of excess inventory and returns from major retailers.
Photo by Megan Rudacille
Customer Cathy Pierce has been a regular at The Open Box since the store opened, buying everything from flotation devices to cleaning supplies to toys for her grandchildren. She showed off a backpack she bought at the store for $5.
“At Walmart they were $25 and not that nice,” Pierce said.
Another shopper expressed her excitement at finding curtains that originally cost $60 for the set price of $5 on Monday.
Pierce praised the high quality of The Open Box’s products despite their reduced price.
“I think it’s very nice and it was clean,” Pierce said. “When I took things out to (test), it worked.”
On its Facebook page, Open Box explains that its goal is to create a shopping experience for “normal people.”
Both owners have large families of their own to support. Edwards stressed the importance of low-cost products at a time when prices have risen nationwide due to inflation.
“It’s tough. Food prices have gone up, so you can’t always go out and buy something. Or sometimes it’s a necessity,” Edwards said. “Here we have things you might want or need that you can afford.”
In addition to clothing, Warrenton’s Open BoxHome goods and decor, tools, outdoor accessories, electronics, toys and more.
Photo by Megan Rudacille
With one of her six children accompanying her to the store, Edwards described founding and running The Open Box as a family affair.
“My husband and (Davis) built the containers from scratch, built the wall, built everything,” Edwards said. “(The store was) just something we could do and build for our families and for ourselves.”
Management and customers alike reported seeing large crowds at The Open Box so far. Edwards specifically mentioned Fridays, when there is new inventory, and Wednesdays, when prices are lowest, as the busiest days when people line up.
“People are spreading the word and we’ve had great participation in our new business,” Edwards said.
Edwards said she was pleased with the store’s promising start. Even those with just a few dollars to spare can find something they need, she said.
“It may not be much for some people, but you can come here and use it and say, ‘Hey, I found something for $5,’ and it saved their week,” Edwards said.
