It's hard to imagine life without Target. We visit the store for groceries, clothing items, and home goods—and sometimes just to peruse the shelves while sipping on a Starbucks drink that we pick up at the front of the store. Target often offers a great deal of savings—especially if you hit up the sale section—but there's a secret to finding things even cheaper: Target salvage stores. Not sure what those are? You'll want to listen up! Read on to see social media users' best finds at these lesser-known stores and learn how to locate your nearest salvage center so you can start scoring deals.
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What is a Target salvage store?
iStock / hapabapaWe can't blame you if you've never heard of a Target salvage store before. For one, they don't all go by the same name, and some carry other brands in addition to Target. Common salvage store chains include Dirt Cheap, Bargain Hunt, Goodwill, Big Deal Outlet, and Falling Prices.
"They'll have salvage items from a variety of retailers, so don't head to one expecting to see only Target items," says Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with the shopping comparison site DealNews.com.
So, where do these stores get their products? "Target salvage stores are basically retailers that offer up Target goods at serious discounts," says Ramhold. "They acquire these goods by buying pallets of returns as well as items that Target stores weren't able to sell for whatever reason, such as something was just too unpopular or they stocked too much."
And it turns out, they're on the rise. "Consumers are looking for ways to save money when shopping, and while that's true whether you're shopping for necessities like groceries or new clothes, it's also common for shoppers to find ways to save on items that aren't necessary, too, like home decor products," says Ramhold. "These stores are growing in popularity because they're alternatives to more traditional thrift stores or consignment shops and can offer recognizable name-brand products at deep discounts, which savvy shoppers find hard to beat."
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Here's how you can find a salvage store.
LMWH / ShutterstockBecause salvage stores don't go by one name, you have to get creative when it comes to finding them.
Instagram user @thatoutletgirl suggests searching Google for the following keywords along with the words "near me": Target wholesale, Target pallet, Target pallets for sale, Target surplus, Target bin store, Target salvage store, Target overstock, Target half off, Target clearance store, or Target warehouse.
You can also ask a sales associate at your local Target if they know of any nearby, or see if there's a salvage store chain in the area.
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Social media users have found incredible deals.
ShutterstockTikTok user @beautifully_candid said she found the best deals at her salvage store on shoes, which were marked down to between $1.50 and $3.50. "I wasn't sure what to expect walking in and was definitely overwhelmed, but in a good way," she says.
Another TikTok user, Ash Huber, found Target-brand home goods, such as baskets, for $12 (marked down from $20), swimsuits for $5 that were also buy-one-get-one free, and sheet sets for $70 (marked down from $110). "Anything you would find at Target, you could probably find at these stores," she says.
Shoppers mention that the organization of each salvage store differs—while some are neat and organized, others are piles of bins that you have to dig through.
Ramhold notes that inventory will also vary by location. "Some Targets may have trouble selling certain categories, like table lamps, while others may have overstock rugs, dishes, or furniture," she says. "However, basically any non-perishable, non-edible food item could potentially be sold, so salvage stores may also have seasonal decor, holiday items, playground items, clothing, bedding, small appliances, kitchen tools, toys, health and beauty items, and even electronics, among others."
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There are some items you should probably skip.
emin kuliyev / ShutterstockWhile it always feels great to score a deal, Ramhold explains there are some items you may want to pass on at a salvage store."
If you see something like a piece of clothing or an accessory that's a few seasons old for 25 cents, then it may be well worth grabbing, but if you see a small kitchen appliance, like a coffee maker, for 25 cents, I would be more hesitant to purchase something like that, simply because that price tag may be indicative of the item's condition," she says. "Even at salvage stores, if a deal seems way too good to be true, then it's probably worth at least inspecting very closely to see if there are any glaring issues that you can discern."
