Major retailers quietly resell customer returns at steep discounts — Many returned items are barely used, but stores would rather discount them fast than put them back at full price.
The key is shopping the right channels, not regular shelves — Clearance endcaps, open-box programs, resale sections, and return liquidators are where the real deals land.
Savings of 30% to 70% are common — if you know what to look for — Condition labels, packaging damage, and manager markdowns often mean deep discounts on perfectly functional products.
Customer returns are one of the biggest sources of hidden retail discounts. Most people assume returns are broken or heavily used, but the reality is a huge percentage of returned items are:
- Opened but never used
- Bought in the wrong size or color
- Returned after holidays
- Perfectly fine but in damaged packaging
This is a major win for shoppers as most retailers don’t like putting these items back on their regular shelves. So, they get thrown into clearance sections, open-box areas, and liquidation channels where prices often drop 30% to 70%, sometimes more.
But you have to know where to go to find them — and save money. Enter this article. Here’s where the good returns actually go and the type of savings you can realistically expect.
Amazon Resale (online return central)
Amazon Resale is Amazon’s official online outlet for returned and open-box items.
The good news is it’s not a bunch of sketchy third-party sellers trying to unload junk — it’s just Amazon reselling items customers sent back.
Some of the items you’ll regularly find include:
- Air fryers
- Headphones
- Laptops
- TVs
- Power tools
- Toys
Perhaps the best part of using Amazon Resale is they tell you upfront about the condition of the item and everything still comes with their 30-day return policy.
Specifically, they break it down into these condition categories:
- Used—Like New – Product is in perfect working condition with no cosmetic flaws. Comes with all original accessories but it could be missing the original packaging.
- Used—Very Good – This means lightly used with minor signs of wear. Often repackaged but is still in great working condition. I’ve found that this is often the sweet spot as you get significant savings but the item is still basically new.
- Used—Good – Item will show moderate wear from consistent use, but guaranteed to still be functional. A bit more of a risk because you don’t know exactly how hard the previous owner used it.
- Used—Acceptable – These will have clear signs of use like scratches, dents, and even worn corners. Check the listing carefully as it could be missing accessories that you’ll have to replace yourself, often cutting into the original savings it might provide.
Realistic Savings:
It’s fairly common to find 40–50% off savings on items marked “Used – Very Good.”
For example, I’ve seen a $129 air fryer sell for only $69. I’ve also bought a $249 pair of noise-canceling headphones for just $129 simply because the box was badly damaged and had to be replaced.
Pro tip: Be aware that prices change daily as inventory sells through. So be sure to check back often on products you’re interested in buying. Be ready to buy when the price meets your budget.
Target clearance (where returns hide in plain sight)
When someone buys an item from Target.com and then returns it to a Target store, it often gets added to a clearance endcap (if it isn’t liquidated).
From there, it’s usually sold at a big discount, often 50-70% off the original price.
In each department, look for these clearance endcaps at the end of aisles. They tend to exist the most in electronics, toys, and home décor/appliances.
Specifically, when hunting for these endcaps, look for the following:
- Yellow clearance stickers.
- Open-box items that you can tell have been opened and they sometimes have damaged packaging.
- Look for a handwritten markdown tag. These are often done by a Target manager and it’s usually a very low price designed to get rid of a returned product quickly.
Realistic Savings:
Markdowns usually start at 30% off and can hit 50–70% off if it doesn’t sell right away.
For example, that $129 Keurig someone returned could land on clearance for just $59, or a $40 throw blanket can get marked down to $18 after a return.
Pro tip: Don’t be afraid to negotiate the price on some of these open-box returns at Target. Managers know they’ll have a hard time selling some of these products, so they’ll often be happy to give you an extra 10% discount to get rid of it.
Amazon return/bin stores (treasure hunt style)
“Amazon return stores” are personally my favorite way to buy returns at a huge discount.
These return stores buy truckloads of Amazon return pallets every week. They’ll then throw everything into bins and sell items at a flat price that drops each day of the week.
The return store in my town is closed on Sunday and Monday to restock the bins. Then when they open on Tuesday, everything is $6, then it all drops to $4 on Wednesday, $2 on Thursday, $1 on Friday, then everything is just $0.25 on Saturday.
The shipments you can expect include everything from food and paper goods to small appliances, office supplies, books, and even small furniture.
Some of the returns have no packaging, some of it has beat-up packaging, and some of it looks absolutely brand-new.
Realistic Savings:
I’ve found $10 iPhone chargers for only $0.25. I’ve also found a $50 filing cabinet for just $6.
It’s not uncommon to pay just $4 for a $40 LED light kit or only $2 for a $25 phone accessory.
Keep in mind that all sales will be final at these return stores. But usually the price is so low that it’s worth the risk.
Pro tip: Do a quick Google search for “YOUR TOWN Amazon return store” and you’ll quickly find the return stores in your neck of the woods.
Best Buy open box (premium return deals)
When someone returns an item to Best Buy, it doesn’t go straight back on the shelf as new.
Instead, Geek Squad or store staff inspect it, test it, and then resell it as Open-Box at a discount.
You’re often buying something that was used for a day… or never plugged in at all.
The Best Buy Open-Box condition grades:
- Excellent (sometimes “Certified”) — Basically like new. Includes all original parts and usually the box. Minimal signs of use, if any.
- Good — Items typically work perfectly fine but may have a minor cosmetic scuff or two. Could also be missing non-essential accessories (like a manual or HDMI cable).
- Fair – Often has noticeable wear and is sometimes repackaged if it was returned without the original box/packaging. It has been tested and is functional.
Realistic Savings:
Most open-box items run 25–45% off, depending on the condition, but TVs and other big-ticket items can be even more.
A $1,000 laptop may sell for $699 open box, and a $799 TV could drop to $499 just because it left the store once.