A Goodwill outlet is the clearance warehouse where unsold donations are sold by the pound from rolling bins, and our directory tracks 160 open locations across the country.
What is a Goodwill outlet, exactly?
A Goodwill outlet — what shoppers call the "Goodwill bins" — is the clearance warehouse where items that did not sell in regular Goodwill retail stores get a final chance, priced by the pound instead of by the tag. Our directory lists 160 open Goodwill outlets across 41 states.
Regular Goodwill stores sort donations, price them individually, and put them on shelves for a set number of weeks. Anything that does not sell is pulled and sent to the outlet, which is the last stop before textiles get baled and recycled or sent to landfill. That is the whole point of the model: the outlet moves volume that the retail floor could not.
At the outlet, merchandise sits in large rolling bins — often table-height plastic tubs on wheels — that staff rotate out and refill throughout the day. You dig through the bins, fill a cart, and pay by weight at the register. There is no per-item pricing, no fitting rooms, and no guarantee of condition. The trade-off for the inconvenience is price: a full cart can cost a fraction of what the same items would have cost as tagged retail.
Not every Goodwill region runs an outlet. They cluster in larger metros and along donation-heavy corridors, which is why 41 states have at least one but many states have none. Our Goodwill bins hub maps every location we track, and the guides hub explains the shopping mechanics in more depth.
| State | Open outlets | Cities | Pay by the pound | Rotation guide | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 3.4 |
| Florida | 15 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 3.2 |
| Texas | 12 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 4.8 |
| Washington | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4.4 |
| Ohio | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4.8 |
| Indiana | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Virginia | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4.7 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.7 |
| Oregon | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4.7 |
| Colorado | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Iowa | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.1 |
| Louisiana | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4.6 |
| Michigan | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4.8 |
| South Carolina | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4.6 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.4 |
| Wisconsin | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Alabama | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.9 |
| Arizona | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.2 |
| Arkansas | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4.8 |
| Missouri | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4.4 |
| New York | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4.6 |
| Georgia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.5 |
| Illinois | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3.3 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4.7 |
| Nevada | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4.1 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4.7 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4.2 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3.9 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3.8 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.5 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.3 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Maine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Maryland | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3.5 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.3 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Utah | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
What is a Goodwill outlet store, and what is it called?
A Goodwill outlet store is the same thing as a Goodwill outlet — the pay-by-the-pound warehouse — and it goes by several names depending on the region: Goodwill outlet, Goodwill bins, the bins, or a Goodwill clearance center. They all describe one format.
The naming is genuinely confusing because Goodwill is not one company but a network of independent regional organizations, each with its own branding. One region may call its location a "Goodwill Outlet," another a "Goodwill Clearance Center," and shoppers in both call it "the bins." The directory standardizes on "Goodwill outlet" so you can compare locations directly.
What matters more than the name is the pricing model. A regular Goodwill retail store prices items individually and sells them one at a time. A Goodwill outlet sells by weight, so you are charged for the total poundage of your cart rather than per piece. That single difference is why the outlet is a destination for resellers and budget shoppers rather than a casual thrift stop.
If you are trying to figure out whether a location near you is a true outlet or a standard store, check whether it advertises per-pound pricing. Our Goodwill outlet vs. Goodwill store guide walks through the differences side by side, and the bin store directory lets you filter by store type so you only see the pay-by-the-pound locations.
What are the Goodwill bins, and how do they work?
The Goodwill bins are the large rolling containers of unsorted, unsold donations that you dig through at a Goodwill outlet, and you pay by weight for whatever you pull. Staff rotate bins in and out all day as they empty.
The bins are typically shallow plastic tubs on wheels, arranged in rows across a warehouse floor. When a bin is picked over, staff roll it away and bring out a fresh one, which is why regulars hover near the back of the floor waiting for a rotation. There is no organizing by size or category in most outlets — a bin might hold clothing, housewares, and toys together.
Shopping the bins is physical and competitive. Bring gloves, dress for dust, and expect to spend real time digging. The payoff is volume: because you pay by the pound, you can take chances on items you would skip at tagged prices. Resellers use the bins to source inventory cheaply, and home shoppers use them to stock up on basics.
For the full mechanics — how rotation works, what to bring, and how pricing is calculated — see our how Goodwill bins work guide. If you want to know whether a specific store near you operates this way, the Goodwill bins hub lists every outlet we track with its details.
Does every Goodwill have bins?
No — most Goodwill retail stores do not have bins. Bins are specific to Goodwill outlets, and of the 166 Goodwill locations in our directory, only a subset are pay-by-the-pound outlets rather than standard retail stores.
Goodwill operates two distinct formats. The vast majority of locations are retail stores with tagged merchandise and individual pricing. Outlets are a much smaller, separate tier that only exists in regions large enough to generate the unsold volume that feeds them. That is why you will find outlets concentrated in states with heavy donation flow.
The geography bears this out. 21 Goodwill locations in California include 19 that are pay-per-pound, while Texas has 13 locations with 12 pay-per-pound. In smaller regions, the outlet may not exist at all — unsold goods get routed to a central location or a partner processor instead.
The practical takeaway: do not assume your local Goodwill has bins. Check the store type before you drive. Our Goodwill bins hub lets you see exactly which locations are outlets, so you can confirm the format before making the trip.
How do Goodwill outlets charge?
Goodwill outlets charge by weight — you load a cart, it is weighed at checkout, and you pay a per-pound rate that varies by region. Some outlets also price certain categories, like books or furniture, at a flat per-item rate.
The core model is pay-per-pound. Clothing and soft goods are almost always sold this way, with a scale at the register and a posted rate per pound. The exact rate is set by each regional Goodwill, so the directory does not hold a single national figure — you will see the rate posted at the door or on the region's website. Heavier items like furniture may be priced individually instead.
Because pricing is by weight, your strategy changes from a regular thrift trip. Lightweight items with high resale value — name-brand clothing, small electronics, accessories — are the sweet spot. Dense, heavy items are often a worse deal per pound than they look, so weigh the trade-off before you commit a cart full of them.
This is the biggest difference from Amazon bin stores, which price per item on a ladder that drops through the week. If you want to see how the two models compare in practice, the Goodwill outlet vs. Goodwill store guide and the bin store directory both help you plan around the right pricing structure.
How much do you pay at a Goodwill outlet?
You pay a per-pound rate at a Goodwill outlet, so a typical cart of clothing can cost a few dollars total — but the exact rate is set region by region, and the directory does not publish a single national per-pound price.
Because Goodwill is a network of independent regions, there is no one rate. One region may charge a lower per-pound rate for clothing and a higher one for hard goods; another may bundle everything at one rate. The number you need is the one posted at your local outlet, and it can change without notice.
What the directory does tell you is how outlets rate with shoppers. Across 156 rated Goodwill locations, the average rating is 4.07 out of five, with 68 four-star and 53 five-star reviews leading the pack. High-rated locations like Goodwill Outlet Appleton and Goodwill Outlet Asheville tend to be cited for clean bins and fair rotation.
For comparison, Amazon bin stores in the directory run item-based ladders — $5 Gold Diggers ranges $1–$5 with a $1 day, while Bargain Binz & Beyond drops to $0.50 on its cheapest day, Thursday. Neither model is strictly cheaper; it depends on what you are buying and how much it weighs.
| Store | Range | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5 Gold Diggers Claremore, OK | $1–$5 | $2 | $1 | Closed | Closed | Closed | $5 | $3 |
| 1440 Wholesale Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR | $1–$10 | $3 | $1 | Closed | Closed | $10 | $8 | $5 |
| 7 Days Liquidation Bin Store Indio, CA | $1–$15 | $6 | $4 | $2 | $1 | $15 | $12 | $10 |
| ABQ Liquidators Albuquerque, NM | $1–$15 | $9 | $7 | $5 | $1 | $15 | $13 | $11 |
| Amazon Hot Deals Bin Store Leesburg, FL | $2–$12 | $6 | $4 | $2 | Closed | $12 | $10 | $8 |
| AMZing Outlet Liquidation & Bin Store Centralia, WA | $3–$15 | Closed | $8 | $5 | $3 | $15 | $12 | Closed |
| Ashland Outlet & Bins Ashland, KY | $1–$8 | $3 | $2 | $1 | Closed | $8 | $5 | $4 |
| Bargain Bin Depot Fairborn, OH | $1–$8 | Closed | $1 | Closed | Closed | $8 | $3 | Closed |
Is a Goodwill outlet worth the trip?
For resellers and budget shoppers willing to dig, a Goodwill outlet is usually worth it — the per-pound pricing means volume purchases cost very little. For casual shoppers who want curated, tagged items, a regular store is the better fit.
The value proposition is volume. If you are sourcing inventory to resell, filling a cart for a handful of dollars beats paying tagged prices, even with the time and effort involved. Regulars treat the bins like a part-time job: arriving early, learning rotation schedules, and knowing which categories to grab first.
The costs are real too. It is dusty, physical, and competitive, and there is no quality guarantee — you will pull damaged and unsellable items alongside good ones. Ratings reflect the spread: the directory's Goodwill outlets average 4.07 out of five, with some locations like Goodwill Outlet Aurora scoring well below the best-rated ones.
Your best move is to check the specific location before committing. The Goodwill bins hub shows ratings, store type, and location for every outlet we track, and the guides hub has the full breakdown of what to expect on your first trip.