Lo, Christopher (2026) The retail afterlife: How surplus goods find new value at 'binz' stores. The Conversation, 11 March 2026.

PDF (Scholarly Blog Post) - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only

Abstract

[Extract] For $25, you might walk out with a drone. Or a blender. Or a box of something you won’t identify until you tear through the tape.

At “binz” stores, bargain hunters line up early on Saturdays to gain first access to piles of surplus goods dumped into waist-high bins. The merchandise comes from major retailers and online platforms, which are purchased through liquidation auctions and resold.

Binz stores are one highly visible edge of the booming recommerce and liquidation economy. The global recommerce market, which resells returned, refurbished and second-hand goods, is projected to generate more than US$200 billion annually.

Item ID:	90970
Item Type:	Article (Commentary)
ISSN:	2201-5639
Related URLs:	Publisher
Copyright Information:	Copyright © 2010–2026, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. We believe in the free flow of information and so publish under a Creative Commons — Attribution/No derivatives licence.
Date Deposited:	17 Jun 2026 23:35
FoR Codes:	38 ECONOMICS > 3801 Applied economics > 380102 Behavioural economics @ 50% 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified @ 25% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4206 Public health > 420699 Public health not elsewhere classified @ 25%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280123 Expanding knowledge in human society @ 25% 20 HEALTH > 2099 Other health > 209999 Other health not elsewhere classified @ 25% 11 COMMERCIAL SERVICES AND TOURISM > 1101 Environmentally sustainable commercial services and tourism > 110199 Environmentally sustainable commercial services and tourism not elsewhere classified @ 50%
	More Statistics