HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A newly-opened store in Tampa is sending shoppers on a frenzy to find good deals at low prices, and you never quite know what you’ll find inside.
Peering through store windows, Larry Dockins waited patiently while looking for a good deal.
“Don’t even know, don’t even need anything!” said Dockins. “But you never know what you’ll find.”
Dockins was one of dozens outside Hotbins in Tampa on a chilly Friday morning, in a line that wrapped around the corner. Some people got in line as early as 6:00 a.m.
Hotbins, their first location in Tampa, opened last month, selling overstock items and Amazon returns. Staff said that customers can find items from Walmart, Target, and other big box stores.
“I’ve got my eye set on some of those turkey fryers, some of the Ninja stuff, and who knows,” said Rob Base.
Base said he’s been to the store before and shared some of the things he’s found.
“I found a nice expensive set of the string lights that people put around the patios and stuff,” said Base. “Found some stuff for our pets. Found some stuff that I won’t even probably use, but I bought it anyway because it was a good deal, so I’ll use it as a gift for Christmas.”
As soon as the doors opened at 9:00 a.m, a flood of savvy shoppers rushed in.
The store starts its week on Friday, with items set at $12 each. Prices drop throughout the week: $10 on Saturday, $8 on Sunday, going down each day and ending on Wednesday at just $2 per item.
Hotbins is closed on Thursdays to restock with a new shipment.
“A little bit of craziness, but I feel like you can expect anything,” said Olga Britton.
From home goods to children’s toys and electronics, sometimes the box tells you exactly what you’re getting. While others are an unmarked mystery, sending customers to an unboxing station to see for themselves what’s inside.
Staff will tell you that every Friday is Black Friday for them.
“You never know what you can find here. It’s a treasure hunt,” said Mike Ijak with Hotbins in Tampa.
