A bargain bin refers to an assorted selection of

merchandise Merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer. At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to displaying products that are for sale in a creative way that entices customers to purchase more ...

, particularly

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated software documentation, documentation and data (computing), data. This is in contrast to Computer hardware, hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. ...

tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

s and CDs, which have been discounted in

price A price is the (usually not negative) quantity of payment or compensation given by one party to another in return for goods or services. In some situations, the price of production has a different name. If the product is a "good" in t ...

. Reasons for the discount can range from the closure of a production company to a steep decline in an item's popularity in the aftermath of a

fad A fad or trend is any form of collective behavior that develops within a culture, a generation or social group in which a group of people enthusiastically follow an impulse for a short period. Fads are objects or behaviors that achieve short- ...

scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...

. Another reason for the discount can be the particular product line being discontinued. The origin of the term comes from the fact such items would be found in an isolated bin rather than on store shelves. The phrase "bargain basement" is now a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

. "Bargain basement" used to be a literal basement in downtown

department stores A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store made a dramatic appea ...

. Clearance merchandise would be placed there regardless of which section of the store it originally came from. Chicago's

Marshall Field's Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, M ...

had begun selling discounted stock from its cellar level before 1910, and many retailers followed suit.Butler Brothers, ''Success in Retailing: The Variety Business,'' 1910, pp. 151–52 The country's first bargain counter was operated by Hutzler's at its Baltimore location. "Hutzler's Downstairs", an outlet for discounted merchandise opened in the basement of

Hutzler's Hutzler's, or Hutzler Brothers Company, was a department store founded in Baltimore by Abram G. Hutzler (1836–1927) in 1858. From its beginning as a small dry goods store at the corner of Howard and Clay Streets in downtown Baltimore, Hutzler's ...

Baltimore department store in September 1929. "Bargain Basement" was also used figuratively to describe the purchase of professional footballers from clubs in lower divisions by richer clubs for a low fee. In more recent years, both terms have taken on a figurative meaning – most notably as a synonym for 'low-quality' or 'unimpressive'. The most common implication of an item's presence in a bargain bin is its low quality. "

Knock-off Counterfeit consumer goods (or counterfeit and fraudulent, suspect items - CFSI) are goods, often of inferior quality, made or sold under another's brand name without the brand owner's authorization. Sellers of such goods may infringe on eith ...

s", for example, are associated with the term. The term "bargain bin" is used in New Zealand, Australia, and some other countries to refer to a retailer whose primary function is to sell cheap goods (i.e., a

variety store A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, automotive parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, home furnishings, and a selection of groceries. It ...

References

Retail store elements Merchandising Sales and clearances {{retailing-stub

See also

References