Ocean State Job Lots

I used to think ocean state job lot is a place for finding jobs until someone sent me there for a specific product. I’m glad I checked it out because I actually like their stuff. They care name brand items such as beauty products and foods at a lower price than most stores and the dates are not close to expiration like one would assume. For example, I get peanut butter and company peanut butter for only $ 3.50 there compared to 3.95 at target. They sell smaller bottles of my favorite coffee syrup, torani, for $ 1.99. What a deal! World market sells smaller bottles for $ 2.99. The store has never been busy when I went. I compare it to big lots. It’s definitely not the classiest looking store but you can find some good items.

Oh man. OSJL. It is what it is. A motley grouping of cheap crap made in China that you buy because you don’t want to take a chance of breaking something nice at your barbeque this summer. Or because you need plastic plates because your nephews and nieces break shit at the holidays. Need a 50lb bag of wild bird food? You can get that here. Maybe you need a cheap tool, bungee cords, or a tarp, maybe some duct tape? You can get it here, generally cheaper than anywhere else. Come to think of it, perhaps OSJL should be featured in TV shows about serial killers…
Oddly, they have an entire aisle of Bob’s Red Mill organic food stuff. Their prices are the best I’ve seen, and it’s not old or going out of code. It’s an odd thing to find in among their short coded cans and bags of food.
If you need help finding stuff, don’t bother. the customer service from the associates is generally not very helpful. The cashiers, on the other hand, are generally pretty nice.
Anyway, if i were to base my review off my experience today, they’d get no stars, but generally it’s a 3-​star kinda place. It’s not great, generally a dirty mish mash of junk, but it’s junk I occasionally need.

Welcome to the magical world of Ocean State where:
At least two of the carts are hopelessly stuck together.
If you something you want buy it or might be gone by your next trip.
It’s like a retirement home for products they no longer make and in some cases never should have.
They have brands from your childhood that you did not realize still existed.
You should keep in mind that some items really are not a deal, it just depends.

OMG, this store has the largest selection of «Bob’s Red Mill» flours and other products that we have ever seen, and all of them were a long way from expiration dates of 2012 or 2013! Never in our wildest dreams would we have expected this. We walked in expecting a «Building 19» style store, and once we got past the horrendous knit plaid stretch pants, we wound up with a shopping cart full of stuff.
This store was pretty clean, did not smell bad at all and had some amazing bargains. We’ll be back.

It devastates me to part with my money. So I come to these places a lot. Yep, ocean state job lot, Xmas tree shops, even building 19! I go to them all. And even though you have to deal with freak shows and dig a little, you can save a bundle.
I was walking through today and got a nice heavy leash for my dog (½ the price of petsmart)! Among other cheerfully cheap stuff, I noticed a woman in the clothing section using her husband for concealment as she tried on clothes! Thanks right, she had no pants on! Between that and the guy whom was buying only massive amounts of Crisco I had a real chuckle.
But really, they have good outdoors selection. Lots of plant pots and gardening /​outdoors /​entertaining stuff. And the $ 2 bookstore is next door!

Frugal much? I am! I am a big fan of this store. I come here to stock up on basic items for great prices. I always, always, always come here before I host a party because you can get everything necessary (food and otherwise) for it. You can get chips, salsa, plates, napkins, utensils, etc. for your party.
In terms of daily use: they have cereals, granola, spices, snacks, pastas, sauces, etc. I’ve even bought shampoo and toothbrushes here! If you’re looking to save on the grocery store mark-​ups, head here once a month to load up on those items. It’s worth it and Market Basket is just a few stores down!
The store is really crowded and could probably be laid out better, but I am very much willing to excuse that because everything else about it is great.

4-​Stars because IT IS WHAT IT IS and there’s no false pretences but no 5-​stars because this place, like the others, focuses more on getting lots of cheap product out the door in large numbers than it does on cleanliness.
But, this particular store had a take-​charge person keeping the lines moving and making sure everyone could find what they needed and stuff and that was a nice touch I haven’t been used to at these thrifty kind of stores.
What particularly impressed me was the amount, and variety, of stuff they had there. There was everything from food to rugs, to patio furniture, to dust vacs, to summer clothes to shrubs, yeah, SHRUBS!!! I can’t imagine anything not being there except maybe a Mack Truck… if you want a truck, you’ll have to go somewhere else!
Parking is adequate and, since you’d be into «inexpensive» when you go to a place like this, it’s good to know in the same spot are…
1. Savers
2. Used Book Superstore (
), and
3. Saucony Factory Outlet
There’s also a bunch of other stores that might be convenient for you such as Chuck E Cheese, and Dunkin Donuts, to name a couple… cheap eats. There’s a Denny’s down the street, Liberty Tree Mall w/​movie theater nearby, and easy off/​easy on Route 128 exit within a few hundred feet.
If you’re lookin for a big SAVE DAY, Ocean State Job Lots is a good bet on your list of places to check out. I took a bunch of photos inside for ya, too. Enjoy!