Ollie’s Bargain Outlet

Love, love, LOVE this place! Great selection of pet supplies. Beautiful flower pots for next to nothing. Rag rugs for $ 3.99. Toys and games for half the price of other «discount» stores. Can’t say enough — Ollie’s is my FAVE!

Good stuff cheap! Even *not* so good stuff! Caveat emptor, folks… when you buy a refurbished or blemished appliance here make sure you keep abreast of manufacturer’rs recalls. Case in point, we purchased a «Sylvania» dehumidifier here only to find out that it was recalled due to faulty wiring & several had already caused fires (!). Luckily, we were on top of the situation, followed the instructions and received a full refund from the manufacturer. While you *can* find some deals here ($ 12 Dockers, $ 10 designer jeans) I’d be careful buying major electronics. Could be a way for some brands to dump their dangerous goods!

Ollie’s is the greatest store of all stores. Is it high-​end? No. Is it medium-​end? No. Is it low-​end? Even that might be a stretch, but you can actually find some really quality products at this store for really cheap.
You walk in to the store immediately overwhelmed with the incredible selection of all the products that couldn’t sell at other retailers. It’s an Island of Misfit Toys for American consumerism. The book section is surprisingly good, some great finds in fiction books, cookbooks, travel books, and coffee table books that are significantly cheaper than even Amazon. The kitchen supplies section is also great, cheap appliances, really cheap cookie sheets, really really cheap candles and Febreze-​like products. The selection of cleaning products is always very deep and usually a lot cheaper than Wegmans or Wal-​Mart. Bedding and curtains are also usually a deal if you have the patience to dig through the selection of things that often look like there was a reason they didn’t sell at a «big box» retailer.
The real gem of the store though is the food section. The depth and variety of products is simply stunning. Organic kids fruits snacks, Starbucks or Caribou Coffee, high-​end popcorn, fancy salad dressings, and organic cereals can all be found. But also found here: crab cake flavored chips, hot dog flavored chips, Toys-​R-​Us animal crackers (who knew those even existed), Taco Bell chocolate-​flavored taco shells, and a variety of simply bizarre products that makes shopping here part entertainment.
The staff is usually too sparse, but it’s not a place that you go if you are looking for a pampered shopping experience. Ollie’s is exactly what it advertises itself to be: «good stuff cheap.»

To me, Ollie’s is the TJ Maxx of grocery and hardware store goods. Unlike other discount chains that sell their own off brands, Ollie’s sells brands that you will recognize at a great price.
They have a broad-​range of books at very discounted prices. If you’re shopping for cookbooks, religious books, children’s books, self-​help books, or puzzles you are in luck! Many times I peruse their book section for gifts for my and my husband’s coworkers and their children.
Ollie’s beauty section is always interesting. Several times I have found high end European hair care products that I had seen in my travels. Other times, they have brands that I had not seen in decades, and evidenced by the the dust on the bottle, probably were manufactured at that time.
I have purchased some great made-​in-​Italy tomato sauces and made-​in-​Spain olives at ridiculously cheap prices.
I find their bed linens to be of an inferior quality. They pick up overruns from Wal-​Mart and Target, but also have brands that I’m sure were manufactured for deep discount stores.
Their electronics are fantastic! Headphones and iphone, ipad, and ipod accessories are greatly priced. Nearly half the price of what you would find at Best Buy.
I have purchased high-​end stationary for bridal and baby showers at Ollies and have been extremely pleased. I have even found great odds and ends for wedding and shower favors.
The staff, while overworked, is normally helpful.
Don’t be put off by their kitschy marketing: they have an Ollie’s Reward program that actually does offer discount coupons.
You just never know what goodies you may find at Ollie’s. There are times when I walk out empty-​handed, but many times I don’t. It really is worth the extra trip to stop by Ollie’s and save a few — or more — bucks.