Boston store sells returned items at a majorly discounted rate

LURE OF HUGE SAVINGS FOR DECADES, IT DREW WOMEN TO THE FAMED RUNNING OF THE BRIDES WEDDING GOWN SALE AT FILENE’S BASEMENT. THERE ARE NO WEDDING DRESSES HERE. WELL, THERE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN A FEW, BUT THERE IS THE SAME WIDE EYED, LASER FOCUSED, SLIGHTLY BREATHLESS ANTICIPATION OF A BARGAIN. THE THING WE HAVE IN COMMON IS, YOU KNOW, WITH FOLKS FAVORITE OFF PRICE RETAILERS IS THE TREASURE HUNT. THE AM I GOING TO FIND THE DESIGNER JACKET MIXED IN WITH A BUNCH OF ODDS AND ENDS? BUT THE NEWLY FORMED BEN STAR APPROACHES RETAIL QUITE DIFFERENTLY AS A PROBLEM SOLVER FOR OTHER RETAILERS WHO ARE OVERWHELMED WITH AND ILL EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH RETURNS. YES, RETURNS. THEY’RE A PROBLEM. THE COST TO PROCESS RETURNS IS REALLY HIGH, AND A LOT OF THE TIMES ABOUT 25% OF RETURNS GO TO LANDFILLS. THAT LAMP YOU SENT BACK, THE JEANS THAT WERE TOO TIGHT, THE RUG THAT WAS THE WRONG COLOR, THE COST. OF RETURNING, REPACKAGING, AND RESTOCKING JUST ISN’T WORTH IT FOR MANY RETAILERS. I WAKE UP AND GO TO SLEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS, BUT JACK LAUGHLIN IS FOUNDER AND CEO OF BEN STAR. THE PROBLEM WE’RE SOLVING IS THAT THEY HAVE PALLETS OF RETURNS JAMMING THEIR BACK ROOMS, AND THEY JUST NEED TO MAKE THE PROBLEM GO █AWAY. SO PALLETS OF RETURNS ARRIVE FROM RETAILERS ARE DUMPED ONTO A SORTING STATION AND SEPARATED INTO BINS. HENCE THE NAME. EVERYTHING GOES ON THE FLOOR ON SATURDAYS AT $19, AND THE PRICE DROPS EVERY DAY UNTIL IT HITS A DOLLAR. ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, CHRISSY VICIOUS IS DIRECTOR OF STORE OPERATIONS. THERE WAS ONE WEEKEND THAT WE HAD LIKE 11 HP LAPTOPS. WE HAD ONE OF THOSE HUGE LIKE ABOVE GROUND POOLS THAT WE GOT AT ONE POINT. UM, SO, I MEAN, THERE’S A LOT OF LIKE HIGH QUALITY, LIKE REALLY NICE ITEMS THAT WE GET THAT AS SOON AS YOU SEE IT. YOU’RE LIKE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO CRAZY FOR THE SUNSET SATURDAY. JACK GOT THE IDEA WHILE WORKING FOR A LARGE AMAZON SELLER, WHICH WAS PAYING GOOD MONEY TO THROW AWAY A GOOD CHUNK OF THEIR RETURNS. IT’S A BIG PROBLEM IN THE INDUSTRY THAT WE THINK WE’RE BUILDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR, WHICH IS TO MAKE IT GO AWAY FOR OUR PARTNERS QUICKLY, QUIETLY, AND TO GO TO CUSTOMERS INSTEAD OF THE LANDFILL. AND IT GOES TO CUSTOMERS AT A 60 TO 90% DISCOUNT. IT’S THE SURPRISE OF WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO FIND. IT’S SEEING HOW HAPPY THE CUSTOMERS ARE. YOU KNOW, FINDING GREAT THINGS AT A GREAT VALUE. AND THEN IT’S JUST A WHOLE OVERALL CONCEPT OF WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE TO HELP THE WHOLE RETURN PROBLEM. I LIKE COMING HERE BECAUSE IT’S DIFFERENT EVERY TIME. IT’S ALWAYS A SURPRISE. YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO BE HERE. WE FOUND A RECLINER ONE DAY. HONEST TO GOD, DEHUMIDIFIERS, VACUUMS, YOU NAME IT. WE FOUND IT. A LOT OF TIMES YOU LOOK DOWN DEEP, YOU’LL FIND, UH, THINGS THAT PEOPLE MISSED, LITTLE THINGS. AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, JEEZ, THIS THING’S WORTH 60 BUCKS. AND I PAID THREE BUCKS FOR IT. JACK SAYS BEN STAR HOPES TO BE THE ONLY NATIONAL RETAILER THAT HAS RETURNS AS THE CORE OF THEIR BUSINESS, AND THE EARLY RESPONSE INDICATES IT’S WORKING. RETAILERS ARE HAPPY. CUSTOMERS ENJOY THE THRILL OF THE CHASE AND BEN STAR IS ADDING NEW STORES. PERHAPS JUST DON’T CALL THE EXPERIENCE A TREASURE HUNT. YOU DON’T HAVE TO GET ON A PIRATE SHIP AND GO THOUSANDS OF MILES TO GO DIG UP SOMETHING IN THE DIRT, LIKE YOU CAN COME TO ONE OF OUR STORES AND IT’S WELL LIT AND HEATED. IT’S THAT SAME SORT OF THRILL OF THE HUNT OF I’M WALKING IN HERE WITH A CARRIAGE, AND I COULD WALK OUT WITH, I MEAN, ANYTHING. WOW. SO HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER OFF PRICE RETAILERS LIKE THE DOLLAR STORE OR FIVE BELOW? RIGHT. MOST OFF PRICE RETAILERS DEAL WITH OVERSTOCK INVENTORY FROM OTHER STORES, WHEREAS BEN STAR IS DEALING EXCLUSIVELY WITH THIS RETURN PROBLEM AND JUST WITH RETURNS. THEY DID OPEN TWO NEW STORES, ON