A unique sale packed the Lloyd Ex drawing crowds of thrifty shoppers.
The Border City Bin Blitz, put on by Jason Whiting and wife, Karla Whiting, offered a unique take on the normal shopping experience.
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“It stemmed from me shopping elsewhere, whether it be in Edmonton and recognizing there is this influx of Amazon returns and overstock items,” he explained. “This system is done in other places, other big centres, we thought, why not try it as a short pop-up event here in Lloydminster and see how it goes.
“It’s something Karla and I put on together. She’s really looked after the marketing and done a really good job of getting the name out.”
Whiting purchased some Amazon pallets and rented out a room in the Lloyd Ex from Sept. 18 to Sept 21. Prices started on Sept. 18 at $25 per item and eventually, on Sept. 21, dropped to just $2 per item. He said the event was a success with crowds of people pouring in to find a good bargain.
“We’ve had a fairly consistent crowd all the way through the weekend here,” said Whiting. “We’ve had good support from the community.”
Tables were packed full of items, and some of the big-ticket items, memory foam pillows and ceiling fans to name a few, flew off the shelf the first day.
“There’s something for everybody. If they see something they don’t want or don’t like, move another foot and they might find something else,” he said, noting the event may return in the future, perhaps even to another community.
“The stores that are in big centres, while the deals are first thing in the morning, it’s a fair distance, it’s a lot harder to get those deals first,” said Whiting. “Maybe we can bring those deals to those communities.”
He said they were also offering free items to people who were attending the Lloydminster Wedding Showcase down the hall.
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