The moment you push your cart through the doors of Ollie’s Bargain Outlet in Iowa City, you enter a parallel universe where the laws of retail pricing no longer apply and brand-name merchandise sells for prices that seem like typos.
It’s a place where $3 can buy you a hardcover book that was sitting on the New York Times bestseller list just months ago.
A wonderland where kitchen gadgets that would cost you an arm and a leg at department stores are casually stacked on shelves with price tags that might make you wonder if someone forgot a digit.
The bright red shopping carts aren’t just for show—you’ll need one, because nobody leaves Ollie’s with just the one item they came for…