The Bins Opened By-the-Pound Thrift Store in Austin
Retailers targeting college markets can observe this sliding-scale pricing model in action near the University of Texas.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Openings & Closings
Live Poll
Do you plan to shop at secondhand stores to save on your household clothing expenses?
The Bins has opened a new by-the-pound thrift store at 2915 Guadalupe St. in Austin, marking a continued expansion into major college markets. The storefront features handpicked inventory and operates on a dynamic weekly pricing structure.
Why it matters
The company is testing whether a sliding-scale pricing strategy can effectively drive high-volume foot traffic in dense student-centric areas. This model allows for rapid inventory turnover by lowering costs as the week progresses, potentially maximizing revenue through both volume and efficiency.
The store employs a sliding scale with prices beginning at $10 per pound from Friday through Sunday. Costs drop sequentially to $5 on Monday, $3 on Tuesday, $2 on Wednesday, and $1 on Thursday.
The players
The Bins
A thrift retailer focused on high-volume, by-the-pound sales models within major college markets.
The details
The Bins occupies the 2915 Guadalupe St. site, previously home to Flamingos Vintage Pound, I Luv Video, and Antone's nightclub. Its operational strategy relies on handpicked, sorted inventory to attract students, with pricing designed to clear stock before the arrival of new goods. This cadence encourages recurring customer visits as shoppers aim to time their purchases with the lowest price points of the week.
Timeline
Antone's nightclub operated at the 2915 Guadalupe St. site during the 1980s.
I Luv Video closed its location at the site in 2015.
Flamingos Vintage Pound moved to 2820 Guadalupe St. in late 2024.
The Bins opened its permanent Austin location on September 25, 2026.
Market Landscape
This opening marks the latest transition for a storefront at 2915 Guadalupe St. that previously housed the landmark I Luv Video until 2015. The shift illustrates how commercial operators are repurposing legacy retail footprints to target specific demographics in campus-adjacent real estate.
Operators in high-traffic student corridors should monitor whether this aggressive daily price-drop model drives sufficient volume to offset lower end-of-week margins. Tracking the inventory turnover rate at this location will provide a benchmark for evaluating similar high-rotation retail strategies.
The takeaway
The Bins is prioritizing high-volume inventory turnover by leveraging a weekly sliding price scale. Business owners should track the store's ability to maintain margin parity throughout the week against this aggressive discounting schedule.
Further reading
For more on new businesses in the area, visit the Austin Openings & Closings section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CultureMap Austin.
Live Poll
Do you plan to shop at secondhand stores to save on your household clothing expenses?
