I shopped at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet for the first time and found lower prices than at Target and Walmart

When I mentioned that I planned to visit Ollie’s Bargain Outlet for an article, several of my East Coast-based colleagues responded with some variation of “OMG I LOVE OLLIE’S.”

I’d never heard of Ollie’s until the brand acquired 40 former Big Lots stores across the US in February, including four new locations in my home state of Wisconsin, but it appears to have cultivated a loyal following of bargain-hunters.

Another indicator of the brand’s staying power: as many brick-and-mortar stores downsize and struggle to stay afloat, Ollie’s is one of the fastest-growing brands in the US in 2025, according to a Yelp report. Net sales grew 8% in the 2024 fiscal year to $2.27 billion, according to Ollie’s latest earnings report. It also opened 50 new stores in the 2024 fiscal year, bringing its total to 559 stores in 31 states, and it plans to open 75 more locations by February 2026.

President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs may also increase the popularity of discounted shopping locations, as consumers are expected to pay more for items such as groceries, electronics, and toys once they’re implemented.

I visited Ollie’s to compare its prices to Target and Walmart and see if it lived up to its slogan of “Good stuff cheap.” Take a look inside.

I visited an Ollie’s location in West Bend, Wisconsin, that used to be a Big Lots.

All four new Ollie’s locations in Wisconsin opened in February. There are no longer any Big Lots stores in Wisconsin after the brand closed 200 stores across 41 states in 2024.

When I walked inside, the first thing I saw was a section labeled “Ollie’s Deal Zone” with items under $5.

The carts appeared to contain mostly seasonal items such as summer-themed tumblers and beach towels for $2.99. It reminded me of the Bullseye’s Playground section at Target containing items costing between $1 and $5.

The handwritten signs and cartoons of Ollie’s namesake mascot made it feel more personalized than a big-box store.

Ollie’s, founded by Mark Butler, Mort Bernstein, Harry Coverman, and its namesake, Oliver “Ollie” Rosenberg, opened its first store in Pennsylvania in 1982. Its 100th store opened in 2011, and Ollie’s became a publicly traded company in 2015.

The walls at Ollie’s were plastered with illustrated signs advertising the low prices in creative ways, such as “Caution: bargains ahead” with “Ollie” dressed as a construction worker, and “Knockout deals” showing the character wearing boxing gloves. Everywhere I turned, I saw another quirky sign that made me chuckle.

I was surprised to find that Ollie’s had a sizable section of books at the front of the store.

Instead of selling the new releases and bestsellers I usually see at big-box chains, Ollie’s stocked an eclectic collection of graphic novels, coffee table books, volumes of Bible studies, and picture books for kids.

I thought the coffee table books in particular would make great inexpensive gifts. I found a giant book about baseball stadiums for $7.99 that the baseball enthusiasts in my life would love.

The shelves at Ollie’s resembled chains like Aldi and Costco that leave items in the shipping boxes to save on labor costs.

In one of the grocery aisles filled with canned goods and condiments, many of the items were still in boxes. I recognized some brands, like Campbell’s and Libby’s, but others were new to me.

Piles of boxes in a store can be a sign of the retail apocalypse, but since there were already boxes everywhere, they didn’t stick out as much.

Piles of boxes crowding a store can indicate understaffing and may deter customers from shopping if they have to squeeze through the aisles, Business Insider previously reported.

Since most of the merchandise was shelved in cardboard boxes, this could have been more of a stylistic choice.

In the grocery section, a box of Cheerios cost $1.99 at Ollie’s, which was significantly cheaper than at both Target and Walmart.

I compared prices using the Target and Walmart apps on my phone while browsing the aisles at Ollie’s. The same 8.9-ounce box of Cheerios costs $4.49 at Target and $3.68 at Walmart.

A can of Campbell’s Chunky Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup was priced at $1.99, which also beat Target’s and Walmart’s prices.

A can costs $2.69 at Target. At Walmart, it was on sale for $2.48, which was still more expensive than Ollie’s.

I found some amazing bargains in the toiletry section, like this three-pack of Crest toothpaste for $3.99.

That three-pack would cost $5.79 at Target and was listed for $12.80 on Walmart’s website, though it’s likely cheaper in-store.

Ollie’s also sold limited-edition seasonal Dove body wash, which may have been excess inventory or overstock from another store.

Ollie’s keeps its prices low by buying closeout, irregular, discontinued, and overstock merchandise at a discount.

The limited edition Dove body washes, which retailed for $4.99 at Ollie’s, were no longer available at Target or Walmart. Other Dove body washes of the same size sell for $8.69 at Target and $7.97 at Walmart.

Home appliances like toaster ovens are expected to get more expensive due to tariffs, so I looked at Ollie’s prices on Black and Decker products.

A Black and Decker Crisp ‘N Bake air fryer and toaster oven was priced at $39.99 at Ollie’s, while a regular four-slice toaster oven cost $29.99.

Target appeared to sell the same four-slice toaster oven for $29.99, matching Ollie’s price, but it was difficult to compare prices for the air fryer since I didn’t find exact matches on their websites. Perhaps the toaster-air fryer combination Ollie’s had in stock was an older or discontinued model that is no longer sold in other locations.

Ollie’s sold certified refurbished electronics like air conditioners, another way it keeps prices low.

There were also new air conditioners for sale, like a 10,000 BTU window unit from Danby priced at $279.99. The exact design I saw no longer appears to be sold by Danby, though the company offers other units with the same cooling power for $429.99 and above.

The housewares section sold rugs and home decor as well as actual flooring, such as laminate wood squares.

The raw flooring materials in the housewares section reminded me of Menard’s, a Midwestern home-improvement chain frequented by contractors and DIYers and known for its mail-in rebate discounts.

Laminate chestnut oak flooring cost 97 cents per square foot, while 5-foot by 7-foot Zephyr Collection rugs cost $99.99.

In the toy section, Barbie dolls were cheaper than at Target and Walmart, a welcome discovery as toy prices are expected to rise due to tariffs.

Barbies ranged from $8.99 to $12.99 at Ollie’s, which was less expensive than at other stores.

For example, the “You Can Be Anything” teacher Barbie cost $8.99 at Ollie’s compared to $14.99 at Target and $11.60 at Walmart.

Toy prices are expected to increase due to Trump’s 145% tariff on Chinese goods.

Overall, I felt that Ollie’s lived up to the hype.

Ollie’s is a store with personality. The vibrant comic book-like signage and the treasure-hunting nature of sorting through the aisles made for an enjoyable outing. The prices were also lower than big-box competitors like Walmart and Target.

I wouldn’t necessarily shop at Ollie’s if I needed a specific brand of cereal or shampoo since the inventory varies based on what discounted merchandise is available, but if I just need some “Good stuff cheap” once Trump’s tariffs take effect, I’d definitely shop there again.

When BI reached out to Walmart and Target about how their prices compare to Ollie’s, a Walmart representative told BI: “At Walmart, we operate an every day low price model, in which we work to remove costs through efficiencies in our own operations and supply chain — to operate at an every day low cost (EDLC) so that we can in turn provide our customers with every low prices (EDLP). We constantly advocate for lower prices on behalf of our customers.”

Representatives for Target and Ollie’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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