Years ago — back before Twitter and Instagram, when people still read blogs — I had a marketing blog. It wasn't quite as boring as it sounds; I liked to write about peculiar and bad marketing and advertising. I found much of my fodder at Big Lots, which at the time was largely stocked with discontinued items. I dubbed it the place where bad ideas go to die.
The food aisle, in particular was fascinating. It was a hobby of mine to sift through the foods to point out my favorites via the blog. Though they're still around, at that time bags of Rap Snacks were decorated by cartoon spuds dressed as DJs, not actual musical artists endorsing a favorite flavor. There was also a chocolate version of cinnamon bun cereal that was banished to the closeout store due to its resemblance to poop. But you could also find some good deals on good-quality food, international foods, or nearly expired foods. It was my favorite place to shop for weird food until a couple of years ago when I discovered Bargain Hunt.
I don't really know what's going on with the Big Lots business model, but some time ago, the inventory became a lot more deliberate. The thrill of digging through closeouts and odd lots (often, boxes that had literally fallen off a truck) was gone. But then Bargain Hunt stepped in. The basic premise of Bargain Hunt is that when merchandise is received, it is given a price and a date; the longer it sits on the shelf, the cheaper it gets (up to 90 percent off).
There are several Bargain Hunt stores in the Nashville area; many carry end-of-season closeouts or returns from popular retailers. There are clothes, electronics, housewares and just about anything else you can imagine. But at the Nolensville Road location, there is also food (it is the only location that carries food products). As with any closeout/odd lots store, the selection varies and can really be hit or miss. It's less a graveyard for bad product ideas and more a final resting place for scratch-and-dent merchandise and overstocks.
On a recent trip, I was particularly lucky to stumble upon what appeared to be the collateral damage from an accident involving the delivery truck of a large online store. All sorts of specialty food items, from organic baby foods and vegan chocolate to food-grade diatomaceous earth, giant bags of xylitol, nut butters, teas, and even a giant block of Himalayan sea salt. There were weird foods, too, like a package of sausage casings, a 3-pound tub of marshmallow creme, a case of smoked oysters, and microwave poppable pork rinds (which I bought for my husband).
It was difficult to control myself, but I was able to contain my purchases to a single cart (though the case of snack-size bags of lentil chips for $3 pushed the limit). Some of my loot is pictured. Along with the food, there was an excellent selection of kitchen appliances, including several brands of electric pressure cookers.
Bargain Hunt-ing can be fun and rewarding, but know your products and what they're worth. Occasionally, there's some bad labeling (something will be priced at $20 that should have been $2, for example), and the employees aren't at liberty to do much about it. And be prepared to buy a whole lot of things you never knew you wanted. Also be prepared to pay full price for an item that you discover you love, because you will most likely never find it at Bargain Hunt again.
