Having a small business ourselves we do try to “buy local” whenever possible, but I’ll admit the lure of online shopping - and specifically the addictive convenience of Amazon - is hard to resist sometimes. We happen to have a place to shop here in Henderson County where you can support a locally owned store and satisfy the urge to find weird, random (or totally normal) stuff amidst Amazon’s vast catalog at the same time.
“Who knew they even made washer/dryer covers? But at the right moment you could get one for $11.50 at Blue Ridge Bargains, rather than $43 on Amazon."
The store is called Blue Ridge Bargains and it’s a bit off the beaten track when it comes to retail traffic, east of I-26 about a mile and a half on Upward Road, so maybe not as convenient has having stuff brought right to your door. On the other hand, it’s a lot of the same stuff sold on Amazon, but cheaper because it’s all open-box and return items. Which means you never really know what you’ll find there but if you find it and you happen to want and/or need it, you’ll probably get a really good deal on it. Who knew they even made washer/dryer covers? But at the right moment you could get one for $11.50 at Blue Ridge Bargains, rather than $43 on Amazon.
Just for another example, I just right now went on their web site
(www.blueridgebargains.com - they do a lot of online business themselves) and picked something off the home page a bit more common to see how it compares to Amazon. They were selling a pair of Samsung ear buds for $45 that are also on Amazon.com right now for $170. They warn you that it might be blemished in some way but heck, they’re ear buds so if they work, how “blemished” could they be? The store does have a 7-day return policy if they don’t work, but the store tests that kind of item to be sure they’re OK before selling them.
The store has a definite warehouse feel and only a bit of the square footage is dedicated to the retail operation. It’s organized as well as possible given they’re buying stuff by the truckload - toys over here, furniture all together, electronics in the display case and so on - but the fun is in seeing what you can uncover anyway. Adding to the thrill of the hunt is the system of rotating discounts they use to try to move items that have been there too long. The web site has a pretty comprehensive catalog of what’s available both online and in the store for those less interested in "mystery" shopping.
How to Find It
Blue Ridge Bargains is located at 58 Jackson Loop Road in Flat Rock, about 12 minutes from downtown Hendersonville.
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/eQJ4ZdAyy3x
Web site: https://blueridgebargains.com/