Amazon, Target "returns" store in Ankeny draws crowds

​​Krazy Krates is Ankeny's newest discount store, where customers can find bargain-priced returns and overstocked items from companies like Amazon, Wal-Mart, Target and Dollar General.

State of play: At the store, which opened earlier this year, shoppers sift through bins full of merchandise with the hopes of finding a bargain.

How it works: Owner Liz Brock receives truckloads of inventory from companies and stocks her store Fridays and Saturdays, she tells Axios.

• Items are most expensive on those days, $8.
• As things are sifted through, the remaining merchandise becomes cheaper starting at $6 Sunday, $3 Monday and finally $1 Tuesday.
• Item values range up to $150. But you have to move fast — people often wait in line before the store opens on restock days, Brock says.

The big picture: Hunting for "treasure" at Amazon outlet stores like Krazy Krates is becoming popular across the U.S., with people showing off their crate hauls online.

☕️ Linh's thought bubble: I went to Krazy Krates after the Friday morning rush to try and find the best value item I could use.

• I picked up this Bodum coffee maker that's valued at around $20 at Target and got it for $8 instead.

Yes, but: Even after they had me examine it before I left, I missed that it didn't have the filter that was advertised on the box.

• I ordered it for $10, which brought my total to $18.

The bottom line: Triple-check your treasures!

Where to find it: 10am-6pm Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Noon to 6pm Saturdays and Sundays.

• 745 N. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny.