NAMPA, Idaho — Amazon overstock is finding new life in customers’ carts instead of making it into a landfill at Big Box Outlet in Nampa, where owner Tim Cook prioritizes people over profit.

Even before the doors open, demand is clear. Some of the first customers in line say they’ve been waiting over three hours before the store opens.

WATCH | How a Nampa business is helping customers and cutting down waste

“We’ve been here since 6:45, we’ve made friends here,” one customer said.

For Cook, the focus starts with the people running the store.

“We try to pay our employees the absolute best that we can. We offer incentives. We offer paid time off. If you’re, if our employees have a sick kid, take the day off. If they, if their kid has a softball game, by all means, go to that softball game. There’s life outside of work,” Cook said.

That philosophy shows up even before the doors open. On Saturdays, Cook often walks the line, handing out items to customers waiting to get in, becoming known as ‘Captain Tim.’

“Who’s got a birthday today? Here’s an iPad,” Cook said to customers in line.

“It’s incredible, right? My, uh, my employees have full permission to give items away, right? So, they might come through every day. Each cashier gets to say, you’re my customer of the day, and their first $30 of merchandise is free,” Cook said.

Big Box Outlet itself started as a side project. In 2017, Cook was working in computer networking when he bought a few pallets of excess merchandise and started selling them through yard sales — quickly realizing it was more successful than his full-time work.

“And I made more money that year having yard sales, than I did doing network support all summer long,” Cook said.

When winter shut that down, Cook tested the idea indoors with a short-term lease. From there, the business moved to a small standalone location, then to the former Kmart in March of 2024.

The merchandise here is brand-new items, starting with overstock from sellers who send large quantities of product to Amazon warehouses. When inventory runs low, sellers can either pay to have items shipped back — or relinquish them. Big Box Outlet buys directly from distributors by the truckload, more than 10 at a time.

Inside the store, many items stay sealed until purchase. Shoppers can use the Amazon app to scan labels and see what they’re buying before opening any packaging and heading to checkout.

Another example of the store’s impact comes during dedicated shoe sale weeks. Brand-new, name-brand shoes move through the store at prices that make them accessible for some shoppers who might otherwise rely on secondhand options. During the most recent shoe sale week, the store sold about 3,000 pairs.

RELATED | St. Vincent de Paul reopens State Street thrift store in Northwest Boise

Captain Tim says growth is on the mind, and he’s looking at expanding to another location in Boise.

For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News – Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

NAMPA, Idaho — Amazon overstock is finding new life in customers’ carts instead of making it into a landfill at Big Box Outlet in Nampa, where owner Tim Cook prioritizes people over profit.

Even before the doors open, demand is clear. Some of the first customers in line say they’ve been waiting over three hours before the store opens.

WATCH | How a Nampa business is helping customers and cutting down waste

“We’ve been here since 6:45, we’ve made friends here,” one customer said.

For Cook, the focus starts with the people running the store.

“We try to pay our employees the absolute best that we can. We offer incentives. We offer paid time off. If you’re, if our employees have a sick kid, take the day off. If they, if their kid has a softball game, by all means, go to that softball game. There’s life outside of work,” Cook said.

That philosophy shows up even before the doors open. On Saturdays, Cook often walks the line, handing out items to customers waiting to get in, becoming known as ‘Captain Tim.’

“Who’s got a birthday today? Here’s an iPad,” Cook said to customers in line.

“It’s incredible, right? My, uh, my employees have full permission to give items away, right? So, they might come through every day. Each cashier gets to say, you’re my customer of the day, and their first $30 of merchandise is free,” Cook said.

Big Box Outlet itself started as a side project. In 2017, Cook was working in computer networking when he bought a few pallets of excess merchandise and started selling them through yard sales — quickly realizing it was more successful than his full-time work.

“And I made more money that year having yard sales, than I did doing network support all summer long,” Cook said.

When winter shut that down, Cook tested the idea indoors with a short-term lease. From there, the business moved to a small standalone location, then to the former Kmart in March of 2024.

The merchandise here is brand-new items, starting with overstock from sellers who send large quantities of product to Amazon warehouses. When inventory runs low, sellers can either pay to have items shipped back — or relinquish them. Big Box Outlet buys directly from distributors by the truckload, more than 10 at a time.

Inside the store, many items stay sealed until purchase. Shoppers can use the Amazon app to scan labels and see what they’re buying before opening any packaging and heading to checkout.

Another example of the store’s impact comes during dedicated shoe sale weeks. Brand-new, name-brand shoes move through the store at prices that make them accessible for some shoppers who might otherwise rely on secondhand options. During the most recent shoe sale week, the store sold about 3,000 pairs.

RELATED | St. Vincent de Paul reopens State Street thrift store in Northwest Boise

Captain Tim says growth is on the mind, and he’s looking at expanding to another location in Boise.

For Canyon County happenings, news, and more— join our Facebook Group: 2C Neighborhood News – Nampa, Caldwell, Middleton

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.