Walk down any main street in America and you’ll see them. Those neon-orange posters taped to the glass, screaming in all caps. Every thing must go. It’s a phrase that triggers a weird mix of adrenaline and sadness. You think about cheap TVs or half-off sneakers, but for the business owner, those words are usually a white flag of surrender.
Retail is brutal. Honestly, it’s always been brutal, but lately, the pressure has reached a boiling point. When a store announces that every thing must go, they aren't just having a clearance event; they are executing a "liquidation." That’s the industry term. It means the company is turning physical assets into cash as fast as humanly possible because the debt collectors are knocking or the lease is up and the bank account is dry.
The psychology behind the every thing must go frenzy
Retailers know exactly what they’re doing with that phrasing. Psychology tells us that "scarcity" drives sales more than almost anything else. When you see a sign saying every thing must go, your brain stops looking at the utility of the product and starts focusing on the "loss." You don't want to miss out on the deal.
It works. Liquidation firms like Tiger Capital Group or Hilco Global specialize in this. They don't just put up signs; they follow a strict mathematical decay of pricing. They start at 10% or 20% off—which, let’s be real, isn't even a good deal—and slowly crank it up to 70% or 90% as the shelves get bare.
By the time the discount hits 80%, you’re usually looking at a pile of broken hangers and single left shoes. But people still buy them. Why? Because the urgency created by the "going out of business" narrative overrides common sense. We’ve all been there, standing in a desolate Sears or Bed Bath & Beyond, holding a spatula we don't need just because it was three dollars.
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Why big box stores are disappearing faster than ever
The rise of e-commerce is the easy scapegoat. Everyone blames Amazon. But if you look at the data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), the story is actually a bit more complex. It's often about "zombie debt." Many companies that ended up in an every thing must go scenario—like Toys "R" Us or Sports Authority—were actually profitable on a store-by-store basis. The problem was the private equity firms that bought them, loaded them with billions in debt, and then expected them to pay it back in an era of shrinking margins.
When a massive chain declares bankruptcy, the "every thing must go" phase is the final act of a long-running tragedy. It affects more than just the employees. It hits the local tax base. It leaves "dark stores" in malls, which creates a "vampire effect" where foot traffic drops for the remaining stores, eventually forcing them into their own liquidation sales. It’s a domino effect.
Spotting a fake liquidation sale
Kinda shady, right? Some stores use the phrase every thing must go as a marketing gimmick without actually closing. In many states, this is actually illegal. For instance, in California, you typically need a specific "Going Out of Business" permit to run such a sale, and you can only run it for a limited time—usually 30 to 90 days.
If you see a rug store that has had an every thing must go sign in the window for three years, they are likely violating local consumer protection laws. They’re banking on the fact that most people won't report them. Genuine liquidations have a hard end date. Once the lease is up, the keys are handed over, and the remaining inventory is often sold in bulk to "jobbers"—companies that buy leftover junk by the pallet to resell at flea markets or on eBay.
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What actually happens to the stuff that doesn't sell?
You’d think everything gets bought. It doesn't.
- Fixture sales: The shelves, the mannequins, and even the cash registers are sold. If you've ever wanted a headless plastic torso, a liquidation sale is your best bet.
- The "Jobber" Stage: Whatever is left after the 90% off phase is sold for pennies on the dollar to liquidators who operate in the secondary market.
- Landfill: Sadly, for fast fashion retailers, it’s often cheaper to throw clothes away than to pay for the logistics of moving them to another warehouse. This is a massive environmental issue that the industry is only just starting to address.
The human cost behind the neon signs
We talk about logistics and debt, but we forget the people. When a local boutique has an every thing must go sale, it’s often the end of a family’s dream. It’s the loss of 20 years of community history.
Retail employees during these sales have it the worst. They’re essentially working themselves out of a job. They have to deal with aggressive "bargain hunters" who treat the store like a scavenger hunt while knowing that their health insurance ends in three weeks. It’s a grim environment. If you’re shopping one of these sales, seriously, be nice to the staff. They’re stressed.
How to actually shop an every thing must go sale without getting ripped off
If you’re going to participate in the feeding frenzy, you need a strategy. Don't let the "sale" energy cloud your judgment.
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- Check the original price. Liquidators often mark items back up to the "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price" (MSRP) before applying the discount. That "50% off" might actually be the same price the item was a month ago during a normal sale.
- Inspect for damage. All sales are final. Period. If you buy a TV and get it home only to find a crack in the screen, you’re stuck with it. Bring a flashlight, check the boxes, and test electronics if they’ll let you.
- Wait for the "Sweet Spot." The first week of a liquidation is for suckers. The last week is for people who want trash. The 40% to 60% range is usually when the decent inventory is still available but the prices actually beat Amazon.
- Forget the warranty. If the company is going out of business, their store warranty is worthless. Check if the manufacturer’s warranty still applies, but keep in mind that some brands won't honor warranties on items bought from a liquidator.
Actionable steps for the savvy consumer
When you see that every thing must go banner, take a breath.
First, go online and check the current market value of whatever you’re looking at. Don't trust the sticker. Second, if you’re a small business owner seeing these signs pop up in your neighborhood, it’s time to audit your own "moat." Are you offering something—expertise, community, service—that a liquidator can't put a price tag on?
The best way to handle an every thing must go situation is to avoid being the one who has to put the sign up. Keep your debt-to-income ratio low and stay nimble. For the shoppers, buy what you need, but don't let the neon signs trick you into thinking a 10% discount is a life-changing event.
If you want to support your local economy, try shopping at the stores that aren't closing. By the time the every thing must go signs are up, it's already too late to save the business. The real support happens when the prices are full and the doors are wide open.