Dollar Variety and Discount Store to Replace A&P

Buzz about town – and signage on the exterior – had a dollar store moving into the space formally occupied by  on Valley Street in Maplewood, next to Pathmark in South Orange. In reality, the 17,000 square foot store will be more of an inexpensive department store offering 10,000 different items under its roof, according to the store’s distributor.

Opening as Dollar Variety and Discount Store, the store is owned by Masood Abbasi who also runs a similar operation at his successful 310 Main Street location in Orange, Dollar Master, Inc.

The store hopes to be open by mid-May and plans to stock hardware, bath, bedding, toiletries, accessories and food items – pretty much everything other than clothing and furniture. Pricing will be highly competitive with other budget oriented stores and wholesale liquidating chains.

Property owner Peter Nallit says the finding a tenant for the location was little trouble – even in these tough economic times. “It’s a busy road,” explains Nallit. “The deal was signed as soon as we had keys back in our possession.” He also mentioned that the site got numerous offers, the majority of which came from dollar and discount oriented stores.

Whether or not the formula will be a winning one locally remains to be seen, but it looks like the new store will have little problem staffing; when I popped in yesterday to take a look at the construction a woman stopped in to eagerly inquire about employment opportunities. I ecountered a similiar situation last week when I visited the location and a young man approached site workers for job application information.