District Deals: Discount shopping goes up

Except for a brief stint at UPS over the holidays, Jayvon Israel has been without a job for several months. “I’m putting in applications, but there’s nothing out there,” he said. Israel was shopping at the Dollar General on a recent weekday, snapping up low-priced juice, dish soap, and paper towels. “I do more of my shopping here now,” said Israel. He also does more shopping around than he used to, comparing prices at the grocery store, box stores, and discount stores before he makes purchases, he said.

Israel’s not alone. The current economy has a lot of people looking for ways to stretch a dollar, and many are shopping for bargains right here in the Central Avenue BID district.

According to a Datamonitor report on national shopping trends, more people are turning to discount stores for good deals on food and groceries. “The current economic downturn has contributed to consumers switching to discount stores and private label alternatives more often in 2008,” the report states.

“Business is on the rise,” said Dollar Tree Manager Ben Nisky. The dollar store in Westgate Plaza offers a range of merchandise and also boasts a wide selection of holiday and party goods and toys, and more customers are coming in looking for a good deal.

This past Friday, customer Rita Fiscarelli loaded her cart with Valentine’s Day gift bags and cute stuffed animals. “I like to get holiday stuff here because it’s inexpensive,” she said.

Business is also booming at The Dollar Shop, located across the street in Hannaford Plaza. The store expanded two months ago to keep up with its growing customer base, said Manager Pervez Butt. The new store offers more space for displays and also more shopping aisles, stacked with everything from aluminum baking pans to candles and cooking spices. The store carries over 100 different brands, he said.

More people are coming in, but they’re still buying the same things, Butt said: “Mostly candy, hair stuff, socks, party stuff.”

Over at Dollar General at 484 Central Avenue customer numbers are also up, and so is demand for grocery items. Store staff report that customers are buying a wider range of goods here than previously, including more food, household goods, and clothing. To accommodate demand, the store carries more name-brand grocery items, including soda, juices, milk and snacks, and drug store sundries like makeup, shampoo, and toothpaste, with prices as low as $1 and $2.

In a tough economy like the one we now find ourselves in, bargains like these can help families stay afloat.