This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — How far will you drive for a deep discount?
That was a good question outside of the new Ollie’s Bargain Outlet discount store which had a grand opening at 9 a.m. Thursday.
About 40-50 people were lined up for the first day of ales and ribbon cutting, eager to get ahold of some of the big bargains in a store at the Marketplace of Warsaw shopping store that was previously the home Big Lots which closed late last year after the company filed for bankrupcy.
First in line on Thursday was a man named Alberto who was there with his brother and said he arrived an hour early.
He said they rented a small U-haul trailer and drove from Long Island, New York — a 12-hour drive, according to Google.
He said they often attend Ollie’s openings because of the potential money they can make in re-selling merchandise online after returning home.
He said they’ve been to about seven openings.
“They usually have incentives you can resell online,” he said. “That’s why we come to every opening.”
Others in line Thursday likely had a shorter drive.
Another customer said she’d been anticipating the store’s opening since December.
Yet another, Jammie Mullins, said she drove directly from work in North Webster and was eager to save some money.
For many, the appetite for a good deal is simple.
“Cuz nobody makes a lot of money and when you get a discount, it goes further,” Mullins said as she stood near the back of the line.
Ollie’s is certainly trying to fill that demand.
The company, whose slogan is “Good Stuff Cheap,” has been expanding with hundreds of new locations, said regional director Ken Missig.
Other nearby locations include Mishawaka, Plymouth, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.
“We’ve got a lot of grand openings going on right now … We’ve picked up a number of the Big Lot stores, this one included,” Missig said. “Super happy to be here in Warsaw.”
Employees sounded as excited as some of the customers and greeted them with applause as they enter
“I assume some of the customers know of us from some of the other markets. Hopefully, we’re as excited as we are that we have a store here locally,” he said.
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