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Ocean State Job Lot Looks To Open By Thanksgiving

A Rhode Island-based closeout retailer is hoping to open its doors in the township before Thanksgiving.

Ocean State Job Lot of North Kingston, R.I. is moving into what was four spaces at the Franklin Towne Center at Route 27 and South Middlebush Road.

Paul Cox, the chain’s director of store operation, said they’d like the store to be open in time for Black Friday.

“Typically we do a soft opening to give all of our people a chance to get accustomed to the customers, then we have a grand opening on a Saturday,” he said. “So we’re looking at the Saturday before Thanksgiving weekend, or the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend.”

The store – which will be the chain’s 132nd overall location and fifth in the state – will occupy about 31,000 square feet of space, which will be one of Job Lot’s smaller locations, Cox said.

“We do between 30,000 and 40,000 square feet generally,” he said.

Cox said the store will feature mainly closeout items, but there are things they sell on a regular basis.

The attraction to shoppers, he said, is the deep discount given to the closeouts.

One line the store is currently selling is a range of barbecue products Cox said was from a well-known specialty business that sells higher-end items.

Things that would have sold for $10 are being offered at Job Lot for $2.99, he said.

Job Lot also features a wide range of pool supplies, he said.

There’s also a varied selection of food, including organic and gluten-free items, Cox said.

“We have an incredible food selection, such an eclectic assortment of food,” he said. “There’s no business in the world that I’ve been to that has a bigger selection of jellies and jams. We have a huge selection and variety of coffees.”

The store also offers items ranging from clothing to kayaks, Cox said, and has special year-end holiday items.

Cox said one of the factors that went into picking the Franklin Park location was his knowledge of the area from his years working for different retailers.

Franklin Park is “a community with a lot of disposable income, a very value-oriented area from my experience,” he said. “People know what things cost.”

“We do especially well when the customer is very savvy,” Cox said. “It doesn’t take our advertising, they recognize the quality. People who know quality are our best customer.”

Cox said the store will probably open with 50-60 employees and a three- or four-person management team.

“We expect a lot out of this store,” he said. “We’ll adjust up or down, based on the volume of the building. We hope the people of Franklin love us, so we’ll hire even more people.”

Store hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

 

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