Ollie's discount chain to open first Maine store in York County

Ollie’s, a national discount retail chain, is scheduled to open its first Maine store in Sanford.

The store will be located at 1364 Main St., Sanford, at the old Marshall’s store, according to a press release from Ollie’s. A grand opening celebration will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 1.

Ollie’s was established in 1982 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, according to the company’s website. There are 574 Ollie’s stores in the country, with locations in soon to be 32 states.

The national retailer says it offers brand name items at an up to 70 percent discount, or as the store’s slogan boasts ,“Good Stuff Cheap.”  Merchandise includes food, candy, home decor, clothing, books and stationary, hardware, cleaning supplies, sporting goods, personal hygiene items, electronics and pet supplies.

“Ollie’s buyers scour the world looking for closeouts, overstocks, package changes, manufacturer refurbished goods, and irregulars,” states the Ollie’s website. The chain also states it works “very closely” with financial institutions, and purchases remaining inventories from liquidated companies.

Ollie’s describes its stores as “Semi-Lovely - functional, but not particularly pretty and shiny like those other fancy stores.”

A preview of a flyer for the Sanford store can be found on the Ollie’s website.

Saco Bay News Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.