Dollar Tree opens in Pontiac

Wednesday, October 24, 2007 1:30 PM CDT

By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com

PONTIAC -- Carol Jerkovic of Chatsworth browsed through the aisles of the new Pontiac Dollar Tree, seeing all the store had to offer.

“They do have a lot of stuff, and it’s not just all generic products — they have brand names too,” she said. “And, it’s amazing that it’s all for a dollar or less.”

The store opened this week at 1620 W. Reynolds St., and offers items including utensils, toys and holiday/seasonal merchandise. It has benefited from traffic at the nearby Pontiac Super Wal-Mart, said store manager Nichole Grohler.

“A manager from Wal-Mart came in and we both agreed that all of the businesses surrounding the location would be a better pull for everybody,” she said. “I can’t wait until the other stores open. The more businesses we have, the better business will be.”

Clothing retailer Maurices and phone service providers AT&T and Illinois Valley Cellular also plan to open in the area within the next month.

Having a Wal-Mart nearby and established Dollar General in town might raise some concerns about too much competition, but none of the businesses seem worried.

“They might hurt our sales for a little while but … I don’t think that they are going to run us out of town,” said Teresa Brown, Dollar General assistant store manager. “I think we have some pretty loyal customers.”

Brown said that Dollar General has a range of products such as clothing, food and medicine, at varying prices, while Dollar Tree spokeswoman Shelly Davis said its niche is centered on offering products for no more than a dollar.

“Dollar Tree is built on a price point, not any particular product,” Davis said.

Dollar Tree store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.