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No mega bucks here

Nothing costs more than Rs. 99 at the Dollar Store which opened in Mangalore recently

VALUE FOR MONEY The store is part of a nationwide chain

From cookies, chocolates and health drinks to kitchen appliances and beauty products... a wide range of products are on the racks of the Dollar Store. Lights are bright, and the music, chirpy. Sounds like a typical department store? There is just a slight difference here. No product costs more than Rs. 99.

Located in the basement of the Empire Mall in Mangalore, My Dollar Store is a part of a nationwide chain. All the products at the store are imported from the U.S. There are 40 `Dollar Stores' across the nation according to Anup Shukla, Manager, Imports. The first outlet was set up in Mumbai in 2004. Sankalp Retail Value Store Private Limited runs the chain in India as a franchise of the U.S.-based store. The stores aim to provide value for money and an international shopping experience.

The store in the city was set up on May 31, said Shankar, in charge of the Mangalore outlet. So far, the response has been excellent. Butter cookies and energy drinks are the products that sell the most, he said. Once the Empire Mall is fully open, business is expected to improve further. Another outlet is expected to come up at Bharath Mall here in mid-August.

Customer speak

Curiosity seems to bring in many customers. Shailaja, a homemaker, decided to check out the store when she heard that everything cost Rs. 99. . Aravind, a student who has been to the Dollar Store in Chennai, said: "It is nice to have the store in Mangalore."

Dollar Store is at Empire Mega Mall, G-25 to G-28, M.G. Road. It can be contacted on 4275239.

SAVITHA SURESH PRABHU

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