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A full parking lot at the Farmington Hills store.

No Shabbat Sales

At Amazing
Savings,
household
items are dirt
cheap. But on
Saturday, the
store is closed.

KIMBERLY LIFTON

STAFF WRITER

am Friedland offers a
simple explanation for
the immediate success
of his five-year-old
chain of Amazing Savings
retail outlets.
"We have faith in God,"
said Mr. Friedland, of Mon-
sey, N.Y., who founded the
growing national chain of
quality closeout items. "We
feel that 99 percent of our
success comes from God and
1 percent is luck. And we
are not really sure about
that 1 percent."
In September, Mr. Fried-
land and Jerry Hoffnung
took their New York-based
retail outfit to Farmington
Hills, Mich. They brought on
board as partners in the
Farmington Hills venture
attorney Paul Swanson and
three Jewishly-observant
partners.
Bargain shoppers took
immediately to the store —
on Orchard Lake Road, just
south of 14 Mile Road —
thought to be the only area
retail outfit closed on Shab-

S

bat and other Jewish holi-
days that does not cater ex-
clusively to the Jewish
community.
It is not really a bargain
basement because the
store's emphasis is dis-
counted quality products,
not second-hand products.
The store is divided by
sections: Among them are
toys, gifts, household items
and stationery. The store is
modest — bare walls, no fan-
cy product containers, stark
white aisles. Such decor,
owners suggest, helps to
keep overhead costs down.
Rarely are items repeat-
ed week to week. They usu-
ally are dirt cheap —
one-third to one-tenth the
regular price. On the aver-
age, 30 new items are
stocked on store shelves
each week.
"Business is booming,"
Mr. Swanson said. "It's hard
to keep items on the
shelves."
No wonder. The prices are
below wholesale.

chain, which he says helps
One week, the store
him find better deals.
stocked 52-piece sets of dish-
"I only buy quality close-
es, silverware, glasses and
outs because the customer
cups for $29, down from $70.
wants better goods," Mr.
Also available was a four-
Friedland said. "The public
piece setting of Mikasa chi-
is overwhelmed by the
na for $49, down from $179;
prices being so low."
Totes slipper socks for $1.99,
down from $10;
Wallace silver plat-1
ed flatware for $99, I
down from $240;
and Mikasa French
banquet platters for
$10.99, down from
$32.99.
But if you see it,
and you want it
you'd better buy it.
Next week, "it
might be here, or it .2
might not," Mr.
Swanson said.
At Amazing Sav-
ings, shipments ar-
rive daily. Markups
are low because cost
to buy closeout
products also are
low. Mr. Friedland
does all buying for 111011k-
eight store Paul Swanson holds wrapping paper, party plates,
the

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office supplies and stuffed animals.

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