Affordable Presents Gifts at General, Discount and Variety Stores

Americans turn to their general and discount stores for everyday essentials. But especially around holidays and occasions, people are also shopping at these stores for gifts: fancy foods, fussy soaps, and all manner of housewares.

“Everyone’s just looking to save money,” observed David Gorham , owner of Mr. G’s Liquidation Centers, which operates three Super Stores in New Hampshire and one in Vermont. With inflation, Gorham explained, “prices are going up every day. There’s a huge demand for anything at a discount.”

Fortunately, Gorham gets holiday merchandise nearly a year in advance — and he put it out a month earlier than usual this year, ready for bargain conscious holiday shoppers. The four Mr. G’s locations, each between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet, feature a constantly updated array of off-price and salvage merchandise, some of it from major brands.

This year, apparel has been a hot seller for gifts as well as personal use. “People come in because they never know what they’re going to see here,” Gorham explained. “We’ve got everything from tools and toys to gifts and housewares.”

General, discount and variety stores often claim to carry just about everything. But many do have a particular angle, from name brands to local or imported specialties.

Take Ernie’s General Store in Stockton, Calif. For more than 40 years, the 5,500-square-foot store has been a destination for lovers of Italian delicacies and fine liquors. Owner Ernie Giannecchini , who is of Italian descent, claims to have “the best deli west of Italy,” with everything from prepared chicken parmigiana and stuffed zucchini flowers to prosecco and gelato.

Toward the holidays, best-selling gifts include panettone — a traditional Italian Christmas bread — in flavors like pumpkin. Giannechini also does a brisk business in customized gift baskets, which range from $30 to $150.

Ernie’s selection of bourbons and tequilas also attracts gift givers: “Bourbon lovers, they don’t mind spending $100 or more for a bottle,”

Giannecchini explained. Favorites include novelty tequila bottles shaped like dragons, cougars, horses or guns, which can be displayed long after the contents are consumed.

Unsurprisingly, drinkware is also a top category; Giannecchini said his blown European glassware in onyx and alabaster “makes beautiful gifts.” Demand for his most popular items remain strong, especially toward the holidays, but “sales still aren’t where they used to be before the pandemic,” the retailer observed.

At Zeb’s General Store in North Conway, N.H., regional products are the specialty. “We have a soap room, which is very popular, with all small vendors from across New England,” said Assistant Manager Brenda Gillette . Best-selling gifts include homemade bath bombs, foot soaks and lotions from a Rhode

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