Pictured, from left, are Sharon Bennett of Washington Prime Group; Andy Erie, Ollie’s district manager; Julie Bihler, Chautauqua Mall general manager; and Todd Polley, Ollie’s manager. P-J photo by Katrina Fuller

LAKEWOOD — Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has officially opened its doors in the village of Lakewood.

The opening of the store, which is located at the Chautauqua Mall, drew crowds looking for deals with numbers in the hundreds. District manager Andy Erie said the opening Thursday morning went exceedingly well.

“It’s been great,” Erie said. “Customers have been coming in — they love the building and they love the products we’re selling right now. It’s been really, really good.”

He said there were about 100 people lined up before the store opened, and several hundred had come in by mid-afternoon. Erie said he expected close to 1,000 customers to come through before the day ended.

Erie said quite a bit of work went into tailoring the space for the opening, including adding fixtures, steelwork and shelving. He said it was a 33-day process.

“We get about 13 or 14 truckloads during those 33 days just organizing and getting ready to go for our grand opening,” he said.

Erie said the store currently employs 60 people and will continue to do so throughout the Christmas season. Afterward, he said the number could fluctuate due to demand and other factors.

While the store is very popular, especially in the area, Erie encouraged anyone who is not familiar with the store to come and “check us out.” He said the range of products Ollie’s offers is impressive.

One of America’s largest retailers of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet offers name-brand merchandise at up to 70% off including food, cleaning supplies, personal care items, hardware, floor coverings, books and more.

“We have a lot of different products in our stores,” Erie said. “We have food, we have luggage, we have hardware – anything and everything you want, we probably have it. I would say a lot of our product is once we’re out, we’re out because we buy a lot of closeouts and stuff like that, so once it’s gone it may be gone. But, we always have a good variety.”

Todd Polley, store manager, said the grand opening is an exciting occasion for both the store staff, himself and the customers.

“I just think it’s great for the community,” Polley said.

Julie Bihler, Chautauqua Mall general manager, said the mall is thrilled to have Ollie’s on board.

“Our guests are always changing and evolving, and at Chautauqua Mall, we want to be able to offer them today’s top trends and shopping destinations,” Bihler said. “We are looking forward to welcoming guests to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet while keeping the health of shoppers our top priority and providing the safest experience possible.”

The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and will be open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store is located in the mall complex at 318 E. Fairmount Ave. in Lakewood.