Sheryl Huenster is a self-proclaimed dollar store addict. The Clifton mother of four makes the trip to several price fixe stores within a ten-mile radius of her white clapboard home two to three times a week.

“I’m an addict. I admit it. I can’t go more than a week without visiting the stores, unless I’m on vacation. You better believe that when I go to the Jersey Shore I know where all the stores are.” They’re in the Toms River area,” she laughed.

Years after the closure of Woolworth’s and other “Five and Dime” stores, dollar stores are filling the void by opening across the country, but seem almost ubiquitous in New Jersey. Many of the stores are operated by immigrants who have the ability to buy low-priced products abroad and ship them to the US to sell for a dollar a piece. Like Woolworth’s, dollar stores carry “miscellaneous” items like hairbrushes, small frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., the harder-to-find items that more upscale stores don’t.

Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee cups, staples, brushes, hand cream, glasses cases, candles, soap are some of the things Sheryl keeps an eye on. “Yesterday I found a syringe for my Thanksgiving turkey. I only use it once and then throw it away. It’s so much easier to replace a syringe than it is to try to clean the damn thing!”

Wayne’s Elise Brookings is another dollar store fanatic who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store at Hamburg Tpk. You have to come back often because stock changes all the time, once an item runs out you rarely see it again.” Elise navigates the aisles of the store with a shopping cart that quickly fills up with gift bags, wrapping paper, and what she calls stocking stuffers. “Playing cards, figurines, books, these are some of the items my kids will find in their socks this year. Most of the stocking stuffers will be things I find at this store; I’ll go to CVS for the candy, but for little more.”

Not all stores are successful. One store in Haledon and one in Paterson closed last year, while stores in neighboring cities have opened or expanded. Buyers will tell you that it’s not always the location, but the type of inventory being carried.

Bloomfield’s Jan Chavez is very selective in choosing which stores to visit. “I can tell almost immediately if a store is going to be a hit or not. If they sell items I could get at the Giants Stadium flea market, it won’t work. Too common and not worth it; I can find the same items at discount in my Supermarket”. The diminutive woman with a toddler in tow added: “When I visit dollar stores, I want a real bargain. It should be something that has sold for several times the original amount or still sells for much more than a dollar if it were sold for.” sell elsewhere.”

Store manager Pava, who works at one of the stores in the area, said the reason his store is so successful is that the store buyer travels all over the Far East and makes purchases directly. It may seem strange to send a shopper that far for items that sell for so little, but the store is making money, and rapidly changing inventory is what keeps customers coming back.

In fact, store owners count on buyers like Sheryl and Elise who make multiple visits to keep them. Pava added: “Nobody buys just one item, they buy in bulk. Just this morning a teacher came in and bought 26 toys. She plans to give them to each of her students for Christmas.”

If Sheryl, Elise, and Jan are outliers, then Pava’s store and others like theirs should be considered a great success. Judging by the lines at the three open registers and the available inventory, your store will likely be around for a long time. “We’re opening a second store next year in the Morristown area. It’ll be even bigger than this one,” Pava concluded as he excused himself to a nearby counter to help wrap the glass dishes he’d just bought.

With a full parking lot and employees constantly replenishing inventory, the successful dollar store will be a big part of the suburban scene for years to come. Woolworth’s may not just be gone, but soon forgotten.

This article originally appeared on Townstead.com, a defunct site run by Matt Keegan. It was part of his “Life in New Jersey” series of articles.