The Best Discount Chain Store In Manhattan (That You May Not Know About)

Little things make me happy: free shipping, no tax, and half off of Diane B. shoes, for example. I got misty when Costco and Target opened in Manhattan. But I stopped short when I came upon Lot-Less Closeouts—a discount chain with stores in New Jersey and the four boroughs (sorry, Brooklyn).

In addition to the standard dollar store fare that you buy because it’s cheap (whether you need it or not), Lot-Less carries men and women’s clothing, name-brand workout duds, toys, home goods, snacks, composition books, and electronics to accommodate even the tightest budget.

My first visit to the Lower East Side outpost in June netted two shopping bags full of loot: Champion back-snap sports bras (usually more than $36 each, going for less than $10), women’s Russell Athletic shirts for $5 (when priced at least $12, even on the steepest of discount racks elsewhere), $10 New Balance running tights (usually priced at $30 to $45, depending on where you shop) and a $20 Kenneth Cole bathing suit. My total bill? Less than $65.

Granted, sizes were limited but probably better than the selection available on the last day of a clearance at Macy’s before the holidays.

As any veteran bargain shopper knows, amazing discount stores are like any other infatuation. The first time you meet is like fireworks; the next time…meh. Since good selection is a gift, not a guarantee, and variety varies by the day, I assumed my early summer windfall at Lot-Less was a karmic reward for all the times I’d had to pay $5 for toothpaste.

But my September visit to the outpost at 80 Clinton Street was just as great—Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal for $2.99 ($7.33 on Amazon), 300-count Wamsutta queen sheets for $29.99, a down and feather comforter for $59.99, jaunty Spiegel swing jackets were a deal at $15, a New Balance racer back tank top for $4.99, a four-pronged USB port hub for $4, and a $36 Lucky Brand pink T-shirt that was marked at a measly $7.99. Plus, $50 retail Madden Girl Sookie shoes that, realistically, go for $30 at discount stores and online—Lot-Less had them for $5.99 (per pair!). I’m not coordinated enough to wear them, but I wanted to buy them for the sheer deal.

Having lived in Manhattan for almost a decade, I’ve come to realize that a “dollar store” here simply refers to the multiples of dollars a consumer will pay. I get it—pricey real estate, expensive labor, high transportation costs blah, blah, blah—but the price just doesn’t feel right.

While Lot-Less is a local gem I just happened across one day, it truly helps with the challenge of clothing, entertaining, and sustaining your family for a reasonable sum. And what’s more in keeping with Le$$er Parenting than that?

A business reporter who has written for The New York Times, TIME magazine, The Associated Press, Advertising Age, and other publications, Hillary Chura now spends most of her time ferrying children to and from school, desperately wanting to nap, and tirelessly trying to parent for le$$ in New York City. She was reared in North Carolina and currently lives in on the Upper East Side with three boys–her husband and their two sons. Hillary gets most excited when she finds Southern prices in Manhattan stores.

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