Value a family venture for a dollar store

Nicola Voltaire and Lyonel Metayer are Lehigh Acres residents, in-laws and now business partners who hope to earn their way to a secure retirement with the help of a new value store they've opened at 1446 Lee Blvd.

"We wanted to keep it in the family," Metayer said. A third partner, Edith Pierre of Miami, is Voltaire's sister.

Their value store opened with the help of Buckstore Inc. about two weeks ago with most products selling for between 59 cents and $2.99.

"With the situation of the economy we figured a dollar store was the way to go. That's why we call it Spenless Dollar Store," Voltaire said.

Customers are attracted by the chance to find bargains, according to a 2006 report by Chain Store Guide. The Tampa-based publication is a subsidiary of Lebhar-Friedman Inc., publisher of such industry standards as Nation's Restaurant News, Chain Store Age and Retailing Today.

More than one-third of U.S. households visit a value store once a month and they come from all economic levels, the report said.

Spenless buys from 25 or 30 vendors, but has hundreds of products on shelves and hanging from the walls.

Among the items one can buy are greeting cards, makeup, party supplies, over-the- counter medications, reading glasses and sunglasses, home decor products, helium balloons, snacks and candies, housewares and holiday decorations.

But in a special room in the back there are more sophisticated items to buy. Brightly colored vases painted by another relative are on display there. They sell for $19.99.

Voltaire and Metayer hope the store will give their retirement plans a boost and satisfy their desire to do something special.

"I want to retire next year. I wanted to do something on my own," said Voltaire, whose career was as a rehabilitation nurse.

"We've always talked about doing something in the family," said Metayer, who also works as a store manager on Palm Beach Boulevard for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

"Tell the people we are here to stay. We count on them," Metayer said.

"We are reliable and they can count on us. We try to give them a quality product at a discount price," Voltaire said.