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GREENSBORO — When Angela Blackwell heard about the Downtown Dollar discount store opening, she was thrilled.

“They will do real good here because it’s the only ... convenience store in this area that has the prices that they have,” the downtown resident said after making a purchase at the store at 230-A S. Elm St.

The store’s owners believe offering a range of inexpensive items in economic tough times is a formula for success. Their first store, which opened in Winston-Salem less than a year ago, is thriving.

Inside the store, which is near Triad Stage, 70 percent of its inventory is $1.

Nothing is more than about $2.50.

The store is filled with groceries, household goods, greeting cards, Halloween decorations, birthday and office supplies, soft drinks, hardware, medicine and toiletries.

You also can have a seat on a red bar stool and surf the Internet on one of the store’s computers over a cup of coffee.

That service is free, at least for now.

The coffee? A buck.

The store also has fax, copy and printing services, a DVD rental kiosk and a bill payment center.

Business has been good since the store opened a few weeks ago.

“Things have been going great,” said Lynwood Ebron II, 24, co-owner and general manager.

Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 333-5504.

Big discount on plants

If you’re looking to spruce up your home with plants as the holidays approach, a Greensboro store is having a big plant sale this week.

Twice a year, Plants and Answers/Big Greenhouse (3600 Spring Garden St.; 852-4451) furnishes plants for the High Point Market.

When the furniture market is over, the store sells the plants at big discounts.

Tractor-trailer loads of plants and indoor trees (2 to 12 feet tall) will start to arrive at the Greensboro store Friday, a day after the furniture market closes.

On Friday, you can preview what will be for sale from 2 to 5 p.m.

The sale takes place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with items marked down by 50 to 70 percent.

Other items for sale include tabletop and hanging plants, baskets and containers.

By the way, Plants and Answers recently was named best florist in Go Triad’s Readers’ Choice Awards.

Free kids’ concert

The Greensboro-based children’s pop band Big Bang Boom will perform today at Four Seasons Town Centre as part of the mall’s “family fun” events.

The free concert takes place from 3 to 5 p.m.

Band members include Chuck Folds, who is the younger brother of piano rocker Ben Folds.

Mack and Mack sale

Buy a tunic at Mack and Mack (220 S. Elm St., 275-6225) and get a pair of pants at half-price in October.

The offer also applies to special orders.

New luggage, gift shop

Mori Luggage & Gifts (297-9756) recently opened at The Shops at Friendly Center.

The 3,700-square-foot store is next to Lane Bryant.

This is the Atlanta-based company’s second store in North Carolina.

Italian shoes for sale

Lillo Bella (507 State St., Greensboro; 275-7645) recently received a shipment of Thierry Rabotin shoes from Italy.

The store is in the State Street Station shopping village, which is between North Elm and Church streets north of downtown Greensboro.

October sale on denim

The Salvation Army Select store in Greensboro (3610-H N. Elm St., 235-2662) is having a special sale this month on designer denim that it received from Cone Mills.

Designer bag sale

Sylvia’s Outlet (4654 U.S. 29, Greensboro; 621-6466) has received handbags from designers that include Makowsky and Tignanello.

A few have slight imperfections with prices as low as $25.

The store also is having a 15 percent off sale, which is ongoing.

Gap closing stores

Gap Inc., which runs the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic chains, plans to close 189 locations in the U.S. by the end of 2013.

The company hadn’t specified which stores were closing as of my column’s deadline.

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Contact Mike Fuchs at 484-1175 or michael.fuchs@news-record.com