Oct 9, 2009

Shop Around: Different twist on a dollar shopBy TheState.com

Donna Freeman had always dreamed of opening a high-end boutique. But because of the stale economy, she opened an upscale dollar store instead.

Freeman specializes in low-cost gift baskets that she puts together with items from throughout her store – which range in price from less than $1 to $5.

The baskets usually range in price from $11 to $15, including the basket and all the trimmings. Freeman puts them together for free.

She makes baskets for a variety of occasions, including birthdays, weddings, holidays, housewarming gifts, thank-yous and I’m sorrys.

They come with gourmet lemon cookies, coffee mugs, candles and picture frames or whatever the customer chooses.

“I wanted to find a niche,” said Freeman, a former state government lobbyist. A friend gave her the idea by going to a dollar store and making up her own gift basket.

“I said, ‘I can do that. I’ve been doing that forever,'” Freeman said.

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