Bargain Hunters Delight at Willimantic Plaza in Willimantic, CT

A variety of retailers can be found at the Willimantic Plaza located off Route 32, also known as West Main Street, in Willimantic, CT.

The center is located in northeastern Connecticut, also known as The Quiet Corner.

The outdoor strip center was originally anchored by a J.C. Penney Department Store and Shop Rite Supermarket.

Shop Rite subsequently closed their store and it is now home to a 30,336 square foot Ocean State Job Lot (unit #20), note the front automatic doors quite
convenient for those with shopping carts and usually installed in front of every supermarket.

Ocean State Job Lot is a chain of 85 stores with locations in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, according to their Web site.

This store is one of the cleanest and largest in the chain offering a variety of bargains ranging from holiday merchandise to food to audio/video accessories and even a limited line of clothing.

I remember that J.C. Penney moved into the East Brook Mall in Mansfield occupying the former Sage-Allen Department Store, probably sometime in the late 1990's.

Their small building at the Willimantic Plaza was raised to make room for a larger 68,160 square foot BJ's Wholesale Club (unit #100).

While this BJ's is somewhat small compared to others in the chain, it is large enough to have a tire and lube center, Verizon Wireless store, custom-built sheds, BJsVacation.com kiosk, BJ's Propane, BJ's Logo Shop, BJ's Home Improvement, BJ's Auto Buying Program, and an ATM, according to the BJ's Wholesale Club Web site.

The store does not have its own gas station or mini food court like larger stores, the Web site reports.

BJ's sells most merchandise in bulk and requires being a member of their club in order to shop there but anyone can walk inside and browse the store.

According to Edens and Avant Web site, the company that owns and operates the shopping center, between BJ's and Ocean State Job Lot, there is a 1,230 square foot UPS Store (unit #90), a 3,150 square foot Peking House Chinese Restaurant (unit #80), a 4,590 square foot Rent-A-Center (unit #70), a 4,500 square foot Super Washing Well Laundromat (unit #60), available vacant retail space of 1,350 square feet (unit #50), a 1,440 square foot Verizon Wireless store (unit #40), and a 1,620 square foot Subway (unit #30).

Unit #50 and #60 was the former home of a Bonaza Restaurant with buffet bar, a delicious restaurant I remember eating at when I was a child.

Directly next to Ocean State Job Lot is a 6,400 square foot Family Dollar discount store (unit #10), quite small for the 6,400 store chain which typically has stores between 7,500 and 9,500 square feet, according to the Family Dollar Web site.

The chain has locations in 44 states and most of its items are less than $10.

While the name has the word "dollar", not everything is a dollar; it resembles a small discount store.

Their departments include health and beauty aids, automotive, food and candy, housewares, paper, hardware and paint, pets, home cleaning aids, laundry and storage, domestics, picture frames, mens/boys/girls/infants apparel and shoes, ladies/plus sizes/socks/lingerie, and home cleaning aids.

With the closing of Benny's in downtown Willimantic, which the Willimantic Chronicle reported, Ocean State Job Lot and Family Dollar are two of the only surviving discount stores and compete against the large Wal-Mart Super Center only a few miles away on Route 6 in North Windham.

The shopping center includes two outparcels, a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant (unit #110) with a dining room overlooking Route 32 and drive-thru and a 2,800 square foot Bank of America (unit #120) with drive through.

For a small shopping center, there are plenty of places to eat with Subway, KFC, Peking House, and a Dunkin' Donuts with drive through, in a former Donut Hole store, which is within walking distance.

The shopping center is located near the Willimantic U.S. Route 6 Expressway, so dubbed because the four-lane highway segment is only 5 miles long and acts as a bypass to downtown Willimantic.

If accessing the shopping center from Route 6 use the unnumbered exit marked "Route 32: Stafford Springs/Willimantic"

The center is frequented by students at nearby Eastern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut.