The first Ollie's Bargain Outlet store was born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania on July 29, 1982 to its four founding fathers: Mark Butler, Mort Bernstein, Oliver “Ollie” Rosenberg, and Harry Coverman. The second location opened soon after in Harrisburg on October of 1982 as Ollie's annex, but was such a huge success it was soon named Ollie's "East". The concept continued to grow and "Good Stuff Cheap" became a part of the Central Pennsylvania landscape.
Ollie’s is now the Mid-Atlantic’s largest retailer of closeout, surplus, and salvage merchandise. The chain currently operates 113 stores in 12 states. Most recently, the community of Columbia, SC embraced the addition of an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.
After 30 years, Ollie's buyers are still scouring the globe for bargains to bring back to their loyal customers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. |
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From left to right: Harry Coverman, Mort Bernstein, Mark Butler, and Oliver "Ollie” Rosenberg, the great original “Ollie”. |