Queensland discounter Silly Solly’s set to open first store south of the border in Lismore

Familiar red and yellow colours of Silly Solly’s makes a splash in downtown Lismore CBD.

Silly Solly's first store on the Northern Rivers will open in Keen Street, Lismore next week.

The familiar red and yellow livery of Queensland's number one discount retail giant Silly Solly's is a dead giveaway its first Northern Rivers store is set to open in Lismore next week.

The retailer, which prides itself on having 10,000 items and nothing over $5, will open up in Keen Street in the former Blockbuster Video store on Wednesday, March 24 at 9am.

It's believed to be Silly Solly's first foray into the NSW market, but there are already high hopes they will move into Ballina and Grafton next.

The chain store was founded 30 odd years ago by Rockhampton man Solly Stanton, who is still a key figurehead and spokesman for the group.

Mr Stanton told us more than two years ago he wanted the franchise to branch out south of the border and now that dream is set to become a reality.

 

Silly Solly's first store on the Northern Rivers will open next week in Keen St, Lismore

 

"Two years has been a long time coming, COVID slowed us down," Mr Stanton.

"This is the first of our stores heading into NSW and it is a big thing because we are Queensland's number one discounter and soon we want to be Australia's number one discounter."

He said opening a store in Lismore would be perfect for customers who were "sick of the doom and gloom" and just wanted to save money and "live better".

 

Silly Solly's first store on the Northern Rivers, opens next week in Lismore

 

"Lismore people are just salt of the earth and we have been battling there for two years to find the right location," Mr Stanton said.

Unlike many other retailers who have been impacted by the pandemic, Silly Solly's has been trading well, especially in basic household products.

"We have been going gangbusters, we have been going very good," Mr Stanton said.

"We are a shopping destination and people know when they come to our stores they will be making big savings.

"We are providing a retail revolution during a recession and pandemic which has never really happened before."