Dubai: A new shop has just opened its doors in Dubai and it is introducing to consumers a non-traditional way to make purchases – buying in bulk.

Purchasing goods in bigger quantities has been considered a great way to save money. By buying more at once, say, dozens of soap bars or a box of shampoo bottles, it is believed that people get to spend 50 per cent less on an item than buying at a standard retail store.

This concept has been popularised by big-box stores like Costco in the United States and warehouse clubs in other markets. And for the first time in the UAE, personal shoppers can test the concept, with the opening of Surplus Stores on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road.

The store has a no-frills format, with boxes of goods stacked up high like what people would see in a warehouse, offering a range of merchandise at wholesale prices, from home décor, kitchenware, electronic items, home furnishings and building materials.

So far, there are no food items and garments, yet but sales staff said these may be offered later as the shop expands.

“This is set up unlike any other store, where you can buy items on a wholesale basis and get to enjoy the best prices,” Ara Jay Ong, customer service assistant, told Gulf News. “Shoppers can buy items like a box of four pieces of toasters for Dh125, a box of power banks or some comforter sets.”

“We guarantee the best prices on items. All these to inspire trust and to build confidence with our buyers and make their experience beyond wholesale”, said Pankaj Kumar, general manager of Surplus Stores.

The store had a soft opening in September and was announced to the media only on Sunday, but it has already attracted a number of customers. “We’ve had many shoppers from all over the UAE, Oman and Abu Dhabi,” said Ong.

Another uniqueness of the Surplus Stores is that it makes wholesale buying practical for either personal or business. “With a minimum buy of one carton, you can easily buy for household or for your business and save money and time,” the company said in a statement.

Surplus Stores’ flagship outlet is in Nad Al Hamar, Dubai, UAE. It is open from Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 6pm.

The company also sells products for a number of industries such as educational institutions, building contractors, hotels and restaurants, traders and retailers and so much more. Surplus Stores also offers delivery in UAE and assistance for export to other countries.