Has been more successful with his U.S. holding, discount food chain Trader Joe's, whose 340 stores have attracted cost-conscious customers during the recession.
While electronics stores had attracted shoppers, almost all of them were there for the bargain prices.
Mr. David said that signings at comic stores have attracted women who "didn't even know comic book stores existed".
Although dollar stores have attracted higher-income customers in recent years, the fallout of the nation's economic downturn is still especially evident in the aisles of these low-cost stores during the holidays.
The owner, Alan Tobias, said that in recent years the Times Square store had attracted more customers -- tourists as well as residents -- which allowed him to expand eastward.
The history of those last three genres can actually be traced, just by walking up Prospect Avenue, starting at Samuel Gompers High School (where Grandmaster Flash got his start), past Casa Amadeo (where Mike Amadeo still presides over a music store that has attracted generations of Latin artists), and into Morrisania (where vocal groups once harmonized on street corners and stairwells).
By filling its 662 stores with liquidated lots of ritzy brands KitchenAid mixers, Henckel knives, Calphalon pots and charging less than half of department store prices, Tuesday Morning has attracted a cult of shoppers.
In the last 16 months, Booksense has attracted 1,154 stores across the country to its offline program.
Forty Five Ten, 4510 McKinney Avenue, (214) 559-4510, www.fortyfiveten.com, is the other major source for high-end goods, with a beautiful 9,000-square-foot 9,000-square-foot 9,000-square-foot a clientele from Oprah Winfrey to Gwyneth Paltrow to Laura Bustorence it opened in 2000.
