A day before its official opening, the bright new Ross store at South Mall in Salisbury Townhip launched a soft opening Friday.

The official opening was at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, according to South Mall General Manager Brian Molchany.

"It was highly anticipated," Molchany said. " We had so many calls as to when they would be opening."

The national chain, whose motto is "dress for less," sells discount clothing and merchandise. At 28,000 square feet, the new Ross store follows its latest prototype and is larger and brighter than its other stores. The store was built where the former Gold's Gym and a vacant space stood.

"It's really a nice presentation," Molchany said.

"People can get good bargains on nice merchandise. People are looking for that. And for households with a number of children, it's the type of store people are looking for," Molchany said.

Molchany said the new Ross complements the mix of stores at South Mall, including Stein Mart and The Bon-Ton.

"We're aggressively pursuing retailers in the area and hoping with the new influx of new and more customers to the property that it will spur our efforts even more."