The paper in the windows has finally come down: Prime Essentials‘ first store, at 88 Leonard (and Broadway), will open this afternoon.

From left: Josh Rahmani and Ebi Khalili (my good camera is still in the shop, so please bear in mind that Prime Essentials looks even better than in these photos)

I got a tour just now from CEO Josh Rahmani. The store is somewhat hard to categorize—it’s a little Macy’s, a little Bed Bath & Beyond, a little Duane Reade, a little Whole Foods, a little corner deli. Rahmani likes it that way: “We want to be the new, cool, hip store that’s all over Manhattan,” he said. The space, which is around 7,500 square feet, certainly feels like a breath of fresh air, thanks to the corner location and the windows that haven’t been blocked over with product. The aisles are awash in natural light, complimented by industrial-style fixtures high overhead. The dominant color is a bright spring green.

As we walked down the aisles, I compiled a list of the types of goods being sold: housewares, linens, appliances, stationery, home electronics, hardware, toys, cleaning supplies, pet supplies, candles, food (not just snacks but refrigerated and frozen food, as well as organic fruit), baby gear, cosmetics, drugstore items…. “We’re sticking to basics everybody needs,” explained Rahmani, who recently moved to FiDi. “Everybody needs an iron, a toaster, a coffee maker.”

Rahmani, who grew up in retail before getting into real-estate development, made for an engaging tour guide. He had two main themes: One is that Prime Essentials carries a mix of quality brands and generics, “but these are good generics.” The store sells Tide stain-remover pens for around $4, for instance, as well as a generic for 99¢. “And the generic one is better!” he said. “I used it yesterday! Something with the tip—it’s more efficient.” The second theme—touched on in the above anecdote—is that Prime Essentials’ prices are highly competitive. One of the partners is a distributor, so the mark-up is lower than at other stores. (Another unnamed partner brings the experience of having had a chain of 150 stores.)

A lot of the merchandise was added after locals requested it: ASPCA brand pet goods; Method cleaning supplies; bulk items such as diapers, paper towels, and toilet paper; stationery supplies; aluminum pans; the BabyGanics and PawGanics lines. “We expanded the refrigerated section because we got so many requests for cold cuts and prepared meals,” said Rahmani. “We didn’t even have freezers before.” Then he went on to extol the virtues of one of the frozen pizzas.

The finishing touches were still being applied. The pharmacy, meanwhile won’t open for a few weeks. Rahmani interviewed a ton of people: “Our pharmacist really stood out. She’s very personable.” Also in the works is the rewards program, which includes extra benefits for people who live in the area. The store is taking applications now; materials will be mailed.

Beyond that, what does the future hold for Prime Essentials? “We’re looking at a space on the Upper East Side, and one in Midtown, on Madison. I only want to be in new buildings, and on the corner.”

As the tour was winding up, I managed to get Rahmani and one of his partners, Ebi Khalili (who lives in 88 Leonard, if I understood correctly), to pose for a photo. Then Rahmani asked for my honest opinion about the store: “Everyone comes in and says it looks great. Tell me what you think.”

I said that Prime Essentials seems to do an admirable job of appealing to brand-sensitive people who live here and the price-sensitive people who work here. And the shopping experience is absolutely lovelier than at Duane Reade; I never want to go downstairs if I can avoid it. Ultimately, however, the big way to differentiate is to have staff that’s friendly and helpful—there are too many stores I dread entering. Rahmani said that each store will have an office for someone to keep an eye on things.

“What about the bedding?” he asked. “Will anyone buy it?” I said I didn’t think so. “I agree. It’ll probably be on sale next week.” He paused. “I know we’re not going to get it right in the first store, on the first day. But we’ll get there, and we’ll do it by listening to what people want.”

Prime Essentials is at 88 Leonard (at Broadway), 212-941-7900; penyc.com.

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