# The End is Nigh: 99 Cent Only Stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818 "2015-03-23T22:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/1 "2015-03-23T22:06:26Z")
Now sell items that are more than .99. I don't mean the .9999 items, I mean they had $1.99 and $3.99 items. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT AND MUST BE STOPPED. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/2 "2015-03-23T22:16:37Z")
I’ll alert the local five-and-dime. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/3 "2015-03-23T23:50:47Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’ll alert the local five-and-dime. They’ll soon be back again, but this time as $Five & $Tens of course. We already have 5 and Below of course. It is getting to the point where most small Dollar/.99¢ stores in NJ have folded leaving only the large national changes with lots of buying power as it is getting too tough to produce items that you can make a profit off of selling for a dollar. The dollar stores will last longer in cheaper states but I’m guessing they will disappear from the North East within a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/4 "2015-03-23T23:59:46Z")
Japan has [100 Yen Shops](http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2077.html). (100 yen right now is 84 US cents.) They’re fun to look through. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/5 "2015-03-24T00:10:21Z")
I blame it on Larry, Darryl, and Darryl ----- once they raised the price of their business, you just had to know this was coming. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/6 "2015-03-24T00:18:50Z")
I welcome the change, to a degree. To keep it at $1, the quality of stuff has to decline. I’ve noticed that stuff I used to get at dollar stores ten years ago isn’t really available or replaced with cheaper, flimsier, smaller versions. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/7 "2015-03-24T14:37:17Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I welcome the change, to a degree. To keep it at $1, the quality of stuff has to decline. I’ve noticed that stuff I used to get at dollar stores ten years ago isn’t really available or replaced with cheaper, flimsier, smaller versions. Yea. A dollar store that sells everything for a dollar made more sense 25 years ago. The equivalent of a dollar in 1980 is $2.85 today. You could sell a lot better stuff if it was the “$2.85 store.” ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/8 "2015-03-24T14:49:56Z")
In the UK recently, Poundland bought out rival chain 99p Stores. This is expected to precipitate events similar to the great riots of 1788, when Guinealand bought out their rivals; 19 Shilling Stores\* \*Apologies to DrSamuelJohnson on Twitter. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/9 "2015-03-24T15:14:37Z")
They just change the name and carry on. **Fiver Below** sells stuff $5 and under. There’s a $10 and under clothing store near me. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/10 "2015-03-24T15:50:34Z")
Dollarama in Canada sells stuff from $1 to $3. They’re great stores to get a lot of merchandise from; I’m not kidding! In the last two years the stock has gone from $30 to $65 and they now have over 900 stores in Canada. A real success story and I have no idea how some of these things cost so little. Sure, made in China, etc. but good enough quality. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/11 "2015-03-24T16:48:23Z")
Even freedom costs a buck o’five. Yeah, freedom costs a buck o’five. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/12 "2015-03-24T18:34:05Z")
I instituted a reward program for our kids a while back, one of the rewards they can earn is a trip to the dollar store to pick out a toy (They pull slips of paper out of the “rewards bag”). Note that when I included that slip of paper, I hadn’t actually been in a dollar store for at least 10 years. So two weeks ago I took the Sprout to the “dollar store” and of course he picked out a toy that was $16. Not cool, dollar store, not cool. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/13 "2015-03-25T01:38:56Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Even freedom costs a buck o’five. > Yeah, freedom costs a buck o’five. Nah, you need about 'tree 'fiddie… ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/14 "2015-03-25T01:58:23Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I welcome the change, to a degree. To keep it at $1, the quality of stuff has to decline. I’ve noticed that stuff I used to get at dollar stores ten years ago isn’t really available or replaced with cheaper, flimsier, smaller versions. You know those 6-packs of ramen noodles? They’re 5-packs now. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/15 "2015-03-25T07:38:17Z")
In Aus, they used to be called $2 Shops. Even though they’ve changed their names, I still call them the $2 Shop. But you can’t buy anything there now for $2. I share the pain of the OP, and decry the loss of our cheapskate culture. PEASANTS UNITE! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/16 "2015-03-25T11:54:21Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I welcome the change, to a degree. To keep it at $1, the quality of stuff has to decline. I’ve noticed that stuff I used to get at dollar stores ten years ago isn’t really available or replaced with cheaper, flimsier, smaller versions. In my area there are true dollar stores and their are dollar stores that charge multiple dollars for items. There is also a new $‘5 and under store’. In my experience the true dollar stores, even with some decline in quality, actually have a amazing selection and some very good buys. The multiple of dollar stores have items that the dollar store could not justify but because they can set their own pricing the value is far less. The $5 and under store has items priced up to, but not over $5 and seems to have some pretty good value. So in conclusion to me the really good ones have a max price cap, everything else is just a regular store that is just trying to have the illusion of the value of the other. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/17 "2015-03-25T12:54:15Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > You know those 6-packs of ramen noodles? They’re 5-packs now. :rolleyes: Oh, don’t get me started. I’ve noticed that cereal boxes have gotten thinner in recent years. My son like Toaster Scrambles (like a Toaster Strudel, but with egg & other breakfast-y stuff). They used to come 6 to a box; now they come 4 to a box, for the same price. It’s basically hidden inflation, because you’re spending the same amount of money, but getting less for it. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/18 "2015-03-25T16:51:36Z")
I was surprised to see the Dollar Movie houses only cost $2 here (with some having one day a week of $1). I would have guessed they ran about $5 or more nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/19 "2015-03-26T00:19:16Z")
I was in a 99 Cent store (a long time ago) standing in the checkout line. A guy was calling out over my head to a clerk a few rows away: Holding up an item, “How much is this?” 99 cents, she says. “How much is this?” 99 cents she says. “How much is this one?” 99 cents - they’re all 99 cents. “How much is this one?”:smack: ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818/20 "2015-03-26T06:06:21Z")
There is just no way to sell wine for 99 cents anymore. The convenience of getting wine with your 99 cent items is so hard to beat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-is-nigh-99-cent-only-stores/715818.md?page=2)