Had you the ingenuity of, say, a Michael Jackson, you could have made do with one, saved the better part of a dollar, and retired rich. Or dead, as the case may be.
They were thinking of raising prices on some items to over $1 around this time last year. The 99/100th of a cent raise was the solution they came up with in September '08 so they could stick with their name and slogan. It’s slightly weaselly but still basically retains the spirit of the brand name. It’s amazing they’ve even been able to keep their business model for so long. I can’t imagine it lasting much longer before they have to become the $1.50 store.
To those saying they haven’t heard of a 99-cent store, but they have heard of dollar stores: we are talking about a specific chain. It’s called “99 Cents Only” and is very common in California and the southwest (specifically, California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas are where they have locations).
Or you could just read the big-ass sign that’s been on the door since last September, when they announced the price hike.
The 99.99 is the advertised price, as you can see if you take a look at a flyer
And they do round down if you buy enough. Last month, they got ahold of the discontinued Ben and Jerry’s flavor Vermonty Python. Those little chocolate cows are soooo goood. It’s better than frozen crack to me, and I bought 60 pints. (When it’s gone, it’s gone). Only cost me $59.99. And I’ve only got 23 pints left. And there’s none left in any of the stores. What do I do next month? I need my Vermonty Python, dammit!!!
And we have many 99p and £1 stores in the UK. In mainland Europe I have seen quite a few €1 stores, including Hungary where they don’t even use the Euro.
This guy shows you how to cook with stuff from 99¢ Only stores…with mixed results.
There’s a CD store here which has ‘bargain bins’, that often have the sign on top saying “From UNDER $5!”. That sure covers a lot of ground 
We just bought a container at our County Fair. Tupperware itself doesn’t have stores, but it is okay for reps to set up booths. Discovery Toys, which worked on a similar model, were sometimes sold at booths like this also.
[HIJACK] Ya know … I come here to escape my reality, not be reminded of it!
The “99¢ DEPOT” directly across from the “DUNKIN’ DONUTS” from which I have literally bought thousands of cups of coffee, across the street and two blocks away from the “SUBWAY” where I spent way, way, way, too many nights helping close the store and above which I lived for 2+ years.
There is no escape from the past. [/HIJACK]
CMC fnord!
I heard they have 100-yen stores in Japan.
LOL That is too funny. I love the un-clarity of it. It reminds me of *the Simpsons *when Bart reads a book called Don’t Do What Danny Dont Does.
I don’t think that’s true anymore. I think they sell it at Target now.
You’ll go through 23 pints in a month?
Funny, I go by there all the time. The White Castle a block over is my regular after-drinking spot. I grew up on the bagels from Snoopy’s. I don’t usually go into the DD, but I did a couple of months ago. This hot Polish girl behind the counter was wearing a “I Hate Starbucks” shirt, which I offered to buy from her. She told me she would just give it to me once the promotion was over. I still have to go back there and ask her for it. Apologies to everyone for the hijack.
If it doesnt’ say “Everything for a dollar” it’s not. We have a 99 cent City here that charges everything to the .99 - i.e., $4.99, or whatever. Gotta be careful.
I didn’t want to let this gem go by unremarked on. So - very nice!
You are not alone.
You didn’t actually think it’d be that easy, did you?
There is no law linking the price of merchandise to the name of the store. That darn Penny’s store is such a fraud don’t you know.
I thought the truth about 99 cent stores was that they charge you 99 cents for a can of beans you could buy at Ralph’s for 49 cents.
I saw a store in China called “A Yuan or Two”.
That was, at the time, 12 cents or 24 cents.
I bought a basket for kids to place their homework assignments. It broke the next day.
I wish, wish, wish, I had taken a photo of the store sign.
Oh, and stop whining about the extra penny! Read up on Uganda or Darfur and *then *complain!