Denitsa Yotova’s Weblog

(Pdphoto.org)

These days 99¢ Only Stores are popping like wild mushrooms after a spring rain. They offer a wide variety of products and one can pick up the family dinner for as low as a fews dollars. One of these stores is also located right here, in the UNLV neighborhood.

According to the 99¢ Only Stores website, as of Jan. 31, 2008, there are over 262 stores located in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas.

The retailer’s mission is,

“…to provide an exciting primary shopping destination for price-sensitive consumers, and a fun treasure-hunt shopping experience for other value conscious consumers. We are driven to accomplish this mission with a core strategy to offer only excellent values on a wide selection of quality food and basic household items with a focus on name brands and an exciting assortment of surprises, all for 99¢ or less!

 Merchandise encompasses a wide array of name-brand closeout and regularly available consumable products including food and beverages such as: produce, deli, and other basic grocery items, health and beauty care, and household supplies.” (99only.com)

The first store opened in 1982 and since then, the chain has expanded to over 250 stores with majority of them in California. Currently there are 11 in the state of Nevada.

“The stores that were open for a full year averaged 22,000 square feet and generated average net sales per estimated sellable square foot of $250 and average net sales per store of 4.3 million. For fiscal 2006, total sales were over $1 billion.” (99only.com)

In the year of the retailer’s 25th anniversary and in the midst of the country’s rising food prices, the 99¢ Only Stores still offer products for less than a dollar.

The chain has a cook book and has also been promoted on national television programs such as  CNN, Good Morning America and The Tyra Banks Show. Currently, according to the 99¢ Only Stores  website, the retailer also offers iPod nano for 99 cents to the first nine customers who visit the grand openings of its new stores, the next 99 customers can purchase a scooter for the same amount.

The 99¢ Only Stores branch in the UNLV community is located on 1325 E. Flamingo Road.

For more information, promotions, store openings and locations visit http://www.99only.com/index.htm.

For cook book details and recipes visit http://the99centonlystorecookbook.com/.

Clarification/Correction: The iPod nano offered to the first nine customers during upcoming store openings is for the price of 99 cents.