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Please say it ain’t so
By Veronica Mackey
Aww, the good ol’ days. When you could fill up your shopping cart and still have a little something left over for dinner out a movie. Sadly, the budget-stretching discount chain will soon close its doors, leaving approximately 17,000 people unemployed.
Liquidation sales began last week, and the national franchise will officially close on June 5.
Shoppers can currently expect up to 30% off the lowest ticketed item, with bigger discounts ahead as the closing date approaches. If you purchased anything prior to April 5 and want to return it, sorry. Your return won’t be honored.
If you’re smart and want to get the best of whatever is left, try and get there by this weekend while the pickings are still good. Then swing back to get the leftovers in another week or two. Everything must go, including store fixtures, furniture, and equipment.
For years, no items exceeded 99 cents. So, doing the math before checkout was easy. The plan was when it was time to shop, go there first. Get the cheapest price, then move on to the regular grocery or retail variety store.
But as COVID-19 hit, and more discounters came on the scene (like Dollar Tree), competition and higher costs of doing business made the beloved discount chain, change its tune.
Shoppers began seeing a new level of merchandise like luggage, large house plants, bath towels, and larger quantity grocery items. Ninety-nine cents turned into $3.99, $5.99 and so on. In some instances, prices became neck-and-neck with Target and Smart & Final and Target.
Still, the lure of the ”99 cents only” banner was so etched in the minds of shoppers, that customer loyalty had been well won. It has been a fan favorite since 1982, not only for low-income shoppers, but small business owners and anyone who loves a good bargain.
So where are we now, during this sad state of affairs? Can the discount giant be saved?
I’m hearing that Mark Miller, former president of Big Lots, has put together a team of investors to try and buy 143 California stores. No timeline for the potential buyout was announced. There’s still hope, people. But do take advantage of the liquidation sales.
