99 Cents Only Stores

prices are great. long lines, and the employees seem to hate working there and are probably under paid. but thats a trade off i am willing to take for the best prices.

This place is so dirty and the staff are no help at all. I came here looking for small gift boxes for Christmas. I wandered around and around in the store looking for someone to help me. I found a lady stocking tomatoes. I asked if she knew where boxes were. She shook her head. I asked her if she could find someone to help me. She took 2 steps, looked around, she said I should ask the man at the cashiers in the blue t-​shirt. I had already been to the front but each cashier was too busy to pay any attention to me. I went to the front and all the cashiers were women, no «guy in a blue shirt. When I was checking out, I asked the lady if there were any more gift boxes. She asked if I had checked aisle 7 and I had. She said it would have been there. The floors in this place are disgusting and brown. The merchandise is falling off the walls. There are no staff around and the staff they do have are clueless. I understand this is a bargain store, but I wish management would have some respect for themselves and for the customer. This place is horrible.

This is a great store! So affordable and full of fun chatchkes. I got some cups, candy, condensed milk, and a new broom for all under 5 dollars!

This store is not as good as Target, or even Walmart, but of course it’s a 99 cent store, so expectations are lower.
It’s big. I usually go at night. I’ve never found it to be disorganized or messy, but maybe it is earlier in the day when it’s busier. I generally find something that’s a good deal, although about half the time it’s not as great as it appears – but then, it’s 99 cents, so no big loss. For example, the last time I bought limes they were juicy and very good. I also bought asparagus, which looked good, but was dry and woody. I’m still a bit hesitant about buying food, but I suppose it’s all fine. Just look carefully before purchasing and have low expectations and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Most employees seem fine. My last cashier didn’t speak English extremely well – I think she had a Middle Eastern accent of some sort – but she was extremely sweet, a real pleasure to deal with.
I’ve just talked myself into going to get some limes. I wish they would post the hours… but hey, part of the adventure.

Not everything is 99 cents like it used to be… they remodeled and upped their prices on some items to 1.49 or 1.99. So they can’t really claim .99 cents store anymore:/ I don’t care for the new remodel, things are harder to find and the setup is confusing.
I’ll stick to the dollar tree. everything is for sure a dollar.

i am so over this place… it is just messy and disorganized and the staff is useless.
and now they have some items that are 1.49 or 1.99…i can’t handle this. I am now a fan of the dollar tree… everything is a dollar there and it’s clean and organized!
this place is just ghetto. don’t get me wrong., you can still find fabulous deals for a buck, but it’s just not a very pleasant experience.
they sell produce here… i haven’t and will not buy it. i cant fathom how the produce could be this cheap… what’s wrong with it? i’m down for buying bottled water or packaged stuff but that’s where i’ve drawn the line for myself.
great place to get hair ties, stocking stuffers or holiday décor/​wrapping paper etc… then again… they have the same stuff at dollar tree.

sorry but just too many times have I seen stupid things done by the employees. now I do not expect this to be rocket science but look up and listen once in a while. We always teach that training, education and sevice started at the top so this place must be without a manager right now.

I love the remodel they just did. I found some educational tools here for my child. These items include math, reading, and writing workbooks. They also have school supplies which come in good use year round for art projects and such. I love getting my Christmas bags here (love bags because they can be reused unlike wrapping paper, although I do like wrapping paper which they also sell), they have a large selection.
They also have coloring books name brand, much cheaper then buying them at Target.
The remodel is great more selection and name brand items.

Love this place! $.99 for groceries like lettuce, breakfast sausage, eggs etc. i also get basic cleaning supplies like antibacterial spray for my kitchen and just basic like bobbypins, hair ties, nail polish. It’s big, it’s clean, and it’s near my house– I couldn;t expect anymore.

I am not a fan of bargain shopping for toiletries as I consider my time valuable and I usually pay more for something because when I factor in all the time spent to hunt out things it’s not worth it to me. I usually pick up these items at Target stores.
Well, a friend brought me to this place with his children to pick up stuff. I have been here numerous times since to pick up things on the cheap that I actually use. I try to shop for name items first to see if they are discounted and then go from there.
Recently, I picked up some non-​name air freshener and discover this stuff is quality stuff. My one tip is to not discard the inner lid cover and punch holes in it to make the air stuff last longer. It works and provides a nice fragrance. (see my picture for details)
I picked up some name brand bath wash two bottles that I can use for my travels. One I can leave at my girlfriend’s house cuz we use different body washes and the other is a spare at my house.
Non-​toiletries items I discovered was the shelve lining that I use not only for kitchen cabinets, but I also use in my bath area for my shaving stuff. Great price and quality!
I see my friend also wrote a review of this place too unbeknownst to me. Unilocal rocks! And this Encinitas store place really has some good quality items!!!

Really this is just a standard 99 Cent Store… what more is there to say? Lot’s of junk and random stuff. (a few items that you can actually use and won’t break upon opening the package)
The psychological effect of getting anything for $.99 is somewhat of a high. But that high can be quickly ripped out from under you once you realize that most of the items in the store aren’t even worth the $.99 in the first place. Hence the low when you get home and open the bag of junk.
If you are in the right frame of mind going in and have the correct expectation, then this place might be a nice little gem in a sea of «more than a dollar» stores.
Leave your Benjamin’s at home, and bring that fat wad of Washington’s. You’ll make him proud with all the stuff he can buy!!!

This place is great! Yes, the .99 cent store has evolved over the years (for the better). I remember shopping at these stores back in the day… I thought OK, it’s .99 cents but it’s also garbage?
TIMES HAVE CHANGED UnilocalER! You can get a lot of the stuff you’d find at the typical grocery stores (e.g. canned goods, fresh fruit, milk, bread, cleaning products, spices, toiletries, laundry stuff, frozen foods, etc.) but also those TOTALLY RANDOM impulse buys that only the .99 cent store can provide. Sure the size may be smaller but when you compare the cost per oz. you’re really saving some money! Honestly, Ralphs and VONS just cannot compete!
They sell name brands too! OK, they also carry those «knock off» brands… so pay attention what you’re purchasing Unilocaler. Anyway, this is a great place to get stuff like Gatorade, deodorant, fabric softener, detergent, spices, and stocking stuffers!
My good friend brought me here recently (I was kicking & screaming) but it’s become a FAVORITE weekend visit… honestly browsing here is half the fun! You buy stuff you REALLY NEED on the CHEAP coupled with «impulse buys» that will truly make you smile. Yup, buying a full cart of stuff and giggling at the bill is ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!
Well done .99 store brass!
:O)
I got all sorts of jazz on my last visit for under 40 bucks — SCORE!
I give this monument of consumer psychology 8 «ohh…what the hell it’s only a buck!» out of 10.

I will first say — I LOVE the 99 cent store and many of them have their own quirks that bother me. but this seems to have all of them and more.
This store was filled with employees unstocking and most I quickly dodged out of the way so they could continue working. But there was a huge group of employees that just kept chatting away. One had a huge unloading cart that was blocking the lane. As me and another woman struggled to get through he just continued his conversation with three other employees. He even turned and saw us struggle and just went on with his convo.
When I hit the register I was so ecstatic to see a short line (in central SD the lines are epic during rush hours) But as I got all my items ready to be scanned I realized I had the slowest cashier I’d ever seen. It looked like the life had been sucked out of her and she just slowly scanned and then slowly bagged. I almost wanted to offer to do it myself.
The items were good, the stock was pretty well organized… but half the staff were just terrible. Maybe it’s their summertime jobs?

Wow. World of difference between San Marcos or Escondido. It’s a little more organized. I noticed that the company «Rinso» makes most everything. You name it, they make it. Floor Cleaner, Air Freshener, Toothpaste, mouthwash, Drano. I tried some of their Bathroom Cleaner. It works, it was only 99 cents, but you might need more than 1 can. Like 5 cans. Oh well, it’s 99 cents.

I’ve been living in Encinitas for over 7 years and about 4 years ago a friend of mine from RSF told me I had to check out this store. Much to my surprise we spent a couple hours browsing and killing time and hunting for bargains and letting our kids pick stuff out. I’ve been shopping here ever since.
If you like to hunt for bargains then you’d be shocked to see the 99 cent only store in Encinitas. I think this has to be one of the largest and busiest of all the 99 cent only stores.
So much so that a Dollar Tree moved in down the street. What 99 cent only store lacks in party supplies Dollar Tree makes up for. Ok, now back to 99 cent only store. If you need balloons for a Party, go to the Dollar Tree over 99 Cent only. Dollar tree includes the helium for the $ 1 where 99 Cent Only charges additional $ 0.49 to inflate them.
If you have small kids who like cheap toys, books, and candy then you can spend a few hours in this store and they will feel like they went to Disney.
For a couple of bucks they can leave with a toy, some candy and a new book. What’s not to love. Granted that the toy will break before the sunsets and the candy will be gone before you can buckle them in the car but it’s the experience and the 2 hours of entertainment.
Besides, they also have some good bargains if you know what to shop for. For $ 1 you can have an unlimited supply of small fresh jars of Picante, or Tomato sauce. Disposable plastic containers, tons, cleaning supplies galore and once in a while they’ll surprise you.
A few months ago I saw a brand name 10′ Digital Audio Cable and using my driod did a bar code scan on it only to find that these cables were over $ 10 online. Since I could always use a spare audio cable I grabbed a couple. I’ve spotted Wii accessories, electronic accessories, automotive products and you can’t beat the deal or selection on air freshener (a necessity with young boys in the house).
They also have a great selection of energy drinks and soda’s that no other store can beat. I’ve purchased the large cans of Monster Java in there for $ 0.99 (ok, now it’s $ 0.9999) and it’s in the ⁷⁄₁₁ across the street for $ 2.49.
Bottom line:
If you eat, drink, use cleaning products or like to bargain hunt, I guarantee you can find a bargain at this 99 cent only store.

I love 99 cents only store! This is a really big store and the selection is usually hit or miss. The produce and refridgerated items can be a bit questionable but everything else is pretty good.
Don’t buy the chocolate, it’s usually expired and tastes gross…
Great place to buy school supplies, decorations, cleaning items, canned goods (check the date) etc.
As someone else pointed out there are condoms and pregnancy tests here and they’re usually right by the cash register too! I actually was behind someone who bought both items one time… first and only time I’ve seen someone buying those here…
One bad thing is when you come here expect to wait in line… There’s almost always a long line…

Very useful for little things you don’t think about buying everyday. I bought a basketful of black rocks to put lucky bamboo in… it would have been a whole lot more at a gardening store or Crate & Barrel. I also got some aspirin for my cut flower arrangements and the plastic water catchers that go underneath baskets and pots for indoor plants.

How could I have not reviewed this place?
Cruising by, I decided to stop in; I don’t need to stop in here during the holidays only. There is a recession. I should be smarter about my money right? I usually come in here during the holidays to get tape and other no-​brainer kind of wrapping for presents.
I walked in and strolled to the left: the grocery part of the store. Fruits, canned and dried goods, deli meats and some veggies. Interesting. Mind you, I recognized about ⁴⁄₁₀ being major name brand products, but hey food is food. The right side of the store is the basic household kinda stuff: plates, cleaning products, over the counter medicines, et cetera. Indeed, given a 99-​cent store, you do get what you pay for.
Why would I buy a random brand of condom called — Fantasia?
Why would I buy a pregnancy test here?
Why would I buy plates that may be lead laced per Prop 65?
I don’t know, but someone will. It’s 99 cents!
I picked up a number of useful things. All 99 cents each.
1 box of Kava kava (a sleep aid)
1 box of MSM Complex (helps joints)
1 can of Barbasol shaving cream
2 cans of 8-​hr Pep ‘n Energy
1 ice cream scoop
1 bottle of AIM (the name brand) mouthwash
1 pair of envelopes with bubbles for mailing (aka Bubble Mailer)
1 roll of athletic tape
1 some random yet interesting book
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
$ 10.62
That’s some good shtuff.

Whats a 99 cents store doing in Encinitas? I thought these places usually opened up in less affluent neighborhoods, or crime infested areas, or both.
I always thought that Encinitas was an upscale beach town, and if anything they should have a 99 dollar store. womp womp wooomp.
Anyway, my friend and his wife live in this hood, in a huge house that I could never afford on my own. Where are you sugar momma ?
We were all hanging out and there was 6 of us trying to decide where to eat. They were also complaining about how broke they were and how expensive restaurants could be.
I told them that I could make enough food for all of us for about $ 10. They didnt believe me. So I took the challenge and I proved them wrong.
$ 1.50 = 2 packages of linguine pasta
$ 2 = 2 packages of grape tomatoes
$ 1.50 = 2 cans of clams, with juice
$ 1 = 6 pack of bolillos, kinda like french bread
$ 1 = 4 pack of zucchini
$ 1 = 2 red bell peppers
$ 2 = 2 packages of button mushrooms
All that resulted in
1) linguine in clam sauce with roasted grape tomatoes, mushrooms and zucchini.
2) bruschetta that had tomatoes, red bell peppers and zucchini
3) garlic bread
Of course they had olive oil, butter and garlic at my disposal but I still pulled it off. Obviously it wasnt fancy and the quality of ingredients left alot to be desired but the fact remains, I fed 5 of my friends for $ 10.They were all surprised but they liked it.
Believe me, the 3 bottles of wine was a major contributing factor to the enjoyment of the food.

This location is a department store for all things that have been rejected by every other store. Sometimes on that rare occasion you’ll find seconds or lots that didn’t sell in other venues. I wouldn’t trust the manufacturing of the item, especially the plastics or the processes of the food if it’s not a well-​known brand.
However you can score every now and again. They usually sell long lighters great for campfires, fireplaces or candles. In other stores these items usually cost anywhere from $ 4-​$ 6 and they don’t last as long. However these appear to be seasonal and not always available.
I also bought a whole bunch of hula-​hoops here for a party. Great for batteries and reading glasses too!