Bankrupt - 99 Cents Only Stores

[@Choralone422]

Imagine that. Successful established company is purchased as part of a leveraged buyout, has a huge debt load added to its bottom line and ends up failing entirely a number of years later all while "executives" are earn a crap ton of cash as everyone else is put out of a job. It's a shame that's the standard playbook for private equity firms, especially since the turn of the century, and it's and even bigger shame that it's legal to do in the US. It should be a crime!

[@floycewhite6991]

Yet people wonder why Moustache Man was wildly popular.

[@mcsomeone2681]

If I rack up 10 billion in debt I'm getting thrown in jail but if a "company" racks up 10 billion in debt we just let it slide, so infuriating.

[@goffik1980]

Couldn't agree more, why is this practice legal at all? If a company is making a loss or has huge debts, it should be illegal to pay executive bonuses or dividends. So many perfectly good businesses getting destroyed by greed these days, it's ridiculous.

[@billmcg1676]

Amazon also adds to the misery. Brick and mortar stores cannot compete with an online warehouses (distribution centers) only business model company and Bezos nor do the Congresspeople he owns could care less.

[@youtubasoarus]

It should be a crime you're right. Too bad the powers that be are working hand in hand with them to do all that.

[@Snowboi1963]

I live in Fresno, California. My family several years ago was on the poverty line, and we always went to the 99 Cent Stores for groceries. We have fond memories of the store. Even when we eventually saved up enough to live a semi-middle class life, my mom still went to the store as even when the prices slowly trickled up, she still found it affordable. When I told her of their bankruptcy, she quickly went to the nearest store to buy anything she can before it went out of stock. It didn't even take 2 weeks to everything to sell out. By the time of my 16th birthday in June, all the stores in the Fresno area closed down for good. RIP 99 Cents Only Stores, and thanks for the memories : )

[@GrzegorzDurda]

Those stores are actually the most expensive stores.

[@BrittMFH]

​@@GrzegorzDurda Not if you don't have money.

[@GrzegorzDurda]

@@BrittMFH This is why those places are a trap.

[@zsewqthewolf1194]

Fresno CA is the out lair in ca and it’s a nice city if you don’t let the downside get you down

[@tony_5156]

Move out of California Problem permanently solved

[@MMMMatt]

Private Equity will be the final death of the American dream.

[@joseadorno292]

The American Dream is already dead.

[@antroz321703]

When the average man loses his ability to prosper because the powerful few want more, the American dream dies.

[@ZachareSylvestre]

We need to ban leveraged buyout. This shit is predatory.

[@zsewqthewolf1194]

@@MMMMatt it’s anti capitalism if you ask me

[@paradox...]

will be???

[@evesixphoenix8541]

You honestly should start adding a Private Equity Firm kill counter to your episodes at this rate. Its insane how many companies going under today follow the exact story line of "Business savvy small business owner in the 1940s-1960s starts to expand their small business until they reach a massive corporation. A private equity firm ruins everything in the early 2000s."

[@ewidontlikeyou]

So a business is usually successful without a PEF?

[@Soufriere84]

@@ewidontlikeyou Obviously not _every_ business, don't be obtuse, but PEF's invariably make everything worse

[@zeekaa12]

Just like Civvie-11’s Sewer Count lol

[@evesixphoenix8541]

@@ewidontlikeyou Lmao no. How did you get that I was saying PEFs are the only reason a business fails. Just its extremely common that PEFs come in with these reckless leveraged buyouts, then put it all on the purchased company's books so in the likely change it goes under they can just wash their hands of the debt through bankrupting. Even if a business is having issues, if a PEF didn't come in and turn the entire company's value into debt, it probably wouldn't be a fatal issue.

[@horseathalt7308]

Just put a Vampire character animation with it biting into a stack of money! Fast Eddie Lampert is the poster child for such PEFs.

[@scottcol23]

I live by a Dollar Tree and have seen it go down hill drastically over the last 2 or so years. once they raised the price to $1.25 and started to slip in $5 items I stopped shopping there as often. I used to love just not having to look at the price. You could fill up 5 bags full and it might be $25. oh those were the days.

[@ferociousgumby]

Our Dollar Tree in Canada is the same, except it's now up to $1.50 (and no longer across the board). Dollarama isn't a dollar store at all now, as a lot of items are more like $4.00 and up. The quality of Dollar Tree has slipped. I bought a picture frame which literally fell apart as soon as I took the plastic wrapping off it.

[@sunshine3914]

They actually surveyed their consistent customers if they rather pay more for a better selection & quality of items or remain with $1 items.

[@CheyenneTaylor-y5w]

Not having to look at the price at the Dollar Tree used to be my favorite thing about it too! It shocked me equally as much when they raised their prices to $1.25 as it did when 99 Cents Only went under....💔

[@GrumpyWolfTech]

Thanks Biden.

[@MattBrown-hp5dp]

Tell me about it- I grew up down the street from one of the first Dollar Trees out here and it used to be an amazing shop when I was a kid, you could get armloads of candy and cheap books and frozen food and more. And then recently I went "Hey I haven't gone in there in a bit" (since where I live NOW isn't remotely close) and walked in and oh man what a difference 20 years makes. There's merch sliding off the shelves onto the floors, most of it is just the worst quality imaginable- it looks like a badly run rummage sale, not a store, and there's only ever one poor employee in there trying to do everything. It's awful.

[@giselletorres4156]

I'm from Phoenix Arizona and I'm telling you, aside from the topic of food deserts and food scarcity, the 99 cents was loss to my community that's majority low-income Latinos. My mom's a cleaning lady and would get her supplies there or wherever is the cheapest and by the time 99 Cents announced their closing we were shocked to find how much their inventory of cleaning supplies were gone. My mom primarily gets her soaps from liquidation stores or from Mexico because literally everything has gone up in price. I will always miss getting my Halloween decorations there when I was a broke college student. An edit: In a happier turn of events dollar tree bought out almost all the 99 cents locations, so the one that I would frequent is now a dollar tree.

[@anchorpoint3631]

To me this store was better in a way than DT because it had more stuff. I didn't care if the store's name was deceiving. I still like DT though. Matter of fact since they raised their prices, might as well DT should become a clone of 99 now, by making their stores bigger and bringing in more items , similar to what 99 had.

[@hewhohasnoidentity4377]

I don't see that as a good turn of events. Dollar Tree already bought Family Dollar. For them to acquire former 99 cent locations and convert them to DT is improper. The DT / FD merger was massive and a key reason for 99 ¢ to fail. Letting DT get the scraps is animal kingdom cruelty. Those would have been good locations for new retail concepts.

[@teax25]

The same problem of long term sustainability will also affect dollar tree in the future. I know that they are still holding on for now. They were forced to rise their prices, then they started selling premium product, Premium for a dollar store anyway, and eventually they going have to rethink what their business model going to be.

[@kellychuang8373]

Really even more tough times ahead and you can only wonder what next is on the chopping block I hear Big Lots is on there and it's rivals the Dollar General and Dollar Tree could also hit here you never know now among who knows what other businesses now facing the axe.

[@82ayalaj]

I have many of the same sentiments, but I feel like the dollar trees that replaced the 99s, have been extremely low effort bare bones DTs. Especially without produce, it might have been better to let them be replaced with something else.

[@michaelmartin4552]

I became a huge believer in this chain after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Just weeks before it hit, I moved into a place around the corner from one in Reseda. And one thing we started buying right away was their 2 gallons of water for 99 cents. And after the earthquake hit, water was one of the things that a lot of stores jacked up their prices on. But not that chain, it was 2 for 99 cents before the quake, and 2 for 99 cents after the quake. Even bringing in entire truckloads of just water that they would sell out of the back of the truck in the parking lot. I decided from that moment on I would shop there whenever possible because those were ethics I respected. And now I know why it changed after 2010. And by the late 2010s, I saw it starting to go downhill rapidly. Including selling a lot of the same kind of closeout stuff that I was seeing at Fry's. The moment I started to see cheap $20 luggage and $10 cologne there, I knew the end was just a matter of time. But thank you Mr. Gold, your ethics and smart business sense has left a legacy that will survive after your stores have gone.

[@SkyeID]

The Northridge earthquake was so strong that I felt it in South Central L.A. !

[@michaelmartin4552]

@@SkyeID I was less than three miles from the epicenter. It almost threw us out of bed at the first quake.

[@Noname-e9k7k]

I worked at one of these for exactly 14 days. On day number 14 I had to briefly sit down due to feeling woozy after having gone out to get the carts, as it was over 100 degrees in the Texarkana summer and I was dehydrated. As I walked back to work, I overheard the assistant manager for that day saying that he'd fire me if I "tried to pull that again", so I saved him the trouble and quit the next day. Knowing he's out of a job now makes me quite happy.

[@williamhild1793]

So, before I even watch the video, I'm carefully listening for the terms "Private Equity Firm" or "Venture Capitalist". I'm betting one or both will be a reason for the bankruptcy. EDIT; 7:33 ! I KNEW it!

[@BillAnt]

Yep, they are the cancer on the American Dream.

[@WatzEtzFace]

Oh come on! That's the classic move in the playbook! All about protecting the ball (money). When I heard they were closing I literally thought "That's going to make an interesting episode of Bankrupt or Company Man". . . . . and both guys covered it! LMAO! KZbin never disappoints. Who the hell needs television when you got shit like this!

[@2ndtimecharm]

Same. Instead of "it's the butler who did it" in whodunits; In the business world, it's almost always the private equity😔

[@tylerhopkins7080]

yeah that's become a thing for me too, they usually make an appearance at around the half-way point of the video

[@geekychik86]

I was waiting for the 2008 financial crisis. Apparently they survived that 🤷‍♀

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I find it funny and quite fitting that all the photos of the owner, pictures and videos of their properties look like they've been filmed and taken on a camera that cost 99 cent.

[@BillAnt]

Oh yeah... lol At 8:20 at the top left on the wall "Nothing quer...." :D

[@59phonebone]

Not only that, a lot of the videos are backwards.. or pivoted. Look the ABC sign and cars driving the wrong side of the highway 1:26 and beyond. 🤷

[@jeffreystreeter5381]

99 cents is plural dummy.

[@BillAnt]

​@@jeffreystreeter5381 - Now imagine correcting him without being a jerk... just a thought.

[@8BitNaptime]

@@jeffreystreeter5381 you forgot a comma

[@shadow6743]

I miss the 99 cent store so much. But, after awhile my family started talking about how it was more expensive going there than Walmart or a traditional grocery store.😢

[@Look_look_at_my_cats]

I have a similar issue with the Dollar General by me. I go there often because it's literally right next to my neighborhood and sometimes it's just easier than going to the Walmart (which is only 2 or so miles down the road, but still) but the prices aren't really much cheaper if you break it down and sometimes it's more expensive. Convenience is what keeps me going there.

[@mycosys]

The buying power of the multi-billion monopolies is just impossible to compete with

[@guangxidavidliu]

99c shower curtain rings cost %2.49 in Walmart today. Miss 99c stores.

[@ANDRESLOPEZ_24]

Finally an episode of bankrupt that i can relate to

[@normaestrado3588]

1/10 of my Childhood successfully deleted

[@OasisMusicOfficial]

99 Cents store was my grandmas favorite store. I remember being a kid and going there to get cheap toys and ice creams that were just a little freezer burnt. Now as an adult, I was able to visit the stores on my own before they closed for good. Fun fact: Big Lots actually was offering to buy some of the remaining stores but keep them as 99 cent stores since they viewed them as symbols of Southern California. Unfortunately it didnt go through and now going there is just a memory

[@SupermarketSweep777]

And now Big Lots filed bankruptcy.

[@tiraXpyrrha]

Didn't Big Lots also file for bankruptcy? I wouldn't be surprised that it's why they backed out of the deal.

[@af8604]

This one hurt to watch. Up until this past summer, I'd go to the 99cents store on Pico in L.A. at least once a week. They had incredible deals on produce--big bags of affordably-priced fresh fruit and vegetables, most arriving fresh from farms across the border. It was always busy in there. One day, I show up and all the shelves are empty and they're closing. Now there isn't a single other discount grocery within 10 miles of where I live. Costco and Walmart are a 45-minute drive away in heavy traffic. It sucks.

[@ellenicoletv4095]

That’s so sad 😔

[@myoldvhstapes]

Grocery Outlet.

[@headers12]

So the executives gave themselves millions in bonuses while simultaneously not paying their bills, and then immediately turned around and declared bankruptcy, so the American taxpayers would foot the bill, while they ran away with millions in their bank accounts. This should have been investigated as a crime, because that’s exactly what this was. How are there corporations/companies continued to be allow to do this? If I were to steal even a cent, I would be in jail. But, they somehow get a pass.

[@OrbObserver]

Socialism for the rich, rugged individualism for the poor.

[@landongendur]

It's one of the reasons why student debt can't be cleared by bankrupcy; doctors & dentists would rack up huge amounts of debt for their schooling & then immediately declare bankruptcy just as their careers started; having a shot credit record for 7 years didn't matter when they're pulling in huge income at that point. Private equity is similar in that they buy companies, lay people off, saddle the company with debt, take in huge bonuses, & then have the debt they racked up cleared in bankruptcy.

[@tnate6004]

Conservative vulture capitalism.

[@anchorpoint3631]

*U.S.

[@MattBrown-hp5dp]

> How are there corporations/companies continued to be allow to do this? If I were to steal even a cent, I would be in jail. But, they somehow get a pass. Well, when a businessman and a politician love each other very much, the businessman gives the politician a "little" gift, and then the politician lets the businessman do whatever they want! It's the circle of life!

[@andrewehyang]

Oh private equity, you boys did it again!

[@floycewhite6991]

Not "you" but it rhymes with "you" and starts with J.

[@mikes-wv3em]

blame canada

[@PXAbstraction]

Leveraged Buyout. The only two words in business worse than Private Equity itself.

[@ryanjohnson4565]

Stonks

[@mycosys]

Capital and profit are worse. Theyre both just fancy words for theft.

[@DocNo27]

Even worse is the euphemism "inventory shrinkage" - the shoplifting, especially in CA, that really finished them off.

[@OrgaNik_Music]

@@DocNo27 If your business can be brought down by shoplifting, you were already on your way out

[@DocNo27]

@@OrgaNik_Music Are you a special kind of stupid? Do you know how low operating margins are for retail? How to admit you have never owned or operated a business but only taken a paycheck from someone else your entire life.

[@johnsheppard2456]

I used to work at one of these stores a couple years ago. It was awful. Bad management and theft was common. My boss wanted me (a minimum wage part-time cashier) to basically act as a security guard for thieves and got upset when someone stole the most ridiculous things. She once lectured me about how I needed to count packages of produce because someone had stolen one of the peppers from the bag of 7. I quit after two months. I’m not surprised at all they went bankrupt

[@SkyeID]

You're the second person who said that working there sucks.

[@eirinym]

Imagine that. Leveraged buyout, tons of debt, gotta fire lots of workers, can't cut management expenses. And all that debt just hanging on the company, can't afford to pay workers appropriately, apparently. It's as though maybe taking on debt to buy a company doing well might just be a bad idea.

[@earnshaw5]

The amount of long standing businesses that get taken over by private equity firms who proceed to run the business into the ground is shocking. Another fantastic video from my favourite channel 😊

[@David_Quinn1995]

PEF know nothing about business and it's hilarious but sad every time.

[@AxelTheAussie]

No surprise that private equity is the reason this company declined (I still love these videos though, even if 99% of the time PE is the reason they die)

[@Films_by_Leo]

They really paid themselves 50 Mil too😂😂

[@jhnvallejo]

They also miss managed their employees 401ks a lot of them lost it all

[@quanbrooklynkid7776]

​@@jhnvallejo damn

[@Notn702]

Private equity really seems to ruin everything it touches

[@reedspace8267]

And they are proud of it. They profit regardless.

[@patrickracer43]

Especially with a leveraged buyout, which honestly shouldn't be legal or even logical

[@floycewhite6991]

Not really Christian, is it?

[@Cotelw8345]

When that happens a company losses it sole. The new owners only care about money. Don’t care about employees at all.

[@DERRTYCHYBO]

Dude said "sole"

[@BI-sd3sw]

Man bankruptcies and abandoned properties - this channel checks all my boxes

[@TeriLynn923]

Doesn’t it? Jake is an excellent filmmaker.

[@megumei044]

I've said it before but I'll say it again. Leveraged buyouts should be illegal. I have nothing against a private equity firm buying companies but it should be 100% illegal to take out loans to purchase a company, pocket that money as profit for the PEF and then saddle the purchased company with the responsibility to pay the loans that the PEF took out. PEF's should have to foot the bill and take on the loan responsibility so they would be on the hook to run things profitably. Right now its a money making machine for PEF's with little to no risk. You sure don't see these PEF's that buy and run companies into bankruptcy themselves going broke.

[@t0raneko]

It never ceases to amaze me how short sighted money grubbers are

[@floycewhite6991]

They're deliberately destroying Western Civilization.

[@DeltaStormYT]

Would you rather have 1 million dollars today, or 5 years after you retire? Probably today. YoU mOnEy GrUbBeR

[@chrisnoname2725]

Why are you assuming they intend to run the business successfully? Those at the top are employees and pay themselves ridiculous amounts. They’re not the ones invested in any way. There was a retirement fund. Again the people running those are paying themselves ridiculous amounts and the risk it taken by people with no control over how their money is invested. I had money in a managed fund. The fund gets paid primarily based on the amount they are controlling not on the profits they make. The one i was in. I think only once did any bonus get paid to one section. They’re getting paid well regardless of performance and generally people invested don’t have other options. They’re people without enough money to hold enough shares to diversify their investments so can’t just invest themselves in the markets. The only losers are those who don’t have much to begin with.

[@floycewhite6991]

@@chrisnoname2725 That's why you don't want your retirement pension fund to be a 401-k. Its management pays itself 1/20th of your investment every year until it's all gone. If the investments they make actually pay well, the management continues to take 1/20th until the money runs out.

[@lenapettay3291]

This store kept me alive in my 20s when I was to broke for regular grocery store

[@friggincanvee]

As a non-American, the shop name 'Dollar General' always sounded like it's mascot was an army General or something, but for dollars.

[@rhombusx]

As an actual American, I think the same thing. The real store is much less interesting and far more depressing.

[@gionatanspano1361]

I'm italian and nothing more than the "bankruptcy" serie has teached me about american culture 😅

[@senzayyy]

That's pretty cool. I know this man can only do so much but I wish there was another channel like this but for other countries (I am american). Closest I can think of is companyman (also a youtube channel) but he rarely touches on other countries

[@anchorpoint3631]

*U.S. Apparently no one TAUGHT you that ALL the western lands are AMERICA.

[@WDC_OSA]

@@anchorpoint3631 America is a common abbreviation for the United States of America, and American is a common adjective used to describe things related to the United States of America. Even other people from the Americas will also use these words to describe things within the USA. I hope this helps.

[@anchorpoint3631]

@@WDC_OSA Lmao I didn't ask you about an abbreviation. Such an overused lame excuse to assume only the U.S. is America. Like I said, ALL the western world IS AMERICA, like it or not. The U.S. DOES NOT own the name "America" and neither do you. COPE.

[@anchorpoint3631]

Blah blah Overused lame excuse to make assumptions that only the U.S. is America. Like I said, ALL the western world is America, like it or not. The U.S. does not own such name and neither do you. COPE.

[@HumbleAshe]

This hits right home for me. I still remember when 99 Cent Stores had a shop in my NorCal hometown/home city and other nearby cities. We didn’t shop as much there even into the 2010s, aside from getting holiday cards and gift wrapping, but they were such an iconic fixture of the time and a staple of the 2000s. Really sad to see them all go; Dollar Tree and Dollar General really just can’t match that same vibe. My local one sadly closed pretty early on way before the bankruptcy, but I was able to browse through and take in the sights of another shop at Concord, CA before they shuttered for good in mid Spring. The retro purple/blue coloring and aesthetics really just can’t be beat.

[@ShrexyGuy]

99 cent stores were the GOAT. Mom and Dad would let you go get some candy and a cheap toy while they get some "bedroom needs"

[@Abravu7lc]

and then boom 9 months later you had a sibling

[@Viss_Valdyr]

they just took a nap. Trust me, I have wife and kid. I take a nap over any intercourse

[@sabni8668]

@@Abravu7lc😂😂😂 birth certificate was an apology letter from the condom company

[@KING_STRONGTH]

Looks like they were buying cheap toys as well. 😏

[@anchorpoint3631]

@@sabni8668 lmao I always wondered how crappy the quality was from them condoms of this store. Just by looking at the box it gave the impression they were cheap as hell lol!

[@OneSparkSpeedstorm]

I'm truly going to miss walking into a 99 Cent Store now that it's no longer around. Just going to a 99 Cent Store was such an experience, and definitely never felt like a Dollar Tree. I've been to a 99 Cent since I was a child, and I always enjoyed walking around exploring the kinds of goods and products they had available. I'll truly miss this place dearly, but I am thankful I was able to shop there before its closure.

[@Dr.ZoidbergPhD]

Oh my bleeding heart! I LOVED the 99 only store, they had such nice things and when times were tough or in emergencies, they remained as stock as a store that size could 😢

[@symphonyeliza3525]

I worked at a 99 cent store for a year. I was going to transfer because I was moving this year, but it was already too late. I was a recoverer. It was hard to keep the store clean, but I loved to clean and organize anyway. Damn I miss working here.This was my favorite job.I still have my vest😢

[@brettadams6734]

Leveraged buyouts are such a scam. Giving out executive bonuses while the company couldn’t service debts is a good example of this.

[@General_Belu]

I remember 99 cents only stores. I remember going there during my earlier years, then again during my pre teens. Such a nostalgic feeling I get by remembering it. Just roaming the store and looking at the cheap items and stuff, yeah.

[@81casperflip]

1 dollar in 1960 is equivalent to over $10 today

[@buckstop]

The 99c in my town was replaced with a Dollar Tree when they died and it's been nothing but trouble ever since. The 99c was an anchor store in its lot and tried to keep it organized with security, anti-theft measures, and more efficient registers. The Dollar Tree doesn't even try to have more than 3 employees at one time and crime went up in the neighborhood from just a lack of care. A successful company stabbed in the back by private interests

[@gabriellehopkins]

I’ve been watching for 5+ years at this point, one of my favorite channels!

[@BrightSunFilms]

Thank you so much!

[@Bulletbill88]

Thank you Jake I love this series 😊

[@HR-wd6cw]

Inflation may have helped them get started, but it's probably also what did them in, as product costs and just normal inflation rates (which is about 2-2.5% annually) eventually would make seling things for 99 cents very hard. This is where the dollar stores sort of won out because their model wasn't tied to a specific price, but more so that things were just rounded to the nearest dollar but still generally cheaper than name-brand store items like WalMart or Target, but they can change the price if they need to, say from $2 to $3 but still maintain the Dollar Store concept. Of course most of these stores and ones like them have dropped the "Everything's just a dollar" tag line because most things are not and haven't been since about 2000. And even true Dollar stores which were similar to the 99 cent store have since gone under. So basically in the end they tried to copy the other dollar stores and lost in the end because it requires a massive change in their market strategy which they built the business on (99 cent items). But all in all, it doesn't surprise me that the 99 Cent Store failed. What does surprise me is how Dollar Stores (like Dollar General and Family Dollar) continue to be successful. I guess part of that is preying on those wit hlow income as they are the primary target market for these types of st ores, which is sad. I told someone once that they would probably be better off shopping at WalMart than Dollar General as much as I don't care for WalMart.

[@Ummitsbrian]

I’m a store manager currently at Big Lots and I would love for you to deep dive into this company because it just seems like MisManagment and Mishandling of money left and right and I just do not understand it…

[@MoonFairy929]

They just closed all the big lots in the area now closest one is in Sacramento… for now. Would love a deep dive

[@DeltaStormYT]

Your first mistake is thinking suits ate capable of logic and reasoning. First month in management? All you need to know about the corporate world is the only thing more important then money is the stock holders. If you do not do exactly what they want, they will happily pack up and leave, taking their money with them. Crashing your stock price, which makes everyone else jump, so on and so forth till you die. When you’re not in a good financial situation like BigLots, the second one of the largest holders bails, your company is gone. That. That’s all that matters. Customer experience and satisfaction along with quality of life for employees do not have a quantitative value to the real people running the business. Giving everyone a $1 raise across the board looses investors money. And thus why it’s not done. So yes, you as someone who actually works on the end of the spectrum where things like employee turnover, customer satisfaction, employee happiness, stock availability, and actually understand how to run one of those stores. Yeah the corporate economics look like mismanagement. But i guarantee there’s a bunch of big lots suits patting each other on the back giving a boring presentation to investors about how Big Lots is doing better than ever. Because on their end they (their wallets) probably are despite literally everyone knowing the bombs gona go off any day. “There’s nothing they can do, people simply don’t want to work and be on unemployment.” The stores look the way they do because the employees are lazy., if there is not stock on the shelves well, we’re sending it to you use your 1 person to do this in 30 minutes perfectly. Our merchandising director says you should be able to do it in 10, so do it..

[@Bippu_4.3]

@@MoonFairy929theyre closing my store in texas

[@NatYourAverageNerd]

I have a Big Lots near me and all I found the few times I went in there were Big Prices. I was expecting it to be a discount furniture and home goods outlet, but shopping at Ollie's and Goodwill remains my best bet where I am. It's a bummer. :(

[@biteme1167]

I remember when Big Lots was MacFrugals, with the cheesy out of sink Kung Fu style ads. Back when they offered real stuff for cheap....

[@paradox...]

The only thing left that costs 99¢ is Arizona sweet tea God bless em!

[@stoundingresults]

It's $1.25

[@aaronlane8276]

We lost a legend ​@@stoundingresults

[@leycheejellyy]

@@stoundingresultsit’s 99 cents are you at California

[@ketarita1911]

And they are able to keep it at 99 cents because they have no debt.

[@PreciousPayne-l8n]

I love those drinks Arizona

[@Becauseimme]

This one make me sad, nothing lasts forever.

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

I will miss 99cents Only. When I was laid off and got a new survival job, it was right next to a 99cents Only and I did all my shopping there. You could make a really healthy balanced meal from 99cents Only. I would get asparagus, limes, avocado, cabbage, and frozen fish.

[@TigerAceSullivan]

i think a good reason that a lot of "dollar stores" were able to develop and grow is that they mostly all started out regional. dollar general is not a common sight in the western usa, while 99c only was mostly in the west. and of course theres others, and others still that have long since faded from memory. i cant even remember the name of my local dollar store; we all just called it the dollar store, and it closed about a decade ago. no one talks about it anymore

[@RankingTheMouse]

Having a grocery department inside a dollar store is absolutely wild. Kudos to them for the success they had for so long

[@awesomedogs7]

Also, recently before the bankruptcy...a lot of stores seemed to rebrand to just .99.cent store and dropped the "only", so was easy for them to raise the prices as you have shown.

[@captaindj9790]

I’m so sick of companies that have no clue how to do money. I miss the 80’s so dearly. We are a generation that knows how to treat money. There was one here in imperial beach San Diego but is now closed

[@bug5258]

Keep up the hard work... to be honest, content like yours is so hard to find these days.. just refreshing

[@namez2a]

Did your tour LV malls while in vegas. It's been an interesting divide seen between conventional malls and other local and tourist shopping centers.

[@SIZLL]

Never seen a 99 cents store that didn’t always have customers.

[@matthewwynne939]

The only time I visited this specific chain was on a road trip to San Francisco. I remember being confused how a lot of the stuff in there cost more than 99 cents.

[@hrudheurhfh]

At 10:40, this is my local former 99 cent only store. It’s in Eastvale CA and is now a dollar tree. The 99 never felt as corporate and soulless as dollar tree does.

[@authorizedcookie1277]

I recall years ago, around like 2016-2017, when my dad would bring my sister and I to the 99 cent store almost every week. It was probably one of my favorite moments, I'd always run to the toys aisle whenever my dad was checking out. We'd even rent out DVDs in a really random corner in one of the lanes. Thank you 99 Cent Stores, your buildings may be abandoned, but your stores have embedded themselves into my memory.

[@BubblePopping121]

I was half expecting the 2008 recession to be mentioned in the video. Great video regardless, love the hard work you put in these videos.

[@Direwolf181]

Like for once the recession WASN'T the problem XD

[@dajosh42069]

I thought that looked familiar!!! I'm a resident of Las Vegas... and the commerce of that entire area took a hit in the 2000's, and beyond... Time was, getting groceries at $0.99 (Dollar) stores were a good way to save money... but I recall a few years back when it was found that, on the whole, people were paying more for inferior products at those stores, than they would just going to a local grocery store... I remember, as a kid, thinking that they were just the coolest thing... but as an adult, they never really felt modern..and always felt like they were 10 years out of date... Maybe that's a product of growing up in Las Vegas, and speaks to the quality of dollar stores we had/have here. I dunno... But it's pretty clear that the buyout killed the company. And the execs paid themselves out lifetimes worth of money to congratulate themselves on annihilating a big company. It's absolutely INSANE that it's legal to do that sort of thing...

[@gabrielarambula4465]

Glad to see you're back Jake!!

[@h84rts]

I loved 99 cents because i remember me and my mom would always take us there so we could get snacks when she was struggling with money. I would goof around the store too and i knew this lady that has been working there for YEARS she knew me since i was 4 or younger because my parents always went to the store and its actually one of my moms first store when she immigrated here. I loved going to the store at night especially because it had its own vibe to it i found it so amazing. Im 16 but i can see how much it really helped my mom with stuff. I will really miss the store :(

[@RosieMe5]

Where was the location shown at 12:21? It looks like it was an old theater or something, really cool

[@briankellogg3186]

Yes I thought the same thing, it could be beautiful if restored to its original condition!

[@fluffyfour]

Never seen most of the shops you feature, as I'm not in North America, but still enjoy all of them. Love the opening to the Bankrupt series, too, it's so professionally done.

[@charles.1o]

Side note intro animation is fire

[@Ajae78]

My mom and I used to go to 99 Cents Only once a week. We got some amazing buys there. They had loads of brand name food and beauty items. Even higher end/expensive stuff like Naked Juice and Pepperidge Farms and fresh fruit and veggies. Slowly, we saw the prices rise and they added a bunch of useless crap for $2 or more. We still went because it was the cheapest place to get food for a great bargain. We stopped going about four years ago when the name brand stuff started being priced at the same price as regular retailers. I suspect that’s why many people stopped going. Unfortunately, this happens to almost every company these days. Huge private companies scoop up these great mom and pop stores, change everything and essentially ruin them. Then they blame the consumers for being picky. No. People don’t want to be fooled and ripped off. A dollar store should be just that - everything costs $1.

[@Richaag]

Spirit Halloween has entered the chat

[@anchorpoint3631]

Yes

[@aaronlane8276]

RIP

[@chrisisthename0511]

I worked as a cashier at the 99 cents store in the Kern County area of California for around 3 years until they closed. The produce and party supplies were the biggest hit of the store. We had licensed party supplies and had so many different fruits and vegetables. Even sold durian and dragonfruit which would surprisingly sell like hot cakes. Man I miss that store

[@andyt2510]

The UK has a similar store named Poundland. Big brands available at originally £1 - sadly not much at that price now, but the stores are still very successful

[@tyman1014]

Loving this series. Keep up the great work. I only ever went to a 99 cent store once in my life that I can remember. Probably on a family vacation of some sorts when I was 5-6 years old.

[@John_Locke_108]

If the store is called "99 cents only" than you can't charge more than 99 cents without angering customers. This place was just a ticking time bomb.

[@gabrielagarnica1268]

Even when stuff was not 99 cents anymore; it was still way cheaper than target or Walmart.

[@adamjhuber]

It appears the leadership looted the company

[@Happymali10]

I love the 1.29.99 at 10:30, because it's basically a fuel station price sign^^ They always have the ".99 cents" bit at the end.

[@adjusted-bunny]

1:48 Chateau Canon for $2.68! I recently bought a bottle for around $140.

[@justineouellette4052]

I love the bankrupt series SO MUCH

[@DrScrubbington]

10:26 What on earth do they mean by "1.29⁹⁹" ?????

[@ethanw1502]

Nah that's crazy... That .0001 cent is saving insane amount of money

[@arnold20139]

I remember as a kid we had a 10 cent store and 99 cent store. And i miss them dearly. Especially now in economies like this.

[@sladetuner8661]

RIP 99 Cents Store 1982-2024

[@GooseFinder]

Worked for the corporate office within the last six months of its existence. We knew it was going down 5 days before its official date when they emailed us that they eliminated everyone’s severance pay. To top it off: the day of the announcement, the CEO interim was suppose to hold a company wide meeting, only to cancel 15 mins before and leave the premises. Having department managers inform their teams instead. It was absolutely surreal.

[@om3069]

I LOVED the 99 Cent Store so much. I still have my 99 cent electronic scissors lol

[@ryanjohnson4565]

Can I have them

[@aaronlane8276]

How do you make scissors electronic?

[@jordan_gekko]

I got my first job at this company when I was 16 and it was clear something was going to shift. I would say this video put it lightly from employee treatment to store cleanliness.

[@damien1781]

Loved the Las Vegas one and the one on Wiltshire blvd in LA… I was just in the Vegas one beginning of summer before it closed

[@thisisnotbyleth6836]

Working as a 99 member for 9 years was a little sad closing but also a lot of us know the company was at it limited when they stopped giving us raises for the last three years. Working the last day was cool we had a good bye party before all of us moved on. I now work at Sam's club now

[@ericspecht1609]

when I hear that *_"what's up guys"_* I know the vid about to be 🔥

[@Pink5G]

This is sad, weird to have memories of a store like this but I grew up in and out of poverty in socal and this was the place my family shopped, even as I started working myself and contributing to my family's income, and us eventually getting a more stable life, we still shopped at these stores, but I absolutely could tell when the company was taken over, the decline in each location was obvious and it kind of breaks my heart to only find out now how that came about.

[@risingembersgaming7740]

It feel weird watching this for free

[@шгх]

There was once a ¢99 store in my city but then it was shut down out of nowhere. For about three weeks there was nothing in the building then it turned into a Dollar Tree.

[@marineboy1964]

We have the same shops in Britain called poundland yes every in the shop was a £1 when they first opened but now hardly anything is a £1 , but they have changed the product they sell like fresh food , dairy, frozen, clothing, shoes , meal deals everything you can get at the local large supermarket but it's on a smaller scale, it was the only way to survive in a very competitive market and inflation, poundland have stores dotted all over Britain and are doing well

[@jennyhacking1289]

Is it poundland or poundworld which was sold off by owner but he stayed as a conaultant, when they didn't listen to him he opened his own stores called 1 below? It may just be a rumour as I heard about it from a colleague wheb a 1 below opened on our retail park.

[@Bushwacker1089]

Once again great video! I enjoy learning and just seeing what even business mistake can absolutely ruin a company.

[@ryanjohnson4565]

Like, totally.

[@hannes3452]

A new Video from BSF and the Life is better. 🙌

[@treynolds94]

Here in Canada we have Dollaramas. Iam 30 when I was 10 we actually had dollar stores where everything was $1 then over time went to $1.25. Then Dollarama took over nothing is a dollar. Now prices range from a $1.25 to now $5 for some items.

[@Marine0123]

Worked there until December of last year. amazing coworkers and management. Genuinely my most favorite job I've had

[@Truckngirl]

When I lived in LA and was poor, the 99₵ Only store helped me live a somewhat normal life. Mostly with food and cleaning products that cost many times more in regular retail. There were no other dollar stores there at that time.

[@qolspony]

The 99 Cents concept actually offer a better variety of products than the dollar stores. Like lead and fluorescent light bulbs, ECT. When I was in California, I had stopped going to Dollar Tree, because they were so much better.

[@EmmaOohLaLa]

Thanks Jake! Great video as always!

[@Hannah-uc4vb]

I live in El Cajon, California, and there was a $.99 Only Store up the street from my house. It's now a Dollar Tree.

[@wildace4535]

we need the 99 back

[@justruby2763]

Theres was a 99 cents only store nearby my house, it was about to be my birthday, when we went into the falling store, it was supremely empty. only the party section was open. we got the stuff we needed, then we left. I remember looking at it empty. the back (fridges?) closed, the other aisles? empty and taped. I will always keep that in a place in my heart. i will always thank 99 cents store for helping me make my birthday party great.

[@fakeologist1]

Proud to be a patron

[@bravefearlessswift2997]

The 99 Cent Store was my grandfather's favorite place to shop as things have gotten more expensive over the years. He passed away, but my grandmother is so sad that they're no longer around. I went with them often. Fond memories for a lot of us I can imagine!

[@AirbornChaos]

Once again, proof that everything private equity touches is driven into the ground while the private equity fund makes bank. Everyone loses except the billionaires.

[@Noche_Roja]

Killed one of my favorite stores that had a wide variety of party items, dead stock toys and kitchen items, a fun seasonal section AND sold ( well semi fresh ) fresh veggies and fruits for a reasonable price plus the stationary!!!! T-T It was so sad to see them go. Rest in peace 99 cent store you will be missed 🫡

[@80s-Fan]

I love your videos. Please do a bankrupt video of MARSH

[@genos_vacuum]

I wanted this video to be so much more longer. Either way, thank you for the entertainment.