99 Cents Only Stores

This 99 has come a long way with fresh produce deliveries 3 times a week (Tues./Thurs./Saturday) you can’t go wrong. The shelves are stocked daily. And the staff has had an over haul and knows what their doing and what to order. I would recommend everyone to try this place out. Where else can you get s pound of strawberries for .99!!!

This place has free parking and is close by to Pet Food Express and the dance studio where I take classes so it is very convenient! It is a little sketchy in this area but there is a great variety of products at bargain prices. I just decided to come here for the 4 for 99 cents holiday specials and found some gift card boxes, treat bags and ribbon all for 25 cents each! I also got Jakeman lozenges for 99 cents, as well as Lady Speed Stick deodorant, and knitted caps for the homeless.

People say its in a sketchy area, but I’m from west Berkeley, so I am used to it, but yes some might be weary of the area, but hey it has good selection of produce, food, and household items, etc. Good discount store, and it doesn’t hurt that they have a few cute cashiers ;).

Would give 3.5 stars.
Location:
–great! Plenty of parking and easily accessible to 2 major intersections: San Pablo and University
–close to 51B and 72 Bus stops
–good signage
–dirty/​really sketch feeling area.
–Lots of homeless old people
products:
–great selection
–good stock of items
–no coca cola products :(
–Helium balloons for cheap!
Other:
Overall you can’t beat the price, and it’s the price that attracts the unfortunate clientele. The staff is 95% friendly/​helpful/​normal people who are working hard to make a living. I can appreciate.

Es el mejor 99 © !!! Las bolsitas para regalo son iguales que las de Walgreens y mucho mas baratos… hay veriedad de dulces y galletas. Lo unico que no compraria ahi son los detergentes porque el quimico lastima la piel!

This is the place to start all weekly grocery shopping trips. It’s a bit of a shady area with homeless people and so forth, but it’s definitely worth it.
Great fresh produce, good deals, always something there that you thought you’d have to pay an arm and a leg for.

The Rivoli Theater is a 1926 gem with a glorious past. It was built during the age when architects and interior decorators put their heart into their efforts. And you can tell from the inside: the awe-​inspiring ceiling, the columns, the balcony, all make a classy place to watch a movie.
The Rivoli shut down long before most of us were born, and it’s now 99c Only.
But don’t fret, architecture lovers. You can still see the details written above by going into this store. And it’s a hoot to see how shoppers wanted to buy a balloon, but let a few others go by mistake, and now there are roughly 40 balloons at the top of the 40-​foot ceiling with no way to get them down :-)
Of course, it’s more likely that you’ll be going in here to buy household goods, food, health supplies, pet and baby needs, etc., all for only a dollar. The quality of merchandise has slipped from the days that I’d load up the car in Los Angeles with things that I bought at 99c Only while down there, but the dollar isn’t worth as much now as it was back then. But it’s still good merchandise, and a wide selection of it. In fact, 99c Only has a wider selection of goods than any other dollar store chain. What you don’t find here, you can probably find at Grocery Outlet, only half a mile west on University.
And if the thought of going to a cheapo depot makes you cringe, then you can always walk around and be inspired by the indoors of a former movie palace. ..

this 99 cents only store has been here for decades, so it’s one of the smaller stores. .
Store signs inside don’t say 99 cents only, signs read 99 thanks.
produce and frozen section very small, lots of canned food, snacks/​chips, paper products.
items ring up as 99.999 and it’s rounded up to $ 1.00 (yep, there’s a sign by the register of this quirk).
got some popcorners and popchips (.99)
–popcorners fab tasty, 6 flavors available.
noticed a box of triscuit already opened and sampled by a previous shopper. beware!

You won’t believe what is 99 cents that you just paid a crap ton more for.
Go here before you go shopping at those other stores!
I save a lot every month!

Beautiful building that houses a very scary 99 cent only store. I come for the prices but this place could be so much better.
Pros: The prices are dirt cheap. They have a fair selection of produce (often times it is rotting) and dairy. Considering the area, this is probably an oasis in the midst of very expensive bodegas and upscale groceries. Fairly good hours of operation. Selection is decent including quite a bit of cheap candy and spices.
Cons: Given the location you can imagine the clientele varies between those trying to save a buck and many of the other more «flamboyant» personalities of Berkeley. The security in the store is unwilling to throw out solicitors and troublemakers and instead they advise you to ignore them. Lines are usually very long, and cashiers seem uninspired to move quickly (I can’t really blame them at what I am sure is not an inspirational salary, but the management can’t really expect to make much $ if the quick shopper doesn’t repeat their business).
Dollar Tree on Gilman is much less scary and though it lacks a produce section, the store aisles are much cleaner and the staff is a lot more efficient (you still get the «flamboyant» Berkeley personalities too).

Possibly the most necessary store.
I used to go there often as a student, because an average student cannot spend more than few bucks a week on food, and yet they must survive, right? And this 99 cents only store is an oasis — the only place, where poor students can find food and afford to buy it.
But be careful with buying sweets! A lot of sweets cost about 10 to 20 cents less in other stores. So check the prices beforehand!!!

I sometimes come here to get random things in a pinch… dish soap (they DO sell brands like Palmolive, otherwise I’d probably stay away), sponges, can opener, other random cleaning supplies.
The service is slow and you can definitely tell who the frequent shoppers are here. They normally fill their carts full of stuff and pay with stamps. Coming from Vancouver, I have never seen this (We don’t have a food stamp system). The state of social welfare in this area saddens me a little bit, but that is not the point of my review.
There are almost always 2 – 3 guys sitting along the ledge outside either talking (excitably) among themselves or commenting on passerbys. One day, I walked passed and there was a middle aged man yelling in the parking lot. I avoided walking near him, and made sure I was in clear view of the security guard. Even though the security guard was basically pre-​occupied with his phone, I figured he would still be doing his job. When I walked passed him, instead of just acknowledging me, he laid a few cheezy pick up lines on me… that was not the response I was looking for.
Anyway, this store has a wide selection of things. from non perishable food items, to household goods and even fresh and frozen produce. If you’re on a tight budget or in a pinch, this is a good place to go. Otherwise, you probably want to stick to Target or similar stores.

This 99 Cents Only Store is one of best (and one of the few) things I like about living in Berkeley. I try to stop in here nearly everyday. Why? Because they get new stuff in every day and sometimes it goes very quickly.
I live nearby and I have to say this place has saved me alot of money and threatens to turn me into a beached whale. All that candy is not good to live near.
However, I have been truly amazed at the stuff I’ve found at this place– most recently they’ve had an abundance of name brand gluten-​free products: Glutino, Udi’s, Gluten Free Pantry… As someone working hard to not eat gluten (and feeling much better, thank you), this is a godsend. Frozen Udi’s bagels for 99 cents? Seriously? If you buy gluten free, you know these usually go for about $ 6 a bag. Ah-​mazing. Too bad they are so tasty AND loaded with fat. And they are NOT expired.
I’ve also got a bunch of very cool patio stuff here, including some great paper lanterns with LED lights, citronella stake candles. The list goes on. Dish soap, garden supplies, even some very, very nice live painted daisies that are now growing in my new flower garden– 99 cents store truly does have it all at one point or another. I even got some of those «magic» gloves with the finger tips that work on touchscreens. I love it.
When I move from here (and I will!), one of the things I’ll miss most is this store.

As an A-​class penny pincher, the 99 cent store is my heaven. Everything’s 99.99 cents or less! (unless you buy the gallon milk which is $ 2.99)
This store is a hit or miss depending on when you go. Sometimes, there’s great stock and sometimes there isn’t, but on a good day, you can get brand name items for 99.99 cents.
I’ve gotten Prego spaghetti sauce, tortilla chips that are sold at Whole Foods, bunches of bananas, grapes, bags of sweet oranges, and these peanut butter/​chocolate Ritz crackers that are at Target for $ 3!
Prices are a steal after holidays. After Valentine’s Day, they had bags of Russel Stover caramel-​center chocolates for only 25 cents!
The only thing is that the store definitely isn’t the cleanest and it’s kind of shady and sketchy.
Other than the possible bodily harm you can incur from the sketchiness of the place, the deals are to die for!

Came here tonight to get some cupcake mix and I also bought a chicken flavored cup noodle. For both, it was only 1 buck and 30 cents. They have a ton of stuff here from vegetables, canned foods, candy, toys and spices.
Tonight was the first night I noticed the ceiling. It’s really beautiful and striking. Sometihg I would not expect in a store like this.
Will probably be checking this place out a little bit more from now on.

Came here to stock up on apartment supplies (random? perhaps) and at first I was super duper excited at the prospect. What can I say– I’m a college student, so anything super cheap is pretty awesome in my book.
This 99-​cent store was kind of weird though. Mostly because there was this odd gas leak-​type smell in the store the entire time, so I was super paranoid and only took shallow breaths. But in spite of that, we got a HUGE haul of items, including rice-​a-​roni (so easy to prepare!), a popsicle tray (THE BEST), and even mashed potatoes!
Best part? All of the items we bought (there were lots, I promise) added up to just under $ 25– what a steal!
Basically, use your logic here. You DO get what you pay for, so shop carefully, check up on those expiration dates, and remember to drop by the Little Caesar’s Pizza nearby. Seriously, that place is a gold mine.

Lots of super cheap crap, just as you would expect, but super scary store. The security and patrons at the front made me feel much less than safe here!
Will not be back again, and suggest women alone avoid this store.

I LOVE a good deal, and what better way than to hit up the 99 cents store?
I know, I know people are scared of shopping at 99 cents stores, but here are my tips for you.
1. Always check the expiration date. Granted a few things may expire in a few months, but most of the things here are good!
2. Things to buy: Movie Candy! Spices! Dish detergent! Band-​aids! And, other junk– food or daily necessitates (ie. paper towels) you might need.
3. Go for the Groceries! This may sound strange for a few, but 16 oz of baby carrots for 99 cents? 8 oz of portobello mushrooms for 99 cents? Berkeley Bowl, you ripped me off!
4. Come in every few weeks and walk up and down every aisle. Just the other day, I bought some Easy Baked Oven mix. Not for me, but for my gf’s niece. There’s always great gifts for little kids.
This location is a rather larger 99 cents store so have fun! I think the building use to be a theater so it’s kind of interesting to see how it’s been revamped.
Oh, they sell condoms here for 99 cents for a pack of 12. Um. I dont trust them. Let’s just stick to Trojans from CVS, shall we?

These stores are so fun while shopping but often at the end we have to go through and take out silly things we put in just because they were 99 cents or sometimes…79 cents. How do these places make money *scratch head*? Sometimes its quite an adventure because a cart full becomes 3 – 4 things after we throw out the unnecessary.
As I was rolling my eyes at what my baby sister put in the cart I caught a glimpse of the wall. What the heck? The ceiling is gorgeous! I stood there with my head rolled back for about 5 minutes looking at all the intricate details and beautiful structures!!!
I don’t ever go to a 99 cent store to buy food or snack because in the back of my mind I’m always wondering where they got it from and why it is so cheap. Near expiration date? Recalled? Who knows? But I’m here for gift bags, little trinkets, plastic boxes, nick knacks.

First time to the 99c Only store in Berkeley. We went in to look at the ceiling and balcony because it used to be an old theater. Friend said it was a Long’s not too long ago.
Lots of cheap items and no name brands. There’s also some produce like veggies & fruits that I didn’t want to buy.
Hubby got one small bag of Doritos Blazin Buffalo Ranch chips. It’s like a mix of Cool Ranch & Spicy he thought was all right. $ 1 total — no tax.

I wonder what this used to be before it became a discount store because it has arching ceilings with paintings and statues on the corners, kind of like what you see in older churches.
My purpose in the 99 cent store was to find some Halloween décor for the office. The selection was so-​so for what I was looking for which were cobwebs and Halloween cutouts for the wall (which I did find). Other items they had were Halloween costumes, party treats, trick-​or-​treat bags, and candy bowls.
The store carried some brand name items and some generic stuff. I bought a can of tomatoes and green bell peppers for my Mexican rice. It’s definitely a hit or miss depending on what you’re looking for and can save you some, more or less, money.
Happy Bargain Shopping!