I like the concept of 99¢ Cents Plus Store. It kind of carries a swap meet feeling. You go in there…read morejust knowing that you are going to walk away with something useful and/or incredibly exciting. It literally brought me joy to shop around the store.
The store is large and has many aisles stacked with goodies, ranging from household items, food products, drinks, teas, jewelry, makeup, perfume, and clothing to daily essentials and fun gag gifts. You are bound to find something that you like!
One of the older male employees appeared kind and friendly. I appreciated his customer support despite our language barrier.
The ladies at the cash wrap were the downfall of the entire experience and are the primary reason I will not give a full five-star rating. Their unprofessional behavior and poor attitudes significantly impacted what was otherwise an enjoyable visit.
Upon checking out, I noticed that all of my goodies were ringing up well beyond what I had calculated. When I politely asked what the store charged for taxes, as the total was approximately $10-$20 higher than expected, one cashier stated that it was not something she would know. She did not offer to provide customer service by asking someone who did know. Intrinsically, I felt that she was not being forthcoming with me.
I told her, "No worries," and explained that I would set everything aside, review the items, and decide how I wanted to proceed. However, once she saw me pull out my calculator and begin reviewing the prices, she suddenly decided she wanted to answer my question--albeit begrudgingly.
She made several statements regarding the pricing and taxes that did not make much sense. The numbers kept changing, and there never seemed to be a clear explanation as to what was actually being charged. I eventually sought clarification from the other cashier, who appeared noticeably sour in her attitude toward me. She performed much the same dance as the first cashier.
It was not until someone I knew entered the store and we began socializing that a clearer explanation emerged. During our conversation, he asked a similar question regarding pricing. At that point, a more direct explanation was finally provided.
From my understanding, for many items priced at $1.00 or more, an additional dollar is added to the listed price. For example, if an item is marked at $2.00, the final shelf price may effectively become $3.00 before taxes. Items marked at $0.99 generally remain $0.99, excluding applicable taxes. Admittedly, there are not many items remaining at the true $0.99 price point.
From my understanding, this explanation does not account for the overall tax amount. I will be reviewing my receipt further and will update my review if necessary.
The pricing structure can leave customers feeling confused or even misled, so I would encourage shoppers to pay close attention to pricing and ask questions before completing their purchases.
That said, outside of the customer service concerns and the lack of pricing transparency, the store itself is truly a fabulous little addition to Long Beach. The variety of products, the treasure-hunt atmosphere, and the overall shopping experience make it a fun place to explore.
I would still recommend checking it out.
