99 Cents Only

The stores date back to the 1960s when the company’s founder, Dave Gold, inherited a tiny liquor store in downtown Los Angeles and decided to run a test by selling bottles of wine at a fixed price-point of 99 cents. The test was an instant success. Dave thought selling everything in the store for 99 cents would be hugely popular.

On “lucky” Friday, the 13th of August in 1982, Dave and Sherry Gold opened the first 99 Cents Only Store in Los Angeles. To celebrate the Grand Opening, Dave decided to sell television sets for only 99 cents to the store’s first 9 customers. More than 300 people showed up to stand in line and wait for the store to open. The huge line caught the media’s attention, and more than ten TV outlets covered the store’s first day. The success of this first grand opening inspired a tradition that continues today, with every new store offering incredible 99-cent deals for televisions and other exciting products.