Found @99only Store this week. The Zico coconut water was only available in pineapple flavor (our favorite) and it was 2 for 99 cents. The Tuberz organic yogurt flavors were not that great (apple splash and strawberry lemonade) but my kids will eat pretty much anything that comes in squeeze form if it’s sweet. Crystal Geyser available orange flavor and plain. And NO, they are NOT expired.

I like to pop into 99c Only Stores once in a while. Why not? If you can get something for half the price than in a larger store it kind of makes sense. But I do wonder why brand products like the Zico coconut water that can cost anything from $1.40 to $1.79 only cost me $0.50?

So here is what I’ve learned about shopping at dollar stores.  Name brands show up in several ways: manufacturer surplus, company overstock, new packaging, product-renaming, misprinted labels and much more. Upon any of these changes or mishaps, the product is sold to dollar stores at a lower price to “get rid of it.” What’s more, many of the no-name products are actually related to the brands we do recognize. Quality, or ingredients, can differ between the brand we know and the one we don’t, but often the difference is just the price. When a company develops a product that becomes very well-known and very popular, that product’s brand becomes a highly valuable commodity but there’s no reason the same manufacturer can’t make a cheaper, identical product to compete in the 99-cent store market.

How about you? Do you shop at dollar stores?