Whenever a major retailer is closing down and is in the process of liquidating products, potential deals are to be had for customers—as long as they’re willing to scope out products and wade through throngs of other shoppers looking to capitalize on the misfortunes of these businesses.
Currently, tons of budget-friendly retailers such as Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have announced they would be closing down hundreds of their locations. While still in operation in many areas, other similarly branded stores are facing even more dire circumstances: 99 Cents Only Stores, the blue and pink labeled popular franchise, has announced that all 371 of its shopping centers will shutter its doors for good, according to USA Today.
A TikToker named Shy (@shysierra) is one of several social media users who’ve decided to post their low-price product pursuits online. For her, it was all about a specific type of ramen.
“When I tell you i RANNN,” she penned in a caption for the now-viral video that’s raked in over 2.6 million views as of Sunday.
She writes in a text overlay of her video, which begins in the parking lot of the soon-to-be-closing 99 Cents Only store: “Pov the 99 is closing so gotta secure all the pink buldak ramen ASAP.”
The clip then transitions to a new scene which depicts them walking into an aisle lined with pre-packaged foods. Shy grabs several of the pink ramen containers off the shelf and plops them down into the top part of her shopping cart.
The type of ready-to-make noodles is from the Buldak brand, which is offered at several other retailers, like Walmart. It’s the Samyang Spicy Chicken Noodle Carbonara Flavor Ramen, which packs palm oil, modified food starch, chicken flavor powder, yeast extract, and a cheesy/milk powder to add extra flavor. On Walmart’s reviews page, as of this writing, the ramen packs a 4 out of 5-star rating, with tons of people remarking that it’s their favorite tasting instant noodles product and that they’re “obsessed” with the offering, but that it goes “out of stock” quickly.
@shysierraa when i tell you i RANNN 😗😩😩😩 #99centstoreclosing #buldakcarbonara #buldakramen #buldakcarbonara #ramen #fyp #prayformystomach ♬ original sound – ACQUIRED STYLE
If you’re a big fan of the food with a relatively long shelf-life, following in Shy’s footsteps and stocking up on boxes of them at a discount might be ultimately worth it.
CBS News reported on the “scary” implications for low-income U.S. families and employees of budget retailers like 99-cent stores, especially in the aftermath of awful inflation hikes that have significantly precipitated since 2021.
Many people have had to flock to dollar stores for groceries as a means of combating food inflation, and now with so many closures, they may have to seek alternative means of securing groceries for themselves and their loved ones.
It doesn’t help that housing costs are some of the highest that they’ve ever been in America—in fact, it was easier to buy a home for folks in the Great Depression than it is for fully employed people today. It’s terrifying to think that for many Americans, their biggest expenditures are food and a place to live since 2021.
Commenters who responded to Shy’s video were shocked at seeing how quickly some folks work upon hearing the news of a store closure.
“Y’all it’s literally been like 15 hrs since the news yall gotta give it a few days for them to start discounting stuff,” one wrote.
Another person was upset at the offerings being sold at their own 99 Cents Only store, writing, “My 99 is so ghetto how do y’all have RAMEN.”
This was a sentiment echoed by someone else who speculated that their 99 Cents Only store would be around for a bit longer than others, considering the items it has on its shelves.
“YOU HAVE BULDAK AT YOUR DOLLAR STORE??? naw thats one of the top earning fancy ones, your store is closing last,” they said.
The Daily Dot has reached out to 99 Cents Only via email and Shy via TikTok comment.
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