Maricopa’s first discount store will shut its doors permanently by summer.

Discount giant 99 Cents Only announced yesterday it plans to close all 371 of its stores in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas, including the Maricopa location, with liquidation beginning today. The company shutters after 40 years.

Interim CEO Mike Simoncic called the decision “extremely difficult,” citing a change in the retail environment over the last few years.

“Unfortunately, the last several years have presented significant and lasting challenges in the retail environment, including the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting consumer demand, rising levels of shrink, persistent inflationary pressures and other macroeconomic headwinds,” he said in a statement.

Store manager Gabriel Delgado said while Maricopa’s location has always done well, he wasn’t sure when it will close.

“I haven’t received that information yet, but all stores have to be closed by June 3,” he said.  “It depends on how much inventory is left in each store.”

Maricopans welcomed the discount store in 2013 with a line of 400 people awaiting eye-popping discounts, which included 99-cent flatscreen TVs for the first nine customers.

Dollar Tree, the only other discount store inside city limits, opened in May 2018. Last month the retailer came under fire for hefty price hikes, with some items estimated to cost up to $7.

There is speculation this increase may result from the store seeing a larger wave of higher-income customers, based on comments CEO Rick Dreiling told USA Today last week.

“The fastest-growing demographic is north of $125,000 a year in income,” he said.

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