99s Stores are something which only came to my attention because one opened up recently on my High Street, where the old Woolworths was. I wandered in 'just to see' and ended up buying two armfuls of stuff.

The gist of the 99p Stores is that nothing costs more than 99p (and in truth you will be hard pushed to find anything that costs less than 99p). They have managed to plug the gap that Woolworths left, but I actually think they've done it better. The whole shop seems well organised and the variety of items on sale is pretty wide - from confectionery to party ware to cleaning products to stationery.

You do need to be a bit careful though and not get swept up the 99p-ness of it all. They make their money by overcharging on many of the products so before you buy you should make sure that you can't get the item anywhere cheaper. Personally, I managed to bag myself two packs of biscuits for 99p that sell for 79p EACH in Sainsbury's. I also managed to get a big box of neon straws that would be perfect for summer parties and I've since seen an identical box selling for £1.50 in Sainsbury's.

99p Stores are now springing up all over the place (unless they have always been there and I've just never noticed before now) and they plug the gap between Woolworths and Wilkinsons in my opinion.

Great for a 99p bargain but make sure you are getting a bargain before you buy.