Dollar Tree opens new location at shuttered 99 Cents Only store in Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELISNORE, Calif. (KABC) -- Dollar Tree is branching out in the City of Lake Elsinore.

"There is one over by the Lowe's, so we're kind of confused on, are they moving that one over here? Or are there going to be two ... like what's going on?" wondered resident Elizabeth Noonan.

The answer is the company is adding another store. Employees were busy inside the Collier Avenue location stocking shelves and preparing the discount store for its opening later this week. The location may be familiar to customers who previously shopped at the 99 Cents Only Stores.

"They're going to need something there. People need something ... you got to go shop," said resident David Chyzinski.

In April, California-based 99 Cents Only Stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced it would be closing hundreds of stores. It later announced that it acquired designation rights for 170 leases of 99 Cents Only Stores across Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas.

"Dollar Tree found that our market was a priority market that they needed to saddle our community with one on each of our book ends because of the high demand that we have within the City of Elsinore," said Lake Elsinore Director of Economic Development Gina Gonzalez.

By planting another location, Dollar Tree is providing residents with options closer to their homes. For Lynn Stevens, it doesn't matter which store is coming in - she's just looking for value.

"I am glad that a business is going in there," she said. "I'm not partial to any particular 99 Cents store, to be honest. I shop where I can get the best deal. I've got two kids, one is a teenager."

The doors will once again be open for business on Thursday.