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Recent years have forced various retail outlets to reconsider how they do business. Some find themselves forced to shut down completely; whereas others are downsizing or reworking their business models.

This comes at an unfortunate period for many working-class Americans who depend upon employment in the retail sector. With more of these businesses closing down or reducing operations, there's an uptick in people looking for extra work to make ends meet.

As time passes, this problem appears to be getting worse, rather than better. The latest case emerges amid a new announcement from 99 Cents Only.

This discount store is fully leaving the United States

On Friday, 99 Cents Only revealed that it'll be bidding farewell to each of its locations across America. This means all 371 locations will shut down and any individuals working in them will need to seek employment elsewhere.

According to the retail chain, financial problems largely motivated this decision. Mike Simoncic, the interim CEO of 99 Cents Only, announced that COVID disruptions, inflation, and changes in consumers' interests, among other factors, made continuing on virtually impossible.

As a result of this, the discount store's only logical step forward is an "orderly wind-down."

This hurts not just individuals employed by 99 Cents Only, but also various community members who relied upon these locations to shop for goods. Budget-friendly stores are also becoming harder to come upon as even locations like Dollar Tree begin gradually increasing prices.

Alternative employment opportunities

Americans who are seeing their hours cut or pulled altogether in the retail sector are thankfully not without recourse.

Over the years, the gig/freelance economy has flourished, giving folks greater access to earned income via rideshare driving, shopping for other people's groceries, and delivering takeout to people's homes.

With time and consistency, each of these avenues can increase earnings for Americans who need to bridge certain financial gaps. Some of the best apps to find gig work through are as follows:

• Uber
• UberEats
• Lyft
• Instacart
• Postmates
• Grubhub
• DoorDash

Further alternatives for gig and freelance work can be found on Upwork. Here, independent contractors set up profiles to promote their skillsets and apply for jobs. Those who do good work also find that businesses and clients frequently approach them with job opportunities.