After 26 years in business… and the last 20 of them in Washington Township… the Royal Bargains Dollar Store in Turnersville is set to close by the end of January.
But with every door that closes another opens… and included in the November 15th announcement that local owners Joe and Kelly shared on Social Media is that also in January they are opening a new business just a few doors down in the shopping center!
Called Royal Cardz, the new 3,200sf store will focus on two of the most thriving categories at Royal Bargains; Collectible Cards and Party Balloons!
Located just a 2 minute walk down the sidewalk and positioned directly next to the recently opened Cafe Merlino, Royal Cardz will fulfill a dream that Joe has had since he was 10 years old… to own his own Collectible Card shop.
That being said if you’ve visited Royal Bargains in the last few years you already know that Joe has a big head-start on that dream, as the discount store features a fast growing section of collectible cards at the front of the store.
Sports cards are a big part of Royal Cardz, and just this afternoon they got in the 2024 Bowman U Chrome Hobby Box cards which showcase the stars of college football!
That being said their selection of Pokémon cards is gaining them a reputation… at a NATIONAL level.
Last year one of the largest Pokémon influencers with almost 3 million YouTube subscribers… visited the store and called Royal Bargains “The Best Hidden Pokémon Card Shop in America!”
And over the last year people have been traveling from hours to visit the store.. one person even flew in from Canada “I had miles to use”.
Now you start realizing that maybe there is a silver lining to this business change!
Royal Bargains – 26 Years Of Discount Deals
it’s interesting how in life things come around full circle.
Joe traces his history as a retail shop owner back to the early 1990s when he set up at the Tacony-Palmyra flea market selling sports cards out of his 1978 Chevy Nova!
That flea market experience expanded into other merchandise categories and in 1998 he opened up Royal Bargains in Clementon. A few years later he moved to Deptford before finally landing in Turnersville where Royal Bargains has found a home for the last 20 years.
The large 22,000sf building Joe found in Turnersville was previously a Drug Emporium, which made for a perfect (and large) Dollar Store. The Party Balloon area at the back of the store today was originally the Pharmacy (ahhh. yes now I see it!)
I spent almost an hour with Joe and Kelly today and they’re just absolutely wonderful people connected to their community and customers… to which Joe said:
You have become more than customers—you’ve become family. Together, we’ve survived a pandemic, celebrated the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, and shared life’s biggest milestones—from baby showers and birthdays to weddings and everything in between.
And they really are a family at Royal Bargains with several long term employees including Rich D – 26 Years, Joann S – 26 years, James S – 20 years of service!
The reason behind the Royal Bargain store closing? Joe simply stated… “due to current economic conditions“ they had to make the tough decision to close the large 32,000 square foot store.
I don’t think an explanation is needed more than that, but I’ll add that clearly the cost of everything is going up while at the same time consumers are pushing back on increases at the cash register… and it leaves shop owners like Joe and Kelly stuck in the middle getting squeezed and squeezed more every day with reduced profit margins.
Royal Bargains will continue to receive new inventory until the end of December, and they have started offering discount pricing with currently everything marked 10% off (excluding helium balloons and collectible cards related merchandise)
Royal Cardz
As mentioned the new Royal Cardz is opening in the same shopping plaza as Royal Bargains.. just a few units down next to Cafe Merlino.
In another Facebook post Joe provides more details on the upcoming Royal Cardz store:
We’re thrilled to announce the Opening of Royal Cardz in January 2025! Get ready for a one-stop shop for all things sports cards, Pokémon cards, and One Piece cards!
🔹 Singles: Rare, valuable, and fan-favorite cards from all your favorite sets
🔹 Wax: Packs, boxes, and sealed products from ALL years and sets
🔹 Whether you’re a collector or a player, we’ve got something special for everyone!
Stay tuned for more updates, exclusive releases, and grand opening specials!
👑 Royal Cardz—where your collection reigns supreme. 👑
As mentioned, the new Royal Cardz will also be offering the helium-filled party balloons at the new location.
Joe, Kelly and myself walked down to the new store which honestly surprised me in that it is much larger than I expected.
Joe explains they’ve had a lot of success with special “Trade Nights” for both sports cards and Pokémon… and they also plan on having tables setup for special game nights and tournaments…. Pokémon, Magic the Gathering and more.
So the space will be needed!
In fact this past weekend they held a Pokémon Trade Night and in a photo shared online, its clear it was a very popular event.
I’ll be back in January for the opening of the new Royal Cardz store!
Links and Location
Royal Bargains – Closing End Of January 2025
1 Shoppers Lane
Turnersville, NJ
Royal Cardz – Opening January 2025
7 Shoppers Lane
Turnersville NJ