text: Cost Plus has been a lifesaver for me during my time here in Las Vegas I can still remember my first visit well cue the blurry squiggly lines and flashback music My wife and I stepped into the store and were surprised to discover it filled with all sorts of strange knickknacks plates wind chimes furniture It was like some sort of Ikea meets a middle eastern bazaar Ialmost walked straight out in bewilderment but my wife somehow managed to drag me in and we made it toward the back of the store and discovered the edible goodies from around the world and most importantly from AustraliannI was absolutely thrilled to discover that Cost Plus carries Australian Bundaberg Ginger Beer a product and brand ubiquitous in Australia complete in its brown glass stubby bottles The label is a little different than what I was used to featuring a kangaroo presumably as the most recognisable global signifier screaming Australia to Americans instead of some guy keggingup brewed drinks but the taste is the same Today my wife an American convert to the ways of Bundaberg and I cannot drive down Blue Diamond without a stop in to Cost Plus for fresh supplies of Bundaberg You will also find Cadburys chocolate the real stuff not the abominable version made by Hersheys that you will find in supermarket chains biscuits that is Commonwealthspeak for cookies from around the globe an assortment of imported wines international delights such as Vegemite and Marmite curry sauces salsas crackers and morennWhat prevents such a treasure trove of great memories from home and new international experiences scoring the perfect five stars Well firstly ninety percent of the store is the aforementioned nonedible odds and ends from around the world Fine they are international goods but stuff like this is imported all the time and I have seen it all before A plate or some knives and forms or a chair is the same wherever it is from The other problem is that Cost Plus in addition to carrying some wonderful stuff that you just cannot find elsewhere tends to pad its shelves with items that are already generally available in the US at grossly inflated prices I am sorry guys but Pataks Curry Sauces are not exotic and tough to find anymore My local supermarket sells them Darrel Lea Licorice from my home city of Perth Australia at a bag is too much to pay when target and Glaziers have it at a fraction of that price Ok so perhaps somewhere in the wilds of Wisconsin some of these things are not generally available but the store could easily adapt to suit each marketplace surely I can accept that while the homegoods dominance of this store is one of their main drives something I will have to live with and accept as just not my bag but when it comes to the food I would love to see the availableelsewhereformuchless chaff cut out so some more excitingly tough to find goodies can fill the resulting free space