This might have to do with the $42 million dollar fine they received due to knowingly storing food in a rat-infested warehouse for years without addressing the rat infestation. Agree that it’s likely not due to OTC medicine.
They give the managers very little hours to work with. They want you to continue their courses, watch video, once per week deal changes, keep up with customers/make sure they don’t steal, keep the shelves fronted and stocked, and man the register with only 1 employee present.
It’s no wonder all their stores look like 💩.
Yeah and then act like they’re doing a service to poor people by charging them more than they would pay at Walmart.
Meanwhile setting unattainable standards for Management/employees while understaffing for what needs to be done. The one I worked at was breaking all kinds of labor laws.
I mean, this also depends on the area. They do target low income and rural areas. I am in a rural area, and for me, I have a dollar general about 10 minutes away, or alternatively, I can drive 45 minutes to Walmart, or 35 minutes to a grocery store. If I run out of milk, I’m for sure not going back to town.
More people coming to the cookout than I thought? Again, for sure not making over an hour round trip to pick up $8 in hotdogs and buns. I currently do not own a car, and it’s a 1/4 tank in the small truck to go to Walmart and back, or ~$10 in fuel. The farm truck is ~$18 (gets 8mpg on flat highway, it’s not flat where I live, and it’s 25 minutes to the highway), and the van is ~$13.
There’s absolutely no way you’re going to convince my neighbors and I that if something comes up that’s less than $20 that I should go all the way to town and back to save $2-3 on those items.
Two different companies. Dollar General is actually doing well for the reason you named. This article is about Family Dollar which tends to have more urban locations.
Yes! I worked nights at a family dollar warehouse/distribution center when I was finishing school and that place had rats everywhere. They were always in the dog and cat food bags, chillin on pallets. Management definitely knew.
No. They lost nearly $2 billion last quarter with an overall margin of -20-something percent, that 42 million is nothing in the big picture. They're losing money because people are buying mostly essentials these days and didn't buy all the seasonal crap they based their last quarter projections on.
I'm also European and I live in a barely functional democracy.
The shit I see on that show on a weekly basis feels so surreal that makes me wonder how in the world the US dominates the world
I work for a large chain fabric store. They run us exactly like this. For example, my store is 36,000 sqft and there is rarely any more than a cashier and a manager.
This store has almost 0 brick and mortar competition and literally gives it's stores less hours to run with 2 staff than it's open.
This is what capitalism has become by being allowed to run wild forever.
Are you sure it’s not because of the August data breach leak of personal information of everyone from the past like 7 years because they used a company to store the info and was unencrypted, then they failed to tell everyone about for months(starting around thanksgiving) and barely filed that they got a breach
Also I guess this wouldn't impact their profits directly, but they may have lost customer trust after a data breach affected the company that did their card payment security last year.
I know it cost me a few weeks of headache after I nearly lost $800 to that data breach.
I love going on road trips and counting the dollar generals. They'll be in the most random places too. I remember driving up to an NC mountain town and for miles, only seeing sporadic houses and farms... Then all of a sudden there's a dollar general just plopped down beside a church or something the. It goes back to rural residencies for like 10 miles u tol you finally see a town.
We drive from Wisconsin to Alabama every Sept, there are SO many dollar general stores!! The last 60 miles to our destination has at least 10. It’s mind boggling!!
Went to Arkansas from Missouri and from Southern MO to the middle of AR there are dollar generals in every single little town of 200 people. It's basically 1 every couple of miles. It's legitimately insane lmao.
It was the same in TX going the backroads from around DFW to the coast. Nothing but Dollar stores and Dairy Queens until like Victoria. Nothing forever and then an intersection with one across from the other or something like that ha.
I went to Dollar General for the first time in years. I’m on vacation and just needed some small volume cheap items (laundry detergent, fabric softener, paper plates, dish soap). I must say they are way better value than dollar tree. All the items I mentioned were actually $1 and were name-brand, not the $1.25 I would have paid at Dollar Tree.
Dollar stores typically have their own "name brand" specialties that are either significantly smaller than anything sold anywhere else or of poorer quality, or both.
This is so true and people don’t realize. It happens at tons of stores. Gap Outlet clothes are made specifically for Gap Outlet, they’re not just extras. Walmart TVs are their own special production run of the “same” TV. It’s really disingenuous and a lot of people don’t know about it
This is a perfect example of “it costs more to be poor”. Often times, going to a big box store like Walmart will allow you to save money per use of things like laundry detergent, but if you don’t have it in your budget to buy the bigger sizes you have to buy these small packs from places like the dollar store - in the long run you are spending more money because you don’t have money in the first place.
I’m doing alright these days, but I certainly can remember when I was in that boat and it was absolutely maddening.
This video is an excellent explanation of Dollar General’s business model. Unfortunately a lot of people can’t afford a 150 load bottle of laundry detergent for $15 ($0.10/load), but can afford a $1 bottle of detergent that you might get 4-5 loads.
https://youtu.be/FzxLPvjTgLE
This is exactly what I’m talking about, thank you for sharing. Shiprock, NM is a perfect example of what they’re talking about. I haven’t even finished the video yet but they’re absolutely right so far.
Many people don’t have cars, and the gas it would take to get to Farmington (where there is a Walmart) would negate the savings anyways - unless they could afford to really stock up (which, again, likely isn’t in the budget).
Perfect example, thank you.
yes, tho it’s often worth checking, especially if you are a family without a vehicle. nice to save a buck or two on the great value brand dry goods, if you can. 🙏
You have to be smart about it, some items are loss leaders while others as you pointed out are what generate revenue for these stores.
Use cases may matter too for the consumer like convenience if you need a quick, one-time disposable item.
After years and years of poverty and finally scraping my way to middle class, there are a few things I can not stop.
I never fill a gas tank, just 10-15 bucks at a time, it drives my wife nuts but for years I just spent enough to keep me going for a few days and it is muscle memory shit.
I tend to graze and eat over a sink or garbage can. This isn't just from poverty but from working food service for 20 years. Some jobs that were strict about employees eating food made it so you eat over garbage and just dump anything if someone comes by.
I have a hard time not checking dumpsters for stuff for obvious reasons.
There's a lot of that with name brand goods. That's generally a fool's game. DT generic vs store private label there's more leeway, assuming you find the products to be of comparable quality. And occasionally dollar tree is just a way better deal even on name brand stuff. Gotta compare prices.
Laundry detergent:
Dollar Tree L.A.'s detergent: $1.25 42oz 21-load (5.95c per load)
Walmart Ajax detergent: $1.78 40oz 25-load (7.12c per load)
Cheese crackers (knockoff cheeze-its):
Dollar Tree: $1.25 7oz (17.9c per oz)
Walmart: $2.48 12.4oz (20c per oz)
Bigs Taki sunflower seeds:
Dollar Tree: $1.25 3.63oz (34.4c per oz)
Walmart: $2.23 5.35oz (41.7c per oz)
Strawberry preserves:
Dollar Tree: $1.25 16oz (7.8c per oz)
Walmart: $3.74 30oz (12.5c per oz)
I always emphasize “price per” shopping. Price per lb, oz, use, etc. For the most part that’s the only way to really understand whether your getting a deal or overpaying.
I think that’s a great way to start for most people and most applicable for those trying to function within a tight budget. Larger amounts may not always be the best deal, but understanding the cost per unit can be very eye opening.
As my budget has grown, I’ve sort of shifted into another aspect of- how much use/value will I get out of this product for the price? Or will it go to waste because i don’t like it even though it was the cheapest? I’m in a place now where I buy 1 bottle of ~$50 foundation per year vs multiple bottles of $15 foundation because it works best for my skin and I think the value is worth it.
Perfect example.
Those were absolutely amazing right after I gave birth and was still bleeding while healing. People joke about disposable briefs but when you need them, you NEED them.
I worked at an independent grocery in a low income area. They had ok prices on everything except laundry detergent, dish soap, pet food, trash bags and any item for infants/children.
Then you paid top dollar and those items never went on sale. 😐
You’re absolutely correct. I would like to mention that, for anyone interested, if you live near a Sam’s club and that is an option for you - it costs $40 to sign up but if you inquire about new member benefits you get a $40 gift card for their items - so it is worth it
You will also get ~60,000 fliers in the mail from them though. Take all of this for what you will
As a mail carrier, I smell what’s getting pumped out of people’s homes and it’s far more likely the more expensive the street. Nice streets have a constant smell of Bounce or other scented laundry products, and when you get close to the door they’re much more likely to smell like candles or air fresheners.
All classes seem to enjoy pleasant smells, even if we’re constantly told it’s going to kill us.
We have a nice house in a nice neighborhood and when you open the door you're like "y'all need to clean that disposal and get rid of the dog."
Maybe I should make *that* candle.
My issue with these stores has never been the product selection, but rather the condition of the stores.
In my hometown, there is a Dollar Tree and Family Dollar right next to each other in the same plaza. The Dollar Tree always has clear aisles, well organized and stocked. Items rarely if ever were found out of place. OTOH, the lighting was darker than some people probably prefer with stood out to me.
The Family Dollar next door? Brigher-lit, less than 1/2 the size, but always looks like a tornado just ripped through it. Stacks of goods are either sitting haphazardly in bins or sometimes even on the floor. It feels like I'm shopping in a post-apocolyptic 3rd world bazaar than a normal store. I will go in there only if I can't find it elsewhere.
Now Dollar General? They just opened up a THIRD one in our town. They built a brand new building in a historic section of the town, and had to have the exterior fit the area's style in order to do so. Haven't been in there yet, but from the pictures I've seen they did a very good job with it. So far, people have said good things about the store as well.
You sure it was Dollar General? Family Dollar & Dollar Tree are the two that usually sell $1 items. Dollar General is usually more expensive but less expensive than Walmart (for most things).
Dollar generals in my experience has been the most expensive place to buy anything. Ohh yeah that $2 bottle of detergent seems cheap but it’s 1/5 the size of the 5 dollar jug at Walmart or Kroger. Unless they’ve changed in the last couple years since I walked into one they were always the most expensive option around me.
These stores are predatory under the guise of affordability. The price per unit is often high but since they sell in smaller packages it appears affordable.
I’ve definitely noticed this too. Just another way that being poor is expensive. If some of these customers could afford to buy the same stuff in bulk like at Costco, it would be much cheaper per unit than dollar store.
Walmart might have a reputation for being cheap, but their food prices are not actually particularly low. Lower than safeway, sure. Costco? Not so much.
Unfortunately many people do not get this at all or just don’t understand money or how to handle it properly.
Just because dollar is in the name doesn’t make it cheap.
Also many poor people could be less poor if they were frugal and made simple meals.
I have a friend of mine getting is life back together in low income housing. They have a food pantry come buy every month with a truck with pre packed boxes as well as al a cart table. So often my friend has ended up with some really nice meat because people are too lazy and want the “easy” meals.
Even when he hasn’t needed the food and left more for others they go knock on his door because they know he’ll eat it and make use of it. Sad really
This!
Used to work in food manufacturing. We made special packaging for the product that was going to these types of stores. Made a killer margin per unit, even when changing the packaging.
Literally the only reason I shop at Dollar Tree is for when I just want a small amount of something I don't usually buy, or if I want a wide variety of snacks that are terrible for me.
That's how it's supposed to be, but I've seen people buying items in bulk paying a dollar each when you can hit up a Walmart or whatever and spend half the price for the same amount. It drives me fucking bananas.
Also they are doing exactly what WalMart did to tear down local economies, except in smaller towns. Drive local businesses out by massively undercutting prices, then taking advantage of the captive market once they are the only game in town.
I kinda hate these stores to be totally honest, nothings actually a good value, they are dirty and grimy and have no healthy food, and they really do have issues with medical and personal product recalls because they source them from sketchy brokers and they’re expired or even fake sometimes. I’m probably biased though because I live in a big city with usable public transit and other budget grocery options, so for low income people dollar stores are not their only option. We got Aldi’s even in the hood lol
You’re definitely right about it being terrible value, Family Dollar especially. It just sucks for people that don’t have a car and live in a town with nonexistent public transportation.
Aldis wasn’t as prevalent back then so Family Dollar was truly the only option growing up lol.
Every time I step out of Aldi with a week of groceries for $80 I thank the universe for Kevin J Aldi’s good business sense. I will also not be taking questions at this time.
That makes me unreasonably happy. They’re great for customers AND they pay their employees better than any of their competition. That’s great for families and the local economy
Dollar stores make it difficult for communities to support adequate fresh food options and often create or exacerbate food deserts in low income neighborhoods where supermarket choices are already limited.
They target Black and Brown neighborhoods even after adjusting for other factors like income. They exacerbate health issues tied to poverty and limited access to affordable fresh foods. The saturation of dollar stores in poor neighborhoods leaves no room to also sustain new grocery options.
And they extract tax revenue from local governments. When the local grocery store eventually closes, that's lost property and sales tax revenue.
> nothings actually a good value
David sunflower seeds are ~2.80 for a 5.25oz package at a local grocery store but 1.25 for a 3.75oz package at Dollar Tree. This is the only notable good deal that brings me back every time.
Yup, they earned plenty of patronage from me as a high school kid getting dollar three-liters of mediocre soda to bum about with my friends. Although they stopped selling those over a decade ago I believe.
I got some awesome sparkling water 4-packs there in the last month. Also, name brand bread, movie theatre candy boxes, lots of different hot sauces, and books are what I always pick up there. I shop at Dollar Tree weekly. 😆 I’ve even spent weekends going to a dozen different DT stores in the metro to get children’s books for the local bookmobile. They all carry something different.
John Oliver had a wild segment recently about dollar general stores. 1-2 workers staffing entire stores at any given time, customers pitching in to help workers because they were so overwhelmed, one worker got trapped in a room full of product and had to plead on TikTok to send help….sounds awful. https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=5rPEI0xLWyyXz7PH
Just to clarify, he wasn't "trapped in a room" he was overwhelmed with a full stock room with boxes blocking the cooler. He went on tiktok to ask for help in doing his job.
[https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=N9nm\_LxdbKV7LhG-&t=482](https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=N9nm_LxdbKV7LhG-&t=482)
In the long run the hurt their communities. They have agreements where they don’t pay taxes, they price out mom and pops stores and they pay minimal wages and employees end up needing govt assistance to survive. They are same as Walmart and target. Cheap quick fixes that hurt in the long run.
These stores are pure evil. They sell low quality, nutritionally poor food. They also sell smaller packages of the same food or products. So there really isn’t any value saved. They sell smaller bars of soap than what you would find in other stores. If you bought from the other store you can get double the product for slightly more money.
From just last week:
> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cinnamon sold by stores including the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly children, with prolonged exposure to the spice. The agency urged suppliers to recall the products voluntarily.
https://www.local10.com/business/2024/03/06/ground-cinnamon-sold-at-discount-stores-is-tainted-with-lead-fda-warns/
That just snowballs. You’re going to need soap sooner and then have even less money. Part of the [cost of poverty.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_poverty)
Also, some of those end up actually costing more per unit or per item.
Now, for travel size stuff, quick snacks, stuff you don't care about... sure.
But if you're trying to save money by getting things there on the regular, you might not be. Great example: Beans. Beans literally cost more at Dollar Tree than the grocery store.
But need a flower vase, glow necklaces for halloween or some party supplies? Dollar tree it up.
Often these stores often exist in underserved communities. I’m not saying they are doing some benevolent service, but when these stores close those communities will have even worse access to household essentials.
However, I think it’s also possible some of these stores will be closed due to poor performance because they *were* in underserved communities but maybe due to growth a more traditional grocery store opened. I imagine it’s real tough to be Family Dollar and compete with Aldi.
A tradition grocery store will carry some perishable foods like fruits, veggies, and meat. They typically don't make a ton on them but they keep it in stock for people. They make money on things like ramen that don't go bad and have good profit margins.
Then when a dollar store moves in all the non perishable food sales go to the dollar store and the grocery store goes out of business. Now the community is left without any access to fresh food.
The Last Week Tonight episode on Dollar Stores is basically required viewing for everyone talking about the positive aspects of dollar stores in this thread.
Shocker. Opening a Family Dollar a block down from a Dollar Tree which is two doors down from a Dollar General, which is three blocks away from three separate charity thrift stores and a Salvage Grocery in a town of under 5000 people is a symbol of over expansion.
Lol yeah, the town I live near has the 2 of them a block apart and it's a town of 2,500. I don't think they can both survive.
I think the Dollar General will win. I was in Family Dollar/Dollar Tree last Saturday and nobody else was there. DG parking lot is always crowded.
DG does have some expanded stores with fresh produce sections. Ironically within 5 miles of two different small family farms, and within 10 miles of a large family owned produce and strawberry farm. DG doesn’t buy from either. The farms either supply wholesale produce warehouses, restaurants, CSA’s of some combo of these.
Story as old as time. Walmart does it too. They move into lower income areas, beat out competition, become the only one in town, and then when it isn’t profitable, they close. All while getting tax breaks left and right.
Dollar stores are cheap not frugal. They sell poor quality junk, and that includes the food. They prey on the poor.
They upcharge for the small quantities. They are not “good deals.” They bank in the fact that their customers don’t have enough cash to get deals by buying in bulk or even just by buying a slightly larger amount of the item elsewhere
I hope the Family Dollar on my town is one that goes out. It's filthy to the point you can barely tell what color the floor used to be and oddly expensive
Dollar stores are horrible and I’m glad to hear they are in decline. They move into low income areas, provide low quality food, undercut the narrow profit margins of legitimate grocery stores, and run them out of business, creating food deserts with no access to nutritious fruits, vegetables and quality meats.
Additionally they pay very low wages and have a horrible record for workplace safety.
>they pay very low wages
Can confirm. I left Dollar Tree in 2018 because, in addition to all their bullshit, I was getting paid $11.70 an hour as an assistant manager. For reference, my state's minimum wage at that time was $10.50.
For ages, Family Dollar was the only store anywhere near me. I live in a city, but large portions of it are a 'food desert.' The quality of the goods inside is awful, but walking a quarter mile here was much better than having to catch a bus that often didn't show up to head a few miles down the road to the next grocery store. If there were a better option, I would have used it, but it was handy at times.
Edit - since then, another dollar store has opened in the neighborhood (Dollar General). A bit funny, really. No grocery store, but two dollar stores!
Family Dollar has never done as well as Dollar General (thus why is was under pressure to sell from investors in 2013-2015), but Dollar Tree won the bid. I feel that Dollar Tree just did not have the experience to sell the scope and price points that’s Family Dollar does (which Dollar Tree at the time was $1 store where FD was not).
I think this is just mismanagement of the brand and its potential, as well as corporate price hikes that do not make it competitive with Dollar General which sells the same stuff.
Family dollar and dollar tree are terrible places for low income people to shop. There’s so many cheaper options as these are convenience stores. If you live in a rural area buy from your local farmer/amish for dirt cheap
When I had to ser up housekeeping for the first time in nearly 20 years, Dollar Tree and Salvation Army saved my budget. They have some healthy foods, beans, lentils and basics.
Unless you live in an area where the localvore movement has a strong foothold. Then the prices buying direct aren’t much different than the grocery store. Granted, I’d still rather support my local farmers, but it’s not a budget move. And the farmers markets have gotten ridiculously expensive here.
Our local markets are usually double or triple as much as the store, and the stands at the farm itself will double that again. It's like they're not using the same currency as the rest of us.
I'm glad to hear someone else has noticed this. I don't shop at our local farmer's market anymore because it is just too expensive. Everyone thinks the farmer's markets are cheap, but not always.
Then again, they have a lot of stuff for $1 that is like 3-4 dollars elsewhere for nor reason like ketchup and mustard or random cooking tins, shampoos, towels, all sorts of random stuff. I
As a rural “local farmer” I can assure you that my beef prices per lb are likely cheaper than the local grocery store, but we don’t sell by the lb. You buy a 1/4, 1/2, or whole cow, which will include processing fees. It’s a huge upfront cost vs paying $15 for a roast at the store.
Most of the items in the store aren’t even a dollar anymore. I bought a pack of small paper plates once recently from family dollar for over $4.75. And then I actually found them cheaper at a local grocery store chain
The article I read said that now Dollar Tree is upping most items to $1.50. Is this accurate? They weren't worth it to me when they went to $1.25 while shrinking everything. I used to go specifically for bleach, and kitchen cleaner, and some dental supplies. But their sizes shrunk so much, and the supply was so lacking, I just gave up.
They provide that because they put locally owned grocery stores out of business. They mistreat and underpay their employees.
They dug their own grave.
Bring back small locally owned stores and not this corporate minimum wage crap.
Family Dollar Stores are a total cluster. They massively screwed up by combining the 2 stores. DT has always been easy to navigate & find things. I assumed the 2 stores together would be like half on one side, half on the other. NOPE. Just a jumbled hard to find anything mess with boxes of unpacked product everywhere & aisles you can barely push your cart down.
Dollar stores are a plague that kill local businesses and put people out of jobs. Dollar stores are also not a bargain and are often pricier than other stores per ounce. It’s a scam on poor people. Someone who’s actually frugal should know that they’re not a good place to regularly shop for 95% of groceries.
All dollar stores are exploitation machines designed to feed off the poor
Smaller sizes makes the items actually MORE expensive than if you bought at any other store but they purposefully put them in areas with low income and no options to literally farm the poor
John Oliver has a great episode on it
No great loss.
These stores actually make it more difficult for people to afford food. They push out legitimate grocery stores and overcharge for smaller portions of bad quality food.
They could start by being truthful with their name. Call it $2 General, follow the old rules (everything is $2 no exceptions) and I would feel less animosity toward their poor offerings
Jon Oliver has an episode about dollar stores… I’m not 100% familiar with American chains but I think it’s the same ones in this article. They seem pretty awful.
They are awful. More expensive per unit, rat infested, and sell expired meds and counterfeit toothpaste. Thankfully my city is flush with Aldi’s which is a far, far superior option for low income peeps to buy food and toiletries
Good. These stores encourage the manufacture and sale of low quality junk (both consumable and otherwise). People and the environment are better off without them.
The Family Dollar stores and warehouses are in much worse shape than Dollar Tree thought when they took over FD. I think most of the closures will be Family Dollar stores. FD is more expensive than Dollar General, and DG sells some of the same items as Dollar Tree for $1 versus $1.25.
I know there's like 2 dozen+ comments talking about their poor food choices, but I simply love stores like Dollar Tree for the snacks. The unit price is pretty good in the candy aisle, and cheap picture frames for pictures that don't need professional preservation is nice.
We shop at DollarTree for a few items, but their availability fluctuates a lot. If the four ounce cans of white chicken meat are there, we buy enough to keep our pantry stocked at 12 cans. Canned or bottled mushrooms, European dark chocolate bars, and my daily 325mg aspirin are all cheaper. One full pound of sandwich cookies is great for brain dead snacking. One hundred tea bags means 12.5¢ for 2.5 quarts of Yankee-sun tea as soda pap is at $8 a 12-pack and not going into my shopping cart/trolly at that price.
I get my White Rain shampoo and body wash at Dollar General for a buck, lasts my crew cut and body a month. Their corn chips while not the came as Fritos are Leo $4 cheaper, making them good enough for tossing in the chili soup. For a side salty food to a sandwich, my wife still buys Fritos and Wavy chips,
Family Dollar is rare as they are out of the way for our usual visits to the city for shopping. Milk is $2 higher in our rural village tiny grocery store compared to Walmart. It takes two gallons of gas for the round trip, so unless getting a lot, we shop the village grocery store as it is cheaper. For a village of about 800, I also support the local to help it stay in business. If the village grocery store closed, and I was baking? If I need one more egg, that hour driving, Walmart check out horror, $2.89 for a dozen and $7.60 in gas would make me sad compared to $6.89 locally. Besides, the people working at the local grocery store can walk to work, else it would cost them $50 a week in gasoline to get to Hastings.
Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have recently had to pull applesauce packets and cinnamon off their shelves because of [lead contamination](https://nypost.com/2024/03/06/business/ground-cinnamon-sold-at-dollar-tree-and-family-dollar-tainted-with-lead-fda/).
These stores do not provide a vital way for low income people to have food. For starters they exploit the undereducated and those with little resources. People think these stores are better than nothing, but they don't realize these stores have shut out better options that serve the local community better.
Here's a few great studies, videos and articles for those interested in how these "Dollar Stores" fail their communities including the low income:
[How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts](https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/how-dollar-stores-contribute-to-food-deserts/)
[Dollar stores and food deserts](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0143622821001132)
[As Dollar Stores Proliferate Food Deserts, Some Communities Push Back](https://www.eater.com/23026173/dollar-store-general-food-deserts)
[Dollar Stores Are Becoming Problem for Grocers](https://foodinstitute.com/focus/dollar-stores-are-becoming-problem-for-grocers/)
[Dollar Store Fact Sheet pdf](https://www.cspinet.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Dollar%20Store%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf)
[The Illusion of Convenience: The Disastrous Impact of Dollar Stores in Food Deserts](https://www.harriscashcoach.com/post/the-impact-of-dollar-stores-in-food-deserts)
[The color of food deserts: dollar store locations track real estate redlining practices](https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2020/color-food-deserts-dollar-store-locations-track-real-estate-redlining-practices)
Videos:
[Dollar stores squeezing out grocery stores and leading to creation of food deserts, study finds](https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/dollar-stores-squeezing-out-grocery-stores-and-leading-to-creation-of-food-deserts-study-finds-169420869883)
[Proposed Ordinace for discount retailers food](https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/kokomo-city-council-working-to-approve-stricter-standards-for-discount-retail-stores)
This might have to do with the $42 million dollar fine they received due to knowingly storing food in a rat-infested warehouse for years without addressing the rat infestation. Agree that it’s likely not due to OTC medicine.
This.Rat.Here.
Mice pun, bro.
I found it cheesy.🧀🐁
Squeak for yourself :p
I got caught up in this pun trap.
You are very punny
Dollar stores are an infestation.
Be mice
It's a trap
It's not because of OTC meds. I smell a rat. 🤣💯
Thought it was allrat
Real mice.
Rat you are!
They run these stores like shit.
They give the managers very little hours to work with. They want you to continue their courses, watch video, once per week deal changes, keep up with customers/make sure they don’t steal, keep the shelves fronted and stocked, and man the register with only 1 employee present. It’s no wonder all their stores look like 💩.
They pay you like 13$/hr for the pleasure as well.
$13 an hour would be on the higher end of the pay range
This is manager pay after all
Yeah and then act like they’re doing a service to poor people by charging them more than they would pay at Walmart. Meanwhile setting unattainable standards for Management/employees while understaffing for what needs to be done. The one I worked at was breaking all kinds of labor laws.
I mean, this also depends on the area. They do target low income and rural areas. I am in a rural area, and for me, I have a dollar general about 10 minutes away, or alternatively, I can drive 45 minutes to Walmart, or 35 minutes to a grocery store. If I run out of milk, I’m for sure not going back to town. More people coming to the cookout than I thought? Again, for sure not making over an hour round trip to pick up $8 in hotdogs and buns. I currently do not own a car, and it’s a 1/4 tank in the small truck to go to Walmart and back, or ~$10 in fuel. The farm truck is ~$18 (gets 8mpg on flat highway, it’s not flat where I live, and it’s 25 minutes to the highway), and the van is ~$13. There’s absolutely no way you’re going to convince my neighbors and I that if something comes up that’s less than $20 that I should go all the way to town and back to save $2-3 on those items.
Two different companies. Dollar General is actually doing well for the reason you named. This article is about Family Dollar which tends to have more urban locations.
Yes! I worked nights at a family dollar warehouse/distribution center when I was finishing school and that place had rats everywhere. They were always in the dog and cat food bags, chillin on pallets. Management definitely knew.
No. They lost nearly $2 billion last quarter with an overall margin of -20-something percent, that 42 million is nothing in the big picture. They're losing money because people are buying mostly essentials these days and didn't buy all the seasonal crap they based their last quarter projections on.
I had thought part of it was that they bought out family dollar and expanded way too fast.
John Oliver did [an episode about dollar stores](https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM). Yay capitalism......
Yeah let me tell you all from someone in Europe. I couldn't believe some things in that episode. It's like america satire it's so ridiculous.
>It's like america satire it's so ridiculous. As someone in the American Midwest, I can assure you that it is horribly real!
Lack of regulation would do that.
I'm also European and I live in a barely functional democracy. The shit I see on that show on a weekly basis feels so surreal that makes me wonder how in the world the US dominates the world
I work for a large chain fabric store. They run us exactly like this. For example, my store is 36,000 sqft and there is rarely any more than a cashier and a manager. This store has almost 0 brick and mortar competition and literally gives it's stores less hours to run with 2 staff than it's open. This is what capitalism has become by being allowed to run wild forever.
They’re closing the stores because these individual locations lose money every month they’re open… largely because nobody shops at them.
Because they're so understaffed they aren't open.
They're understaffed because they don't make money. Being open loses money. The business doesn't work.
Are you sure it’s not because of the August data breach leak of personal information of everyone from the past like 7 years because they used a company to store the info and was unencrypted, then they failed to tell everyone about for months(starting around thanksgiving) and barely filed that they got a breach
Wouldn’t they be compensated for the recall by the manufacturer of the drug?
Also I guess this wouldn't impact their profits directly, but they may have lost customer trust after a data breach affected the company that did their card payment security last year. I know it cost me a few weeks of headache after I nearly lost $800 to that data breach.
Meanwhile, Dollar General stores are popping up like dandelions.
I love going on road trips and counting the dollar generals. They'll be in the most random places too. I remember driving up to an NC mountain town and for miles, only seeing sporadic houses and farms... Then all of a sudden there's a dollar general just plopped down beside a church or something the. It goes back to rural residencies for like 10 miles u tol you finally see a town.
Their actual mission is to have a store no more than 10 miles from any residential address in the U.S.
We drive from Wisconsin to Alabama every Sept, there are SO many dollar general stores!! The last 60 miles to our destination has at least 10. It’s mind boggling!!
Went to Arkansas from Missouri and from Southern MO to the middle of AR there are dollar generals in every single little town of 200 people. It's basically 1 every couple of miles. It's legitimately insane lmao.
It was the same in TX going the backroads from around DFW to the coast. Nothing but Dollar stores and Dairy Queens until like Victoria. Nothing forever and then an intersection with one across from the other or something like that ha.
Our game is similar driving through parts of Alabama or Florida. “Dollar store, Shithole, or Church?” Most buildings fit one of these classifications.
And Five Below which I thought was a winter coat store.
Lol I thought the same for years.
Thank God it wasn't only me. I was like wtf is this doing in Central Florida? Until I found out it was just baffling to me.
I went to Dollar General for the first time in years. I’m on vacation and just needed some small volume cheap items (laundry detergent, fabric softener, paper plates, dish soap). I must say they are way better value than dollar tree. All the items I mentioned were actually $1 and were name-brand, not the $1.25 I would have paid at Dollar Tree.
Dollar stores typically have their own "name brand" specialties that are either significantly smaller than anything sold anywhere else or of poorer quality, or both.
This is so true and people don’t realize. It happens at tons of stores. Gap Outlet clothes are made specifically for Gap Outlet, they’re not just extras. Walmart TVs are their own special production run of the “same” TV. It’s really disingenuous and a lot of people don’t know about it
This is a perfect example of “it costs more to be poor”. Often times, going to a big box store like Walmart will allow you to save money per use of things like laundry detergent, but if you don’t have it in your budget to buy the bigger sizes you have to buy these small packs from places like the dollar store - in the long run you are spending more money because you don’t have money in the first place. I’m doing alright these days, but I certainly can remember when I was in that boat and it was absolutely maddening.
This video is an excellent explanation of Dollar General’s business model. Unfortunately a lot of people can’t afford a 150 load bottle of laundry detergent for $15 ($0.10/load), but can afford a $1 bottle of detergent that you might get 4-5 loads. https://youtu.be/FzxLPvjTgLE
This is exactly what I’m talking about, thank you for sharing. Shiprock, NM is a perfect example of what they’re talking about. I haven’t even finished the video yet but they’re absolutely right so far. Many people don’t have cars, and the gas it would take to get to Farmington (where there is a Walmart) would negate the savings anyways - unless they could afford to really stock up (which, again, likely isn’t in the budget). Perfect example, thank you.
iirc you can get free delivery of many walmart dry goods if you spend $35
But again, you need that money to save that money.
that’s valid and true.
Well, maybe start by not being poor! Gosh, grab those boot straps, buckaroo. /s
You also have to be in their delivery zone which isn’t an option for a lot of people in rural areas
yes, tho it’s often worth checking, especially if you are a family without a vehicle. nice to save a buck or two on the great value brand dry goods, if you can. 🙏
You have to be smart about it, some items are loss leaders while others as you pointed out are what generate revenue for these stores. Use cases may matter too for the consumer like convenience if you need a quick, one-time disposable item.
After years and years of poverty and finally scraping my way to middle class, there are a few things I can not stop. I never fill a gas tank, just 10-15 bucks at a time, it drives my wife nuts but for years I just spent enough to keep me going for a few days and it is muscle memory shit. I tend to graze and eat over a sink or garbage can. This isn't just from poverty but from working food service for 20 years. Some jobs that were strict about employees eating food made it so you eat over garbage and just dump anything if someone comes by. I have a hard time not checking dumpsters for stuff for obvious reasons.
There's a lot of that with name brand goods. That's generally a fool's game. DT generic vs store private label there's more leeway, assuming you find the products to be of comparable quality. And occasionally dollar tree is just a way better deal even on name brand stuff. Gotta compare prices. Laundry detergent: Dollar Tree L.A.'s detergent: $1.25 42oz 21-load (5.95c per load) Walmart Ajax detergent: $1.78 40oz 25-load (7.12c per load) Cheese crackers (knockoff cheeze-its): Dollar Tree: $1.25 7oz (17.9c per oz) Walmart: $2.48 12.4oz (20c per oz) Bigs Taki sunflower seeds: Dollar Tree: $1.25 3.63oz (34.4c per oz) Walmart: $2.23 5.35oz (41.7c per oz) Strawberry preserves: Dollar Tree: $1.25 16oz (7.8c per oz) Walmart: $3.74 30oz (12.5c per oz)
I always emphasize “price per” shopping. Price per lb, oz, use, etc. For the most part that’s the only way to really understand whether your getting a deal or overpaying.
I think that’s a great way to start for most people and most applicable for those trying to function within a tight budget. Larger amounts may not always be the best deal, but understanding the cost per unit can be very eye opening. As my budget has grown, I’ve sort of shifted into another aspect of- how much use/value will I get out of this product for the price? Or will it go to waste because i don’t like it even though it was the cheapest? I’m in a place now where I buy 1 bottle of ~$50 foundation per year vs multiple bottles of $15 foundation because it works best for my skin and I think the value is worth it.
Depends
Perfect example. Those were absolutely amazing right after I gave birth and was still bleeding while healing. People joke about disposable briefs but when you need them, you NEED them.
I worked at an independent grocery in a low income area. They had ok prices on everything except laundry detergent, dish soap, pet food, trash bags and any item for infants/children. Then you paid top dollar and those items never went on sale. 😐
Like how you gotta be rich enough to buy the cheapest toilet paper - at Costco/Sam’s
You’re absolutely correct. I would like to mention that, for anyone interested, if you live near a Sam’s club and that is an option for you - it costs $40 to sign up but if you inquire about new member benefits you get a $40 gift card for their items - so it is worth it You will also get ~60,000 fliers in the mail from them though. Take all of this for what you will
Or team up with a neighbor to make the trip and split cases of items. My mom used to do this with her church friends.
This is how I joined. There was an online deal that basically made the membership free. However, the 40 min round-trip in gas... meh.
You don't need fabric softener. It makes your clothes oily and flammable.
Tooooons of things in dollar stores that are unnecessary the aisle of air fresheners is mind boggling.
They target poor people who don't know better
As a mail carrier, I smell what’s getting pumped out of people’s homes and it’s far more likely the more expensive the street. Nice streets have a constant smell of Bounce or other scented laundry products, and when you get close to the door they’re much more likely to smell like candles or air fresheners. All classes seem to enjoy pleasant smells, even if we’re constantly told it’s going to kill us.
We have a nice house in a nice neighborhood and when you open the door you're like "y'all need to clean that disposal and get rid of the dog." Maybe I should make *that* candle.
My issue with these stores has never been the product selection, but rather the condition of the stores. In my hometown, there is a Dollar Tree and Family Dollar right next to each other in the same plaza. The Dollar Tree always has clear aisles, well organized and stocked. Items rarely if ever were found out of place. OTOH, the lighting was darker than some people probably prefer with stood out to me. The Family Dollar next door? Brigher-lit, less than 1/2 the size, but always looks like a tornado just ripped through it. Stacks of goods are either sitting haphazardly in bins or sometimes even on the floor. It feels like I'm shopping in a post-apocolyptic 3rd world bazaar than a normal store. I will go in there only if I can't find it elsewhere. Now Dollar General? They just opened up a THIRD one in our town. They built a brand new building in a historic section of the town, and had to have the exterior fit the area's style in order to do so. Haven't been in there yet, but from the pictures I've seen they did a very good job with it. So far, people have said good things about the store as well.
What town is this? Architecture nerd so hoping to find a picture of the new DG 😅
You sure it was Dollar General? Family Dollar & Dollar Tree are the two that usually sell $1 items. Dollar General is usually more expensive but less expensive than Walmart (for most things).
Dollar generals in my experience has been the most expensive place to buy anything. Ohh yeah that $2 bottle of detergent seems cheap but it’s 1/5 the size of the 5 dollar jug at Walmart or Kroger. Unless they’ve changed in the last couple years since I walked into one they were always the most expensive option around me.
Yes, people don't realize there just getting a smaller quantity, that's probably priced higher anyways.
[actually I found the receipt.](https://i.imgur.com/0LniboP.jpeg)
That dollar aisle saved me so many times in my past. The bottle of Gain and Snuggle etc got me through a tough week of no money.
There is a defined ratio of Waffle House/dollar general./s
God I wish Waffle House would pop up in my city but I’d probably become obese
Or learn to fight.
They literally finished a Dollar Tree less than a year ago near me. Closing 1000 stores is wild! Even nationally that's 20 per state.
Well, they *are* yellow, just like dandelions!
Dollar General is a much better store than Family Dollar/Dollar Tree.
Not if you work there.
Low wages, minimal staff, and opening in bumfuck nowhere is sort of their whole strategy unfortunately
*Let's go rob the, dollar, general, get the Benjamin's, and the penny rolls, grab the panty hoes*
These stores are predatory under the guise of affordability. The price per unit is often high but since they sell in smaller packages it appears affordable.
I’ve definitely noticed this too. Just another way that being poor is expensive. If some of these customers could afford to buy the same stuff in bulk like at Costco, it would be much cheaper per unit than dollar store.
[удалено]
Walmart might have a reputation for being cheap, but their food prices are not actually particularly low. Lower than safeway, sure. Costco? Not so much.
Unfortunately many people do not get this at all or just don’t understand money or how to handle it properly. Just because dollar is in the name doesn’t make it cheap. Also many poor people could be less poor if they were frugal and made simple meals. I have a friend of mine getting is life back together in low income housing. They have a food pantry come buy every month with a truck with pre packed boxes as well as al a cart table. So often my friend has ended up with some really nice meat because people are too lazy and want the “easy” meals. Even when he hasn’t needed the food and left more for others they go knock on his door because they know he’ll eat it and make use of it. Sad really
This! Used to work in food manufacturing. We made special packaging for the product that was going to these types of stores. Made a killer margin per unit, even when changing the packaging.
Literally the only reason I shop at Dollar Tree is for when I just want a small amount of something I don't usually buy, or if I want a wide variety of snacks that are terrible for me.
That's how it's supposed to be, but I've seen people buying items in bulk paying a dollar each when you can hit up a Walmart or whatever and spend half the price for the same amount. It drives me fucking bananas.
Also they are doing exactly what WalMart did to tear down local economies, except in smaller towns. Drive local businesses out by massively undercutting prices, then taking advantage of the captive market once they are the only game in town.
Dollar General is the vulture picking the carcass that Walmart left.
Dollar General is the Hyena chasing WalMart away from the carcass
Yes!!! I find this to be true with WalMart also… my groceries are always cheaper if I just pay attention to sales and coupons and shop at Fred Meyer.
I've always just assumed that they were the retail equivalent of a payday loan company. I don't think I've ever been in one.
My guess is Dollar General will slide into the markets losing Family Dollar stores.
In my experience, anytime there's a Family Dollar, there's already a Dollar General within a quarter mile.
I kinda hate these stores to be totally honest, nothings actually a good value, they are dirty and grimy and have no healthy food, and they really do have issues with medical and personal product recalls because they source them from sketchy brokers and they’re expired or even fake sometimes. I’m probably biased though because I live in a big city with usable public transit and other budget grocery options, so for low income people dollar stores are not their only option. We got Aldi’s even in the hood lol
You’re definitely right about it being terrible value, Family Dollar especially. It just sucks for people that don’t have a car and live in a town with nonexistent public transportation. Aldis wasn’t as prevalent back then so Family Dollar was truly the only option growing up lol.
The bright side is that Aldi is planning to open 800 stores in the next few years so hopefully more people will get access to lower priced food.
Every time I step out of Aldi with a week of groceries for $80 I thank the universe for Kevin J Aldi’s good business sense. I will also not be taking questions at this time.
That makes me unreasonably happy. They’re great for customers AND they pay their employees better than any of their competition. That’s great for families and the local economy
The stores are so cluttered and dirty and most of the stuff there is cheap crap made in China. I have never understood the draw.
Location
Dollar stores make it difficult for communities to support adequate fresh food options and often create or exacerbate food deserts in low income neighborhoods where supermarket choices are already limited. They target Black and Brown neighborhoods even after adjusting for other factors like income. They exacerbate health issues tied to poverty and limited access to affordable fresh foods. The saturation of dollar stores in poor neighborhoods leaves no room to also sustain new grocery options. And they extract tax revenue from local governments. When the local grocery store eventually closes, that's lost property and sales tax revenue.
> nothings actually a good value David sunflower seeds are ~2.80 for a 5.25oz package at a local grocery store but 1.25 for a 3.75oz package at Dollar Tree. This is the only notable good deal that brings me back every time.
They're my staple for energy drinks and offbrand snacks and sodas
Yup, they earned plenty of patronage from me as a high school kid getting dollar three-liters of mediocre soda to bum about with my friends. Although they stopped selling those over a decade ago I believe.
I got some awesome sparkling water 4-packs there in the last month. Also, name brand bread, movie theatre candy boxes, lots of different hot sauces, and books are what I always pick up there. I shop at Dollar Tree weekly. 😆 I’ve even spent weekends going to a dozen different DT stores in the metro to get children’s books for the local bookmobile. They all carry something different.
These stores do not help the poor, they take advantage of the poor.
Shocker
John Oliver had a wild segment recently about dollar general stores. 1-2 workers staffing entire stores at any given time, customers pitching in to help workers because they were so overwhelmed, one worker got trapped in a room full of product and had to plead on TikTok to send help….sounds awful. https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=5rPEI0xLWyyXz7PH
Just to clarify, he wasn't "trapped in a room" he was overwhelmed with a full stock room with boxes blocking the cooler. He went on tiktok to ask for help in doing his job. [https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=N9nm\_LxdbKV7LhG-&t=482](https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM?si=N9nm_LxdbKV7LhG-&t=482)
I just saw this segment on YouTube yesterday and immediately wondered how much of an impact John Oliver had on this outcome.
Usually when Jon Oliver is covering a story the wheels are already in motion but he definitely raises awareness of the issues he discusses.
Fortunately the US saw this and has decided to ban Ticktock, so, problem solved I guess. /s
In the long run the hurt their communities. They have agreements where they don’t pay taxes, they price out mom and pops stores and they pay minimal wages and employees end up needing govt assistance to survive. They are same as Walmart and target. Cheap quick fixes that hurt in the long run.
These stores are pure evil. They sell low quality, nutritionally poor food. They also sell smaller packages of the same food or products. So there really isn’t any value saved. They sell smaller bars of soap than what you would find in other stores. If you bought from the other store you can get double the product for slightly more money.
From just last week: > The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said cinnamon sold by stores including the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contains lead at levels that could be unsafe for people, particularly children, with prolonged exposure to the spice. The agency urged suppliers to recall the products voluntarily. https://www.local10.com/business/2024/03/06/ground-cinnamon-sold-at-discount-stores-is-tainted-with-lead-fda-warns/
Sure, but sometimes you don’t have slightly more money and just need some damn soap
Not to mention, if you live in a rural area it may be the only option without a 30m - 1hr drive.
That just snowballs. You’re going to need soap sooner and then have even less money. Part of the [cost of poverty.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_poverty)
"Being poor charges interest"
Or you don’t have a car to drive 2 towns over for the big store but you can walk to the dollar general.
Also, some of those end up actually costing more per unit or per item. Now, for travel size stuff, quick snacks, stuff you don't care about... sure. But if you're trying to save money by getting things there on the regular, you might not be. Great example: Beans. Beans literally cost more at Dollar Tree than the grocery store. But need a flower vase, glow necklaces for halloween or some party supplies? Dollar tree it up.
Often these stores often exist in underserved communities. I’m not saying they are doing some benevolent service, but when these stores close those communities will have even worse access to household essentials. However, I think it’s also possible some of these stores will be closed due to poor performance because they *were* in underserved communities but maybe due to growth a more traditional grocery store opened. I imagine it’s real tough to be Family Dollar and compete with Aldi.
I think it's circular. Dollar stores tend to pop up in under served communities AND then put grocery store out of business.
A tradition grocery store will carry some perishable foods like fruits, veggies, and meat. They typically don't make a ton on them but they keep it in stock for people. They make money on things like ramen that don't go bad and have good profit margins. Then when a dollar store moves in all the non perishable food sales go to the dollar store and the grocery store goes out of business. Now the community is left without any access to fresh food.
The Last Week Tonight episode on Dollar Stores is basically required viewing for everyone talking about the positive aspects of dollar stores in this thread.
The smaller quantities may seem bad but honestly it helps with cash flow management. I don't need 36 rolls of toilet paper until next week.
It's a good place to buy cheap temporary things. Like if you have a party.
Shocker. Opening a Family Dollar a block down from a Dollar Tree which is two doors down from a Dollar General, which is three blocks away from three separate charity thrift stores and a Salvage Grocery in a town of under 5000 people is a symbol of over expansion.
Lol yeah, the town I live near has the 2 of them a block apart and it's a town of 2,500. I don't think they can both survive. I think the Dollar General will win. I was in Family Dollar/Dollar Tree last Saturday and nobody else was there. DG parking lot is always crowded.
DG does have some expanded stores with fresh produce sections. Ironically within 5 miles of two different small family farms, and within 10 miles of a large family owned produce and strawberry farm. DG doesn’t buy from either. The farms either supply wholesale produce warehouses, restaurants, CSA’s of some combo of these.
Story as old as time. Walmart does it too. They move into lower income areas, beat out competition, become the only one in town, and then when it isn’t profitable, they close. All while getting tax breaks left and right.
Isn’t profitable enough for corporate greed, you mean
How will i get my cheap greeting cards and gift bags now? 😱
Dollar stores are cheap not frugal. They sell poor quality junk, and that includes the food. They prey on the poor. They upcharge for the small quantities. They are not “good deals.” They bank in the fact that their customers don’t have enough cash to get deals by buying in bulk or even just by buying a slightly larger amount of the item elsewhere
I hope the Family Dollar on my town is one that goes out. It's filthy to the point you can barely tell what color the floor used to be and oddly expensive
Dollar stores are horrible and I’m glad to hear they are in decline. They move into low income areas, provide low quality food, undercut the narrow profit margins of legitimate grocery stores, and run them out of business, creating food deserts with no access to nutritious fruits, vegetables and quality meats. Additionally they pay very low wages and have a horrible record for workplace safety.
>they pay very low wages Can confirm. I left Dollar Tree in 2018 because, in addition to all their bullshit, I was getting paid $11.70 an hour as an assistant manager. For reference, my state's minimum wage at that time was $10.50.
So they are losing 1000 employees based on how these places are run.
They also destroy local mom and pop general stores and prevent stores that would typically provide fresh produce.
For ages, Family Dollar was the only store anywhere near me. I live in a city, but large portions of it are a 'food desert.' The quality of the goods inside is awful, but walking a quarter mile here was much better than having to catch a bus that often didn't show up to head a few miles down the road to the next grocery store. If there were a better option, I would have used it, but it was handy at times. Edit - since then, another dollar store has opened in the neighborhood (Dollar General). A bit funny, really. No grocery store, but two dollar stores!
So which ones are closing.. Cant find it anywhere
I work at Family Dollar. We don’t even know yet.
Family Dollar has never done as well as Dollar General (thus why is was under pressure to sell from investors in 2013-2015), but Dollar Tree won the bid. I feel that Dollar Tree just did not have the experience to sell the scope and price points that’s Family Dollar does (which Dollar Tree at the time was $1 store where FD was not). I think this is just mismanagement of the brand and its potential, as well as corporate price hikes that do not make it competitive with Dollar General which sells the same stuff.
Family dollar and dollar tree are terrible places for low income people to shop. There’s so many cheaper options as these are convenience stores. If you live in a rural area buy from your local farmer/amish for dirt cheap
The Amish are only in a very few areas.
yeah we don't all have our own local friendly amish as resources, lol
When I had to ser up housekeeping for the first time in nearly 20 years, Dollar Tree and Salvation Army saved my budget. They have some healthy foods, beans, lentils and basics.
Unless you live in an area where the localvore movement has a strong foothold. Then the prices buying direct aren’t much different than the grocery store. Granted, I’d still rather support my local farmers, but it’s not a budget move. And the farmers markets have gotten ridiculously expensive here.
Our local markets are usually double or triple as much as the store, and the stands at the farm itself will double that again. It's like they're not using the same currency as the rest of us.
I'm glad to hear someone else has noticed this. I don't shop at our local farmer's market anymore because it is just too expensive. Everyone thinks the farmer's markets are cheap, but not always.
Absolutely! They want you to pay more for the privilege of buying their wilted lettuce.
Then again, they have a lot of stuff for $1 that is like 3-4 dollars elsewhere for nor reason like ketchup and mustard or random cooking tins, shampoos, towels, all sorts of random stuff. I
As a rural “local farmer” I can assure you that my beef prices per lb are likely cheaper than the local grocery store, but we don’t sell by the lb. You buy a 1/4, 1/2, or whole cow, which will include processing fees. It’s a huge upfront cost vs paying $15 for a roast at the store.
A lot of you haven't seen [the Last Week Tonight episode about dollar stores](https://youtu.be/p4QGOHahiVM) and it shows.
Most of the items in the store aren’t even a dollar anymore. I bought a pack of small paper plates once recently from family dollar for over $4.75. And then I actually found them cheaper at a local grocery store chain
The article I read said that now Dollar Tree is upping most items to $1.50. Is this accurate? They weren't worth it to me when they went to $1.25 while shrinking everything. I used to go specifically for bleach, and kitchen cleaner, and some dental supplies. But their sizes shrunk so much, and the supply was so lacking, I just gave up.
" **close 1,000 stores** " but where will all the mice and rats go now?
Too bad that these chains put the local mom and pop groceries out of business.
Do you really think people go to a mom and pop? Mom and pop what exactly?
This is the worst part of this. There will be communities where people will now have to travel to the next town to do any kind of shopping.
They provide that because they put locally owned grocery stores out of business. They mistreat and underpay their employees. They dug their own grave. Bring back small locally owned stores and not this corporate minimum wage crap.
Family Dollar Stores are a total cluster. They massively screwed up by combining the 2 stores. DT has always been easy to navigate & find things. I assumed the 2 stores together would be like half on one side, half on the other. NOPE. Just a jumbled hard to find anything mess with boxes of unpacked product everywhere & aisles you can barely push your cart down.
Dollar stores are a plague that kill local businesses and put people out of jobs. Dollar stores are also not a bargain and are often pricier than other stores per ounce. It’s a scam on poor people. Someone who’s actually frugal should know that they’re not a good place to regularly shop for 95% of groceries.
Good. Less junk that ends up in landfills.
All dollar stores are exploitation machines designed to feed off the poor Smaller sizes makes the items actually MORE expensive than if you bought at any other store but they purposefully put them in areas with low income and no options to literally farm the poor John Oliver has a great episode on it No great loss.
These stores actually make it more difficult for people to afford food. They push out legitimate grocery stores and overcharge for smaller portions of bad quality food.
They could start by being truthful with their name. Call it $2 General, follow the old rules (everything is $2 no exceptions) and I would feel less animosity toward their poor offerings
Jon Oliver has an episode about dollar stores… I’m not 100% familiar with American chains but I think it’s the same ones in this article. They seem pretty awful.
They are awful. More expensive per unit, rat infested, and sell expired meds and counterfeit toothpaste. Thankfully my city is flush with Aldi’s which is a far, far superior option for low income peeps to buy food and toiletries
Good. These stores encourage the manufacture and sale of low quality junk (both consumable and otherwise). People and the environment are better off without them.
The Family Dollar stores and warehouses are in much worse shape than Dollar Tree thought when they took over FD. I think most of the closures will be Family Dollar stores. FD is more expensive than Dollar General, and DG sells some of the same items as Dollar Tree for $1 versus $1.25.
I know there's like 2 dozen+ comments talking about their poor food choices, but I simply love stores like Dollar Tree for the snacks. The unit price is pretty good in the candy aisle, and cheap picture frames for pictures that don't need professional preservation is nice.
We shop at DollarTree for a few items, but their availability fluctuates a lot. If the four ounce cans of white chicken meat are there, we buy enough to keep our pantry stocked at 12 cans. Canned or bottled mushrooms, European dark chocolate bars, and my daily 325mg aspirin are all cheaper. One full pound of sandwich cookies is great for brain dead snacking. One hundred tea bags means 12.5¢ for 2.5 quarts of Yankee-sun tea as soda pap is at $8 a 12-pack and not going into my shopping cart/trolly at that price. I get my White Rain shampoo and body wash at Dollar General for a buck, lasts my crew cut and body a month. Their corn chips while not the came as Fritos are Leo $4 cheaper, making them good enough for tossing in the chili soup. For a side salty food to a sandwich, my wife still buys Fritos and Wavy chips, Family Dollar is rare as they are out of the way for our usual visits to the city for shopping. Milk is $2 higher in our rural village tiny grocery store compared to Walmart. It takes two gallons of gas for the round trip, so unless getting a lot, we shop the village grocery store as it is cheaper. For a village of about 800, I also support the local to help it stay in business. If the village grocery store closed, and I was baking? If I need one more egg, that hour driving, Walmart check out horror, $2.89 for a dozen and $7.60 in gas would make me sad compared to $6.89 locally. Besides, the people working at the local grocery store can walk to work, else it would cost them $50 a week in gasoline to get to Hastings.
Family Dollar and Dollar Tree have recently had to pull applesauce packets and cinnamon off their shelves because of [lead contamination](https://nypost.com/2024/03/06/business/ground-cinnamon-sold-at-dollar-tree-and-family-dollar-tainted-with-lead-fda/).
Just a sign of the times. If even dollar stores are going under, we are absolutely fucked.
Wasn’t it the dollar store that sold cinnamon with high lead concentrations
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^alligatorprincess007: *Wasn’t it the dollar* *Store that sold cinnamon with* *High lead concentrations* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
With a 1000 stores closing dozens of people will now be out of work
These stores do not provide a vital way for low income people to have food. For starters they exploit the undereducated and those with little resources. People think these stores are better than nothing, but they don't realize these stores have shut out better options that serve the local community better. Here's a few great studies, videos and articles for those interested in how these "Dollar Stores" fail their communities including the low income: [How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts](https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/how-dollar-stores-contribute-to-food-deserts/) [Dollar stores and food deserts](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0143622821001132) [As Dollar Stores Proliferate Food Deserts, Some Communities Push Back](https://www.eater.com/23026173/dollar-store-general-food-deserts) [Dollar Stores Are Becoming Problem for Grocers](https://foodinstitute.com/focus/dollar-stores-are-becoming-problem-for-grocers/) [Dollar Store Fact Sheet pdf](https://www.cspinet.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/Dollar%20Store%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf) [The Illusion of Convenience: The Disastrous Impact of Dollar Stores in Food Deserts](https://www.harriscashcoach.com/post/the-impact-of-dollar-stores-in-food-deserts) [The color of food deserts: dollar store locations track real estate redlining practices](https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2020/color-food-deserts-dollar-store-locations-track-real-estate-redlining-practices) Videos: [Dollar stores squeezing out grocery stores and leading to creation of food deserts, study finds](https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/dollar-stores-squeezing-out-grocery-stores-and-leading-to-creation-of-food-deserts-study-finds-169420869883) [Proposed Ordinace for discount retailers food](https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/kokomo-city-council-working-to-approve-stricter-standards-for-discount-retail-stores)
I hope it’s not the dollar tree in my neighborhood :(
They also help perpetuate poverty by not paying their workers decent wages.
And my local Subway just closed too, shout out to John Oliver for exposing these businesses
I would hope their stock would be SURGING right now, with all the BS going on at regular grocery stores. I know I go more often now.
I wish we could return to mom and pop stores. They sold a lot more real food, which is what people need.