General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAs dollar stores move into cities, residents see a steep downside
TULSA Vanessa Hall-Harper, a lifelong resident of this citys poorest area, has viewed the opening of dollar stores in recent years with trepidation. The stores were a reminder of the blight, she said, and they blocked grocers and others from opening. So when she was elected to the City Council, she fought back, ushering in restrictions on new stores.
The community said, We dont want any more dollar stores,? she said. We need grocery stores, clothing, shoes things that you need to live.
Tulsa is one of several cities grappling with uncomfortable questions from the rise of dollar stores in urban America. These stores have gained attention as success stories in the countrys most economically distressed places largely rural counties with few retail options. Two main chains, Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which owns Family Dollar), operate more than 30,000 stores nationally and plan to open thousands more, vastly outnumbering Walmarts and other retailers.
In cities, dollar stores trade in economic despair, with many residents saying they are a vital source of cheap staples. But as the stores cluster in low-income neighborhoods, their critics worry they are not just a response to poverty but a cause. Residents fear the stores deter other business, especially in neighborhoods without grocers or options for healthful food. Dollar stores rarely sell fresh produce or meats, but they undercut grocery stores on prices of everyday items, often pushing them out of business.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/as-dollar-stores-move-into-cities-residents-see-a-steep-downside/2019/02/15/b3676cbe-2f09-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?utm_term=.b3abe2c75af4
crazycatlady
(4,492 posts)But I'll agree that they undercut grocery stores for (often) poor quality products.
True dollar stores are like Dollar Tree, where everything is $1. My personal rule of thumb is I never buy anything I could put on (toiletries) or in (food, medicine, etc) my body at a dollar store. I typically just buy hair accessories there (locally owned).
lame54
(35,287 posts)they are actually quite pricey
SWBTATTReg
(22,116 posts)turns out to be overpriced in fact. I stopped shopping there years ago when I realized that it actually was more expensive to shop there than a Target would be, for example. Seems like there is a Dollar General store everywhere and I agree, that they are pushing out other retailers. They also only have 1 or two people working there, so they don't hire as many people either.
Demovictory9
(32,454 posts)WhiskeyGrinder
(22,336 posts)https://ilsr.org/dollar-stores/
Celerity
(43,349 posts)push in cheap and undercutting (both prices and wages) corporate thrusts for a few decades
then once local econ is burnt.......
SEE YAH
Mosby
(16,309 posts)Maybe we should figure out why a package of tide pods costs 20 bucks. Or why a package of broccoli is 5 bucks. Or why 10 cents worth of calcium carbonate (tums) costs 7 dollars. Just saying.
SCRUBDASHRUB
(7,252 posts)and a Walmart in the same shopping center. They all seem to be doing fine. Down the street is a new Publix and a Food Lion that has been there for a while. So far, so good.
KentuckyWoman
(6,679 posts)My local one is also a mini grocery. The prices are competitive with the big box groceries. We are old. My husband is sick. It is tough to wander a giant store just for a few things I hit the big box grocery every few weeks and use Dollar General for pick up items. Ours is pretty good and I will continue to support them.
madville
(7,410 posts)It's convenient and I was amazed when they built one in my small town that only had a gas station and was 15 miles from the closest other store.
mnhtnbb
(31,386 posts)The DG is in the commercial street space of another large apartment complex. Just around the corner--in the commercial street level space of my building--is another small market. It does carry fresh produce as well as some meats and has a deli section of hot and cold items. I pick up things from both stores, but do my once/week grocery shopping about 10 minutes away (by car) in a large Harris Teeter located in an upscale shopping area just out of downtown.
lpbk2713
(42,757 posts)Where books by Palin and Coulter go on their first printing.