Dollar Stores offshoot thread

I know the WSJ Dollar General story was discussed in the politics thread, but the last thing I want to do is reply there and get notifications every time someone posts there and end up in that maelstrom. So I figured I'd start this thread.

I haven't read the full story (subscribers only) but the gist seems to be that the CEO is exploiting the sinking lower and middle class. I get that, and how it's a crass and cynical philosophy, but is it possible to not defend such philosophies and still shop at those places if you're not the cynically targeted demo?

There's only a couple Dollar Generals in my neck of the woods (I didn't think we had any until I searched for a local store) but a ton of Dollar Trees and Dollar Kings. We don't do our regular shopping there, but we go there semi-regularly, b/c they have good deals on everyday stuff. Balloons, party favors, Halloween candy, some quote unquote real food, stationary, classroom items (wife is a teacher), sunglasses, etc etc. My late Mom shopped at those places all the time b/c it was a good place to save money and get the same stuff you'd get at the big name stores.

What sayeth all of you?

 

Even I have standards. The last time I stepped into our local dollar store, it smelled like despair, so I left. I have enough of that without shopping for more.

 

You can turn off notifications, Luddy.

 

I never used to go, but my wife discovered that's it's the best place for school supplies, so we went at the end of the summer. That's when I discovered that they carry fiddle fiddle. I've been back a couple of times since.

 

Wal Mart without the atmosphere.

 

Their presence in a small-town downtown is a good sign that Main Street is going tits up.

 

See, this meanness is why I don't post in the politics thread.

 

The little town I work in (population 1,500) has 3 dollar stores, including one that is closing to build a new, bigger store two blocks up the street.
We had a fourth dollar store, but it closed earlier this year - it was converted Ben Franklin. One of the dollar stores is neat and clean. The other two often look like they hot by a white-trash hurricane.

Several of our business owners (grocery and RX owners) have been scared of Wal-Mart coming to town... The Dollar Store invasion is the Wal-Mart invasion. And its worse with their corner store business model.

I don't think they are exploiting the "sinking and lower middle class" (Disclosure: I haven't been able to read the story), I think they found a successful model of becoming the neighborhood corner store.
We have one a few blocks from our house that I hit on occasion for one or two items. My kids walk/bike there for treats.
It's also a regular stop when we vacation: like at the beach, that's where we buy buckets and shovels and crap.

I'd be appreciative if someone could copy and paste the whole story. I would LOVE to read it.

 

Dollar General retail stores are the Casey's General Stores of gas stations. I have been in a Dollar General maybe five times in my life, and the only way I'd buy gas at Casey's is if it was the only filling station for 20 miles and I was on fumes.

 

Yeah, I think it's more nuanced than BYH indicates (and he did acknowledge he didn't read it). A major point of the article is the dollar stores having success in rural places where even Walmart won't go. "Wide places in the road" is how they're described. It's the main food source for a lot of areas.

 

My mom likes to go to Dollar Tree to buy very specific things: Bags for cleaning up after the dog, batteries and cleaning supplies. They're all way, way cheaper there than buying anyplace else.

 

Our community has lower socioeconomics and we have Walmarts, a 99 Cent Only Store, Dollar Generals and Dollar Trees plus mom-and-pop dollar stores.

Some in the community hate that there are so many such stores, but they employ people and have filled some vacant buildings.

I like Dollar General for things like hygiene items and cleaning supplies. It's a little bit cheaper and much easier to get in and out of than Walmart.

The clientele can be a little rough around the edges, but the Walmart crowd seems more unsavory.