The Dollar Store

[QuikSand]

(sorry I inadvertently posted this originally in the Dynasty forum)

Okay, I know my mind works differently than most... I fiddle with economics, I pay attention to numbers, and that sort of thing. But regardless...

Is anyone else here invariably fascinated by a trip to the Dollar Store?

- - -

Here's one thing: umbrellas.


They have stared showing up at dollar stores... compact, Totes-style umbrellas. Sure, they are cheaply-made... but it's a fucking umbrella. How on earth do they manufacture, assemble, ship, and deliver that mush stuff from wherever it's made to here in my home town for less than a dollar? That's just crazy!

- - -

And nearly every time I visit a Dollar Store, I end up seeing item after item where I bought, fairly recently, the same thing for much more.

It's s strange little economy-within-an-economy, I think. I almost never actually think to go to the Dollar Store when I want something in particular... but when I walk into the Dollar Store, I almost always find something I can use.

But there is a certain universe of items that you will routinely find on the shelves at, say, your local grocery store (perhaps right next door to the Dollar Store) selling for $2-$5... but practically the same thing is also selling for $1. Recently, I wanted some hex wrenches to carry on my bike for emergency -- the bike shop was selling a set or $14 which seemed ridiculous. I bought them at my hardware store for about $4 and snickered at what a good job I did. Then I saw basically the same set at the Dollar Store. *sigh*

But I learned my lesson.

Recently, we needed a tiny screwdriver to open something (a small digital timer we use for poker tournaments). Rather than buying the eyeglass screwdriver kit from the grocery store for $4.95, I walked over to the Dollar Store, and found the tiny screwdriver kit there for a buck.

It was the first time I ever actually went into the DS looking for something that specific... and found it. I wonder why I, a fairly attentive customer, almost never do that?

[VPI97]

They have stared showing up at dollar stores... compact, Totes-style umbrellas. Sure, they are cheaply-made... but it's a fucking umbrella. How on earth do they manufacture, assemble, ship, and deliver that mush stuff from wherever it's made to here in my home town for less than a dollar? That's just crazy!Magical elves.

[QuikSand]

From the original thread, a few responses:

Its China BABY! I watched a show about their manufacturing industy somewhere, it was amazing and really scary at the same time.

My wife and I have a joke about the shipment of Dollar Store merchandise. Something along the lines of, "A Dollar Store 18-wheeler jack-knifed on the interstate today...officials are claiming over $47 in merchandise lost." Ba-duh-bump.

I think around 99% (seriously) of my toddler son's toys are made in China.

[Fritz]

[size=1It was the first time I ever actually went into the DS looking for something that specific... and found it. I wonder why I, a fairly attentive customer, almost never do that?

Could it be that until the recent repackaging of dollar stores that they have been geared towards the low quality/overstock products often targeted at lower income people?

[rkmsuf]

I guess that means retail is for suckers is what it means.

We have a store up here in the Northeast, Building 19 that routinely has ultra cheap stuff. They deal in factory defects, overturned trucks and such. It's still a mystery how they come up with all their merchandise but it's the only place you can still get brand spanking new XFL gear from time to time.

[QuikSand]

Could it be that until the recent repackaging of dollar stores that they have been geared towards the low quality/overstock products often targeted at lower income people?

I guess I basically still think of most dollar stores that way, but i am not particularly stigmatized by going there regardless.

I think it might involve something even simpler -- the effort needed to actually go into a separate store for one item is often not worth the trouble, in practice. If I need a set of birthday napkins and I'm already in a drug store, I probably pick them up there for three bucks, rather than walk/drive across the strip mall to see if they are at the dollar store for one buck. I suspect a lot of people do the same thing, just out of being lazy.

[bbor]

I recently bought 5 calculators for my business for $10 a pop.That was the cheapest i had ever seen them as they usually retail for 18.95 or so.....Guess what.....yesterday i saw them at the dollar store for $2 each :(


Such is life

[QuikSand]

Yes, at one point a calculator was a real find at a dollar store -- now they are everywhere. I'll feel that way about umbreallas at some point, I guess.

[JeeberD]

They have cell phone stuff (batteries, headsets, etc) at the 99 cent store next to my work. It's insane how cheap they can sell some of that stuff...

However, I refuse to buy food items there. Especially perishable items. Just kind of freaks me out for some reason...

[Draft Dodger]

I worked for a guy back when I was in HS who ran one of these kinds of place. this was really before the rise of Dollar Stores, but the premise was pretty much the same - a store full of cheap junk.

He would buy crap that was being liquidated - for example, a video store going out of business...he'd buy up all their videos in one big lot for a cheap price, then sell them individually in his own store. I don't think the umbrellas were manufactured for that cheap - just overstock, liquidated stuff that was obtained very cheaply from someone wanting to get rid of their inventory.

[heybrad]

I will be opening the $1.05 store where we will compete based on higher quality crap items.

[Anthony]

we have a dollar store near us. when we shop at the grocery store we overpay - i won't intentionally go to a $1 store. but say we're running low on TP and napkins and such - i go straight there.

wrapping paper, party goods and laundry products get purchased there. basically anything that we plan on discarding shortly after use gets purchased at those kinds of stores.

[Pyser]

hey brad!

[Anthony]

They have cell phone stuff (batteries, headsets, etc) at the 99 cent store next to my work. It's insane how cheap they can sell some of that stuff...

However, I refuse to buy food items there. Especially perishable items. Just kind of freaks me out for some reason...

me too. they have real low quality food items.

except for name brand chips. like i mentioned before we'll go there for supplies when we throw a party and the huge bag of name brand chips can't be beat.

[CraigSca]

A word of caution - in a recent Consumer Reports magazine they had a little article on dollar stores, electronics in particular. They showed a pic of some alkaline batteries ("Durasell", I think) and showed them leaking soon after purchase. Also, they mentioned that the use of fake Underwriter Laboratories logos is a huge problem in dollar store merchandise.

Just be careful, and don't buy something like a smoke detector or deep fry cooker in one of those places :)

[Franklinnoble]

They're great places for school supplies... basically, anything disposable is worth buying at the dollar store.

I have no idea how they manufacture and ship umbrellas that cheap, though. I guess I should feel guilty about the legions of Chinese sweat shop kiddies that are being used as slave labor to enable this. I dunno...

[gstelmack]

A word of caution - in a recent Consumer Reports magazine they had a little article on dollar stores, electronics in particular. They showed a pic of some alkaline batteries ("Durasell", I think) and showed them leaking soon after purchase. Also, they mentioned that the use of fake Underwriter Laboratories logos is a huge problem in dollar store merchandise.

Just be careful, and don't buy something like a smoke detector or deep fry cooker in one of those places :)
Yup, double-check the brand. Some stuff is the same (you can get Bic pen packs, for example), some stuff is overstocked, and some stuff is unsafe super-cheap ripoff junk.

But I want to know why the dollar store was selling a calculator for $2. I mean, doesn't that violate the whole principal of the thing?

[bbor]

However, I refuse to buy food items there. Especially perishable items. Just kind of freaks me out for some reason...

But eating at Taco bell does'nt freak you out?:D

[bbor]

but say we're running low on TP and napkins and such - i go straight there.

TP at the Dollar store?....That's one thing i spend money on...no 1 ply for m...i like to treat my anus well.

[FBPro]

...i like to treat my anus well.

Am I the only one scared by this statement?

[rkmsuf]

just let it go.

[GrantDawg]

A word of caution - in a recent Consumer Reports magazine they had a little article on dollar stores, electronics in particular. They showed a pic of some alkaline batteries ("Durasell", I think) and showed them leaking soon after purchase. Also, they mentioned that the use of fake Underwriter Laboratories logos is a huge problem in dollar store merchandise.

Just be careful, and don't buy something like a smoke detector or deep fry cooker in one of those places :)
I fanally convinced my wife of that. She kept buying batteries there and none would last anytime (if they worked at all). Somethings it does not pay to go cheap on.

[Fritz]

I fanally convinced my wife of that. She kept buying batteries there and none would last anytime (if they worked at all). Somethings it does not pay to go cheap on.

she could just be overusing the vibrator

[JonInMiddleGA]

Could it be that until the recent repackaging of dollar stores that they have been geared towards the low quality/overstock products often targeted at lower income people?

Hmm ... I must have missed out on the whole repackaging thing.

I live in a town of 3,000 people ... and have THREE dollar stores inside the city limits. (briefly had four of 'em, but one closed down). And it's not a case of serving a larger area with central locations, each of the stores has another location in the next town(s) over.

Meanwhile, if I want to go sit & have a halfway decent cup of coffee somewhere other than my house, just to chill for a bit, I have to drive a half hour.

Like I said ... I must have missed the whole repackaging of dollar stores, they're here to serve one market & one market only.

[Celeval]

(sorry I inadvertently posted this originally in the Dynasty forum)
Well, damn. Actually, I was looking forward to what kind of dynasty QS would come up with around a dollar store.


Maybe a $1,000,000 dollar store? Only allowing players on the team who have exactly a $1,000,000 cap hit apiece?

[Fritz]

Hmm ... I must have missed out on the whole repackaging thing.

I live in a town of 3,000 people ... and have THREE dollar stores inside the city limits. (briefly had four of 'em, but one closed down). And it's not a case of serving a larger area with central locations, each of the stores has another location in the next town(s) over.

Meanwhile, if I want to go sit & have a halfway decent cup of coffee somewhere other than my house, just to chill for a bit, I have to drive a half hour.

Like I said ... I must have missed the whole repackaging of dollar stores, they're here to serve one market & one market only.

Jon,

Places like the Dollar Tree have been placing stores in more upscale shopping centers and have added "draw" items like mylar party ballons and party supplies.

Older dollar stores appeared to buy lots of items, and then move them. When all the items were sold, a customer could not expect to see any more. Now they have constant stock items like candles, cleaning supplies, and kitchen items.

[MikeVic]

Well, damn. Actually, I was looking forward to what kind of dynasty QS would come up with around a dollar store.


Maybe a $1,000,000 dollar store? Only allowing players on the team who have exactly a $1,000,000 cap hit apiece?

Me too. :(

[Fritz]

http://www.al.com/living/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/living/1100427877129920.xml

One dollar
Filling an "unfilled niche" where the five-and-dime used to be, stores that sell their inventory one dollar at a time are growing in popularity with shoppers across the board.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
By CASANDRA ANDREWS
Staff Reporter
Tightwads and penny pinchers have a new reason to grin.

There are stores popping up in Mobile and just about everywhere else in the contiguous 48 where every single item costs one dollar or less.

You heard right. One dollar.

And the merchandise isn't all overstocks or off-brand spaghetti sauce or last season's cast-offs from other national retailers.

At Dollar Tree stores, the largest national chain that sells everything for a buck or less, much of what is sold is manufactured specifically for the company's more than 2,600 outlets. Holiday gift bag with matching tag? One dollar. Women's white athletic socks? One dollar. Twenty-four pack of 16-ounce cups? One dollar.

The Dollar Tree stores also offer mouthwash, scented candles, plastic tiaras, picture frames, paintbrushes, glue sticks, magic markers and potato chips all priced at a buck or less.

Shoppers range from soccer moms picking up afternoon snacks for their children to crafters loading up on scrapbooking supplies to do-it-yourselfers scoping out the duct tape selection and other home repair items.

Customers can't seem to get enough of the deeply discounted goods.

"That would be the understatement of the year," said Adam Bergman, director of investor relations for Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. "We are opening about one store a day, including weekends."

The chain began in 1986 when they opened five stores in the Southeast -- including Virginia and Georgia -- in one week. Since then, they've grown to nearly 2,700 stores, including a new one opening next to Colonial Mall Bel Air on Monday. A Dollar Tree at 1500 Government St. near Catherine celebrated its grand opening Saturday.

Bergman said the publicly traded company expects to post a little more than $3 billion in sales by the end of the year. Which means the stores sold more than 3 billion screwdrivers, bottles of bleach and hardback books in the past 12 months.

With headquarters in Chesapeake, Va., Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. reported total sales for its fiscal third quarter were a record $724 million, compared to $665.2 million in last year's fiscal third quarter.

So, what gives?

"There's an unfilled niche," Bergman said. "The five and dimes are no longer. There used to be a significant five and dime store base around the country, Woolworth being the big one, and none of them are in business. We consider ourselves to be the modern day five and dime."

Bergman said about 10 percent of the store's merchandise comes from overstocks, something he calls "opportunistic buys." The stores also carry name brand food items such as Doritos chips and Heinz ketchup.

Dollar Tree stores are open seven days a week and are typically located in high-traffic strip malls near grocery stores or mass-merchandisers. Dollar Tree bought the Dollar Express chain in 2000 and the 96-store Greenbacks chain in 2003. In recent years, Dollar Tree has begun opening larger stores of up to 15,000 square feet.

They can maintain such low prices because they buy in bulk, they say, and they buy much of their merchandise from overseas markets such as China and they pick up manufacturer's overruns for pennies on the dollar. The stores accept cash and checks but no credit cards, which is another way to keep costs down.

The appeal of the low-price stores seems to cross socioeconomic boundaries. Not only are the shops located in low-income areas, but they also crop up in spots where more upscale stores operate. There are 71 Dollar Tree locations in Alabama, with four in Mobile and four in Baldwin County.

Data compiled by Dollar Tree found that 69 percent of all U.S. households shop dollar stores, with well over one-third of all U.S. residents visiting a dollar store each month.

Other national retailers seem to be picking up on the low-price trend.

Chains including Wal-Mart and Target have moved some of their stock front and center in their stores to showcase merchandise on sale for $1.

Target stores in Mobile and Baldwin County recently added displays just inside their entrances with several rows of items priced at $1. The stores are selling everything from silk purses and wallets to stationary, wooden picture frames and kitchen utensils for a buck.

Of course, the Dollar Tree Stores are much smaller and offer a fraction of the inventory of the larger discount chains. Except for pantyhose, socks, boxer shorts and sweat shirts, most Dollar Tree Stores don't stock clothing. "We'd carry it if we could," Bergman said, "if we could find jeans for $1."

And despite being in business for more than a decade, Bergman said Dollar Tree customers still ask sales clerks if merchandise is really just $1. It seems some folks don't want to be confused by the facts or the big posters plastered on storefronts that read "Everything's $1."

A sales clerk ringing up customers one day last week at the new Government Street location said shoppers have been bringing items up to the register and asking her to scan them to reveal the price.

Savvy shoppers Ruby Evans, 62, and Audrey Battles, 60, know the drill. The ladies were roaming the aisle in the store last Tuesday, stocking up on everything from pink lemonade to two-toned stem ware.

"I'm just like a child," Battles said, grinning and placing some Coast soap in her basket. "We wanted to come and check it out. I found my wine glasses at a very reasonable price."

The glasses, made by Libbey, featured light blue stems and sold for exactly one dollar plus tax.

[duckman]

I have a Family Dollar nearby that I purchase my cleaning supplies and paper goods. Saves me about 5-8 bucks a month compared to places like Wal-Mart.

[Radii]

I'm amazed that there has been no Oliegirl sighting in this thread yet.

I know that the tape we're using to tape up all our boxes for our move is coming from the dollar store. A lot of basic kitchen stuff(aluminum foil, etc) is purchased there as well.

One of the most amazing things i've ever seen in my entire life was the first time our son was rewarded with $3 to spend at the dollar store under my watch when Oliegirl and I were still dating. I think he agonized for at least 30 minutes over what 3 toys to buy before my patience wore out(believe me, my patience runs out a lot sooner now, at the time, it was just an amazing thing to watch).

[Passacaglia]

Time to dig up all those E.T. games.

[RPI-Fan]

A little bit of the tone I got from QS's initial post was "Why don't I (or others) go to the Dollar Store more often?"

For me, the answer is rather simple, I thinik. If I go to a hardware store knowing what I need to get, I either know where it is intuitively, can look up at the little signs hanging from the ceiling, or ask some PFC to tell me.

If I go to the Dollar Store, none of those things are possible.

[Buzzbee]

Along the lines of what RPI said, for me it is a matter of inventory. When I go to the grocery store or Wal-Mart or Target I usually know pretty much what they are going to have. I know I can find cans of dog food, bubble solution, or lip balm at Target or Wal-Mart. At the $ store it's a little more hit or miss. That is why I find myself only going there if I happen to be in the area, or if I'm specifically hoping that they have an item I'm looking for (like maybe a cheap pair of pliers to keep in the truck or set of razor knives).

[QuikSand]

In a word, then: uncertainty. I can buy that.

[Kevin]

These stores are wonderful for those who have the patience to wander throught he aisles on a frequent basis. Low income families finally have a way to buy necessary school supplies without breaking the bank. Young people setiing up in their first apartment can get some basic kitchen and bathroom needs for a reasonable price. Undoubtedly they move on to picking up some beteer quality items once they can afford them.

[judicial clerk]

My mother-in-law is a dollar store junkie. She buys more crap there than she can fit in my house. I spend $200.00 so that she can go with my wife and niece to see Cirque De Soile when it comes to PDX and her response is "nah! I'd rather just stay home." But she wants to go to the dollar store every single day of her visit.

[kcchief19]

OK, I've been in dollar stores before and was quite perplexed by the nature of this thread since my previous visits have been less than scintillating. But I was walking past a dollar store today and decided to go in -- if it's good enough for Quik, it's good enough for me. I though I might find a few stocking stuffers for the holiday.

Either the dollar stores here in Kansas City are horrible or the dollar stores elsewhere are terrific. I can quite comfortably say that everything in the store was either priced adequately or even overpriced at $1.

There certainly were some products that could be salvaged by a crafty person. But much of the merchandise was of such an inferior quality that it simply wasn't worth a dollar for me. For example, I need some disposable plates. I could quite easily get a stack of 50 for a dollar here, but these plates were extremely flimsy and lightweight. It seems like spending another dollar or two and get much better paper plates is worth it to me.

Maybe I'm just a snob -- it's quite possible. There have been times in my life when I was poor and buying stuff at low, low prices was a reality. I shopped at Aldi's, I shopped at the day-old-bread store and on my occassions I took advantage of buying the chicken leftover at the end of the day at Hardee's at a steep discount to stretch my paycheck. If I were still making a hair over minimum wage, I might very well take advantage of the dollar store. But nothing at the dollar store makes me want to do without something that is a little bit nicer for just a few dollars more.

I will say this -- the dollar store I was at and had none of the above mentioned gems -- no umbrellas, no tools, no calculators. Perhaps I just went to a dud dollar store.

[Ragone]

Chief.. I think i have a pretty good idea which one you went to, and i can pretty much say all the kc area ones are like that one.. better off just sticking to target/wal mart/k mart type places.. I'd avoid price chopper like the plague though :)

[QuikSand]

I will say this -- the dollar store I was at and had none of the above mentioned gems -- no umbrellas, no tools, no calculators. Perhaps I just went to a dud dollar store.

Sounds like a relative dud.

But to clarify -- even the "good" dollar stores are completely chock full of useless piffle and flimsy crap. Make no mistake about it. And the food, as mentioned above -- I wouldn't trust it, in general.

But I do, fairly reliably, find things that seem like bargains -- no-name cleaning supplies (I know my chemistry well enough to go with un-brands), wrapping paper and the like, small games and toys, small tools, and so forth. And, of course, the umbreallas.

I've also had some disappointments. Your paper plates sound like a reasonable representative -- I had a similar experience with DS aluminum foil -- got it home, and realized it was so unbelievably thin as to rip in its own (which kinda defeats the purpose). So, no more dollar tinfoil. Lesson learned, tuition = $1.05.

[Ragone]

I do remember one dollar store i came across that sold month old magazines.. if you didn't mind being a month behind.. it was a good deal i assume :)

[Easy Mac]

I went to one yesterday and was ready to buy 150 of wrapping paper for $1, and a bunch of other crap. Overall it would be about $10... then I saw the sign that they don't take credit... that sucks.

But on the way there, driving through the ghetto, I saw about 6 different tables on the side of the road selling CD's and DVD's for $3... they must have a poor profit margin :)

[duckman]

For the flimsy paper plates that kcchief19 was talking about, I use these plastic paper plate supports. That way I don't spend a lot for paper plates, and they last longer because I don't need three or four to make a decent plate.

[duckman]

dola...

Another place is pretty cool are the flea markets. I got a very nice rug at a flea market about two years ago because the house I was renting had light carpet. They were selling the exact same type of rug I was looking for at about half the price. It made my decision very easy. I have that very rug laying in my living room. :)

[kcchief19]

Chief.. I think i have a pretty good idea which one you went to, and i can pretty much say all the kc area ones are like that one.. better off just sticking to target/wal mart/k mart type places.. I'd avoid price chopper like the plague though :) You know me too well. :) In fairness, I was at one of the Everything's a Dollar stores at the mall. I think there is another "Dollar Store" with a yellow/black sign that I'll continue my experiment at.

I think the Price Chopper issue is additional evidence of me being a snob. The prices are generally better -- especially if you have one of those damn annoying cards -- but I never manage to make it in or out of a Price Chopper without getting angry. Everytime I go there they seem to be out of the one thing I go there to get. I refuse to get the Price Chopper card -- partly out of paranoia of having Price Chopper know exactly what I buy, partly out of the fact that I have enough of a Costanza wallet as it is and I don't have room for one more darn card. Went there one day and they had ground beef for $4.99 a pound -- or $1.99 with the Price Chopper card.

The grocery store discount card is definitely on my list of things that most annoy me for some reason. I don't like having to carry around something around with me in order to get a fair, market price. I had to go to Price Chopper to pick up the official city recycle bin and figured I'd go relent and go ahead and pick up a couple of things while I was there. When they gave me the spiel about the Price Chopper card, I politely told them that I was just there to get the bin and I had no interest in having to carry around the card to get a good price when I could go to any other grocery store and get a fair price without having to jump through any hoops. I told them that if they ever decided to do away with the card and give everyone the same price, I'd be glad to shop there. I sincerely doubt the cashier passed it on, but it made me feel better. :)

[Suicane75]

I've had various degrees of success with dollar stores, ive found quite a few bargains from time, year old sports almanacs and some books from time to time. I once found a slew of Lucha Libre figures for $2 each and was able to resell them on ebay for about $15 each. Never hurts to go into a dollar store, if ya find something good, ya know its gonna be cheap.

[Ragone]

hehe chief.. i bought the biggest garbage bag's i could find last week.. the trashman left me a note saying i couldn't use trash bags that size.. what a freaking crock.. alls this stupid rule is gonna do is lead people to start dumping trash in dumpsters or worse.. on roadsides..

[QuikSand]

Dollar Store enthusiasts may witness the pending decision to allow the yuan to float against the dollar as a monumental one...

[QuikSand]

If my Dollar Tree ends up bumping prices to $1.15 the White House will hear from this resident for the first time, via a strongly worded letter.

[PilotMan]

If my Dollar Tree ends up bumping prices to $1.15 the White House will hear from this resident for the first time, via a strongly worded letter.


Good luck. I've heard he can't read. You probably want to use some sort of pictogram.

[RainMaker]

Read this a few weeks ago. Interesting story about how they grew in rural America. Also the potential pitfalls.

Where even Walmart won't go: how Dollar General took over rural America | Business | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/aug/13/dollar-general-walmart-buhler-haven-kansas)

[AlexB]

Yes, at one point a calculator was a real find at a dollar store -- now they are everywhere. I'll feel that way about umbreallas at some point, I guess.

This might be one of the greatest lost lines in modern society: a lament of a possible future anguish over cheap rain covers.

Such is the horror of the thought that the mind cannot cope with this projected version of reality, and the stream of consciousness takes over to the point basic spelling is neither adhered to or necessary to convey the angst

In such a short sentence, so many emotions are conveyed at an impossible frequency that by default the reader is engulfed by the passion and drawn into the dystopian world where one can fail to feel emotion through a low cost umbrella.

Rihanna tried, but only Quiksand managed to convey how one seemingly inate occasional use item can be a metaphor for the whimsical, wasteful and superficial nature of modern society.

Despite the fear that a future may exist where a plastic rain protector is of little value, the fact that his audience is limited is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all

[cartman]

I still think I have something with my idea of an upscale version of a dollar store, named "Tree Fiddy".

[RainMaker]

In college I bought a crate of Orbitz drinks that were had been discontinued at a Dollar Store for $10. It was like 150 bottles. Was cool when we threw house parties and mixed it with booze.

https://i.imgur.com/F4jEBHY.jpg

[cuervo72]

I still think I have something with my idea of an upscale version of a dollar store, named "Tree Fiddy".

Workin' that niche between Dollar Tree and Five Below!

[stevew]

I actually got behind someone returning stuff at the Dollar Tree a week or so ago. What the Eff, just throw that s*** away. And it wasn't like I was in the ghetto or something, the area was really super expensive for Western PA

[JonInMiddleGA]

I still think I have something with my idea of an upscale version of a dollar store, named "Tree Fiddy".

I damned near spit coffee on my monitor just now

Which is pretty damned good for a 14 year post necromancy :D

[Lathum]

Read this a few weeks ago. Interesting story about how they grew in rural America. Also the potential pitfalls.

Where even Walmart won't go: how Dollar General took over rural America | Business | The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/aug/13/dollar-general-walmart-buhler-haven-kansas)

Really interesting story. Amazing how even after DG basically nuked he community he said he would still vote then again. What is it with people in the Midwest not being able to admit they made a mistake with a vote?

[stevew]

Dollar Generals and Mattress Firms should all be exploded. Like rural kudzu.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Dollar Generals and Mattress Firms should all be exploded. Like rural kudzu.

As I occasionally point out to locals back in my old hometown (where I believe they have 7 of the stop n' robs in a county with only 30k total pop): if you didn't flock to them, they'd stop building 'em.

[QuikSand]

AlexB got me LOLing over here

[QuikSand]

Think there’s ever been anyone who referred to multiple such outlets as Dollars General?

[QuikSand]

and BTW...for those too haughty to stoop to these levels...Dollar General is not an “everything costs $1” place. It’s just all low price retail. Like Wal-Mart for people who aren’t named Rockefeller.

[AlexB]

AlexB got me LOLing over here

Glad you enjoyed it! Alcohol had been taken at the time of posting!

[CU Tiger]

and BTW...for those too haughty to stoop to these levels...Dollar General is not an “everything costs $1” place. It’s just all low price retail. Like Wal-Mart for people who aren’t named Rockefeller.

It's become a sign of ones "ruralness" around SC.
I used to say I live 25 minutes from the nearest grocery store, but now I say I live 15 minutes from the nearest dollar general....people know I live in the sticks.

[CrimsonFox]

lol omg this thread made me laugh so much i spilled my drink!

[RainMaker]

Is Mattress Firm some money laundering operation? They seem to be ridiculously clumped together. There are 3 by me including 2 that are kitty corner. I never see anyone in them and I feel like everyone and their brother is selling mattresses these days.

This is out in the west suburbs. I can see Starbucks being this lumped together but is it really necessary to hit every corner with a mattress store?

https://i.imgur.com/c5b64s7.jpg

[RainMaker]

I also noticed this out by my Mom's a couple weeks ago. These are kitty corner in different shopping centers. How is this a viable business decision? This isn't a gas station where you need to catch it on the right side of the road. It's a mattress store. Something you go out to every 5-10 years.

https://i.imgur.com/hLl427W.png

[stevew]

There's 4 on McKnight Road within a mile

[cartman]

Mattress Firm is reportedly planning a bankruptcy filing as soon as this week (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/02/mattress-firm-is-reportedly-planning-a-bankruptcy-filing-as-soon-as-this-week.html)

[Coffee Warlord]

Is Mattress Firm some money laundering operation? They seem to be ridiculously clumped together. There are 3 by me including 2 that are kitty corner. I never see anyone in them and I feel like everyone and their brother is selling mattresses these days.

This is out in the west suburbs. I can see Starbucks being this lumped together but is it really necessary to hit every corner with a mattress store?

https://i.imgur.com/c5b64s7.jpg

Heh. This is right where I used to live. Unless things have changed in the last 6 months, there's one more missing, literally DIRECTLY across the street from one of those.

[Ksyrup]

In western TN where my daughter goes to college, there are approximately 4 times as many Dollar Stores as there are McDonald's. It's amazing.

My wife will occasionally shop there for cheap cards. Better than spending $6+ at a regular store.

[tarcone]

We have 2 in our town of 5000 that borders St. Louis county,

Not sure why we need 2.

[QuikSand]

Dollar Tree is closing or rebranding up to 600 Family Dollar stores | Fortune (http://fortune.com/2019/03/06/dollar-tree-family-dollar-3/)

[Young Drachma]

Not shocked about the Dollar Tree. The hedge fund pricks probably need to squeeze more money to fix one of their boats.