Posted on 12/29/2018 6:41:14 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
It has become an increasingly common story: A dollar store opens up in an economically depressed area with scarce healthy and affordable food options, sometimes with the help of local tax incentives. It advertises hard-to-beat low prices but it offers little in terms of fresh produce and nutritious items—further trapping residents in a cycle of poverty and ill-health.
A recent research brief by the Institute of Local Self Reliance (ILSR), a nonprofit supporting local economies, sheds light on the massive growth of this budget enterprise. Since 2001, outlets of Dollar General and Dollar Tree (which bought Family Dollar in 2015) have grown from 20,000 to 30,000 in number. Though these “small-box” retailers carry only a limited stock of prepared foods, they’re now feeding more people than grocery chains like Whole Foods, which has around 400-plus outlets in the country.
In fact, the number of dollar-store outlets nationwide exceeds that of Walmart and McDonalds put together — and they’re still growing at a breakneck pace. That, ILSR says, is bad news.
“While dollar stores sometimes fill a need in cash-strapped communities, growing evidence suggests these stores are not merely a byproduct of economic distress,” the authors of the brief write. “They’re a cause of it.”
Dollar stores have succeeded in part by capitalizing on a series of powerful economic and social forces — white flight, the recent recession, the so-called “retail apocalypse” — all of which have opened up gaping holes in food access. But while dollar store might not be causing these inequalities per se, they appear to be perpetuating them. The savings they claim to offer shoppers in the communities they move to makes them, in some ways, a little poorer.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
You sound like you spend a lot of time there. That makes sense.
When I was a boy dime stores were everywhere. Five and 10 cent stores. I did not hear people complain about TG&Y stores on every corner. So why complain now about the dollar stores? Are they not the equivalent, the same?
That is the goal, you only left out the part where you and I subsidize the food and associated political graft to the tune of billions.
For every article that says we’re getting better, there is another article that says we’re getting worse.
And google is no friend to anything I hold as “truthful”.
What we’re left with is our own mind to look around and see what we see. There are more expensive cars and homes around here, but that measure of wealth doesn’t tell the whole tale.
I bought a 12,000 dollar car in 94 when I made 20,000 a year. The similar car today is $65,000 and I make pretty well at about 100k. The ratios are the same but this car is far nicer. So much of our measures of costs and wealth are not good datasets.
I believe these folks are looking for anything to create a story about — especially if they can have a victim.
Family Dollar is great for all items other than perishable food; their focus really isn’t about perishable food anyway. Their non perishables and all other items are (mostly) good quality and very reasonably priced.
Many of their generic brands are better than the national brands and I do not say this lightly as I used to never buy generic brands until I discovered that they are just as good, in some cases better.
Buy my Scotch Mints and Voortman Cookies there.
Who’s Ox is getting gored ? What purpose is being served by attacking the locations and marketing of these type of retail operations ? Seems like the ILSR needs a look into who they really are.
Leave the Dollar Stores alone. They have brand name products, especially cleaning products, for a fraction of the price the grocery stores offer. Also office supplies. Also greeting cards, including Hallmark. They saw a need, and they filled it. I am a recent convert to a Dollar Store in my neighborhood and I am amazed at the savings on name brand products, and kitchen items like pot holders, kitchen tools, etc. I love the place.
If there was a market for tofu and arugula in the hood, somebody would sell it there, Ms. Reese. Matter of fact, since you’ve spotted such a glaring oversight why don’t you open a grocery store near your house selling these more expensive items that sell well in affluent areas? Why run around complaining and implying racism on the part of existing retailers when you can jump in there and make a mint? Put your money where your mouth is. Do it.
I’ve shopped at Aldis for decades. Only once have I bought anything there that was not of good quality. Their milk and eggs are always fresher than any other store, probably because it goes from refrigerated truck to cooler, with no stops in between. I don’t usually but their meat, though, as a lot of it is from who knows where, since Congress passed a law saying it can be sold without country of origin being revealed. Besides, their fresh meats are much higher than the specials at other grocery stores. Otherwise, I wish we had one in our town. I have to drive 20 to 35 miles to reach one, which I’m usually not willing to do unless I’m going that way, anyway.
“I’m somewhat surprised at the misconceptions on this thread. First, nobody grocery shops at Dollar General.”
Agreed. It is evident that most of the “Haute couture” snobs on this thread have never stepped foot into a dollar store. We have shopped in numerous Dollar Tree, etc., stores up and down Virginia and they are excellent values for many kinds of products - many of them national brands exactly the same as purchased for double the price at a regular grocery store.
“Fresh produce and meat” - what?? Dollar stores normally do not carry such items. Go to your grocery store for that. But if you want to save a lot of money on household products, check out your local dollar store. If you want to get many items at less than half price, check it out. They are clean and well-stocked.
CAVEAT: There is one “Family Dollar” store in our area that is cluttered, etc., and we do not shop at that particular store. It’s probably a management problem.
Full disclosure: I do not, nor does any family member, work at any dollar store, and do not hold stock in any dollar store.
There is such a thing as cheap but lasts. My cheapo on sale Walmart jeans have lasted 10+ years but my cheapo on sale Payless flip flops only last about 6-8 years. Yes, year round regular wear.
“as my Dr son-in-law says sadly, “They then come in and expect you ‘fix’ a life time of poor health choices”!”
Then, they want the Medical care and rxes needed, to be free, aka Obama Care.
Publix has it also but Walmart is way cheaper..
Publix used to have a good meat dept...but now if you want rib eye steaks Walmart has better quality..hard to believe
“The local c store near me sells bananas - in mindboggling numbers.”
They’re .49/lb at Kroger for the non-organic kind. They are surprisingly nutritious and they taste great.
If you want a die for dessert, bake bananas with brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Yum!
I don’t think a store ‘traps’ anyone.
We used to make it a point, when in the city, to drive through the Whole Foods parking lot to look at the pale sickly looking environuts.
I rarely step into these dollar stores for the same reason I rarely step into a Wal-Mart or Target. They are full of cheap poor quality goods and money is usually wasted there. I get about 90% of my clothing from LL Bean through mail order, it's much more expensive but the clothes are of high quality and last years and years. I'm currently wearing a pair of LL Bean jeans and a shirt that I probably bought five years ago and very little sign of wear.
With food, I prefer spending a little more to get the quality. I'm mostly a "perimeter" shopper at the supermarket, stocking up on fresh fish, meat, eggs, cheese, butter, produce, nuts and whole milk yogurt. I'll dart into the aisles quickly to get a few items like canned sardines, olive oil, spices, and bottled water. Then I'm out of there. 95% of what is in the aisles is processed junk and that is typically what you see in these Dollar stores. Also, we grocery shop about three times a week so we are always keeping fresh produce in the house.
I know I spend far more on groceries than the average person but when it comes to the food I put in my body, I do not believe in cutting corners. I'm sure that has contributed to my overall robust health. Other than an occasional cold, I have never been sick and never been on a prescription of any kind.
Can't help but notice that much of the clientele in these stores are obese, sloppy in dress and tend to waddle more than they walk. Many of them with frowns, pouts and scowls on their faces. I know that sounds elitist but that is what I observe.
I like the comment that another poster here had about how liberals should get together and open up their own chain of supermarkets targeted towards the poor where they can sell them organic foods and all the quality foods they buy at the Whole Foods for themselves at prices that the poor can afford. The fact that this has never ever happened tells me it just can't be done. That is why you are never going to see quality at the Dollar stores. People go in there expecting to pay low prices and so the business model dictates that the goods available will be cheap as well.
People love to complain about "Whole Paycheck" supermarkets but they thrive. That's because when you are paying $15 a pound for fresh caught salmon, you are getting fresh caught salmon. Eating that salmon is much healthier than a $5 box of frozen fishsticks that you pop in the microwave.
I’ve been in dollar stores. There are canned vegetables and fruit in addition to canned pasta and soup.
You can get shelf-stable somewhat healthy foods there. It isn’t necessary to buy fresh produce to eat healthy.
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