Dollar Tree, 99 Cent Stores, Big Lots....
All of the discount / surplus retailers going out of business.
Not a good sign. Is it that there isn’t as much overstock anymore, or the prices too high? People tired of cheaply made chinese crap? Both?
Here’s an AI answer .... FWIW ...
While inflation has pressured the companies’ low-income customer base and shoplifting has squeezed their profits, those factors alone can’t explain their difficulties. Years of strategic mistakes and underinvestment have plagued Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only, retail analysts say.Apr 11, 2024
Starting several years ago, the amount of overstock has dropped dramatically. Suppliers don't want to get stuck with items after retailers cancel orders and retailers don't want to mark down items that don't sell well.
One other issue that's been a major factor is transportation, where costs are such that more Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) are a full container load in order to avoid the costs associated with freight consolidators shipping Less than Truck Loads (LTL). A retailer will order 19 containers of the product and sell them at full price instead of ordering 20 containers and marking down the last of the items that don't sell, especially if the retailer is paying a 3rd party company to warehouse the items for them. The computer programs that calculate warehouse and store shelf costs are more and more accurate.
I regularly warn people, "If you see it and want it - buy it, because they're likely to be out of stock with no inbound orders the next time you check."
I remember the good old days when Big Lots and others featured “overstock” and there were some great deals on cool things but I think that was in the early oughts. Now they feature contract-made Chinese goods that are thoroughly lacking distinction and exceptional value.
Is it that there isn’t as much overstock anymore, or the prices too high? People tired of cheaply made chinese crap? Both?
= = =
Maybe people have enough stuff. (excluding food and beer)
Or can just steal it from the high end stores.