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A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

citylab.com

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Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#111

Post by dcow »

war1025 wrote: post #18
vraylle wrote: post #9

I don't know about other areas, but here in the middle of Oklahoma the Dollar Generals have been a real positive. There's a lot of rural areas where a Walmart came in, then folded later. It left a 1-2 hour drive to get buy any kind of "real" food. The DG stores here have been expanding to include an actual grocery section, including fresh produce and (limited) fresh meat. More is available frozen. They have excellent…

Here in rural Iowa, Dollar General also has claimed the niche of "less stuff, but also nearby". You can either drive 5 minutes into town and go to the Dollar General for most of your basic needs, or you can drive a half hour to the nearest city with a Walmart / Target / etc. I really quite like stopping by to grab a quick thing or two. Around here, there tends to be a local grocery chain in the same vicinity, so gene…

You’re not the only one. My girlfriend worked for half a year at the local dollar general. She had great coworkers and it paid the bills. She could do all her shopping there and I was surprised how well the DG covered just about everything you wouldn’t want to wait for a weekend trip into a bigger urban area to take care of anyway.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#112

Post by jstewartmobile »

harlanji wrote: post #38
war1025 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here in rural Iowa, Dollar General also has claimed the niche of "less stuff, but also nearby". You can either drive 5 minutes into town and go to the Dollar General for most of your basic needs, or you can drive a half hour to the nearest city with a Walmart / Target / etc. I really quite like stopping by to grab a quick thing or two. Around here, there tends to be a local grocery chain in the same vicinity, so gene…

This is why I prefer being homeless in the Bay Area to going anywhere else to live for cheap, as people invite me. I spent like 4 days in a nice place in GA, in a downtown without baguettes, and came right back. I can shop at organic markets and coops everywhere. The high rent is a better cost than gas when housed.

You just need to be homeless by a Sam's Club. They make wonderful baguettes!

https://www.samsclub.com/locator

They even sell decent enough brie to put on them.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#113

Post by adrianN »

craz8 wrote: post #92
thaumasiotes wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can either drive 5 minutes into town and go to the Dollar General for most of your basic needs, or you can drive a half hour to the nearest city with a Walmart / Target / etc. I'm intrigued by these time estimates. Living in a suburb of Santa Cruz (just south of the Bay Area), the choices are similar. Completely inadequate corner store (much worse than DG) locally, or drive to a location with real stores. That…

To be fair, if I even think of Santa Cruz, I end up in a 15 minute traffic backup

Having to get into a car to get groceries is probably one of the reasons for that.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#114

Post by pishpash »

da_chicken wrote: post #96
nate_meurer wrote: post #42

I normally like CityLab, but the tone of this article really grates on me. Calling dollar stores parasites? The article casually notes that without these stores many poor or minority communities would be true retail deserts, but it offers no workable alternatives. Only invective. Every Dollar General I've ever been in has dairy, eggs, a competent selection of canned and dry goods (pasta, beans, etc), baking goods, an…

Yeah, this does kind of feel like condemning people for having the gall to not shop at Trader Joe's. Realistically, what's the difference between Dollar General and Woolworth's 5¢ & 10¢ stores? What's the difference between Amazon and the Sears Roebuck Mail Order Catalog? The names have changed, but merchandise really hasn't.

There are some food deserts in expensive urban areas, too, and drug stores serve the role there, not really that different from dollar stores. It's not a uniquely poor phenomenon.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#115

Post by kthejoker2 »

smelendez wrote: post #109
pascalxus wrote: post #3

You really have to differentiate between the food that's offered at a dollar store and everything else. I shop at the dollar store for things like shampoo, deodrant, toothpaste and it's superb deal, not in any way making me poorer. on the contrary it saves me money. for groceries, you should shop somewhere else, unless your looking for dog food. the reason there aren't more grocery stores selling good food is because…

Incidentally, I don't think 1,600 calories at McDonald's comes to $22. A $1 cheeseburger is about 300 calories.

I mean, if it's just calories, you get unlimited drink refills for a $1.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#116

Post by black-tea »

peteretep wrote: post #107
icelancer wrote: post #101

These articles definitely make me think the average leftist/Democrat in the United States has no idea what it's like to be poor and reliant on many public services. They'd understand not only why Dollar Stores exist, but why they are primary choices for many impoverished Americans. Source: Been destitute and on public assistance with a child and limited access to a car.

Can you explain why that's true of leftist/Democrats and not true generally of all people?

He's a "rightist" so naturally it would be the other team that are wrong and have always been wrong etc.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#117

Post by icelancer »

black-tea wrote: post #116
peteretep wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain why that's true of leftist/Democrats and not true generally of all people?

He's a "rightist" so naturally it would be the other team that are wrong and have always been wrong etc.

I'm liberal.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#118

Post by Symbiote »

perardi wrote: post #32
Yhippa wrote: post #2

Every year for Christmas my wife continues a small family tradition: every year we go there and buy stocking stuffers for our small family. It's definitely a different experience than going to a grocery store for sure. It's almost like you have a department store or modern pharmacies like CVS with the food capabilities of a gas station or 7-Eleven. I can see why it would appeal to lower-income families. If you assume…

Aldi's can be a bit drab, but the actual quality is fantastic. (I don't understand how Aldi's has the best fresh pineapples.)

Good logistics is one of Aldi's strengths in Europe, so I assume they've taken that experience to the USA.

That also have less range of products, which might mean they sell more pineapples as there are fewer alternatives.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#119

Post by icelancer »

peteretep wrote: post #107
icelancer wrote: post #101

These articles definitely make me think the average leftist/Democrat in the United States has no idea what it's like to be poor and reliant on many public services. They'd understand not only why Dollar Stores exist, but why they are primary choices for many impoverished Americans. Source: Been destitute and on public assistance with a child and limited access to a car.

Can you explain why that's true of leftist/Democrats and not true generally of all people?

I mean these articles in general. They aren't written by Republicans; they're written by leftists who feel they should do better and this and that. Most of the time they've never experienced poverty and why poor people make the decisions that they do, like shop at Dollar General, for example.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#120

Post by WildGreenLeave »

kijin wrote: post #36
DocFeind wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I spent a few years in Texas and often travel by road cross country. I do have to say, finding a dollar store chain of local is a blessing in the big empty in-between.

Dollar stores are like fast food franchises. They're cheap and probably unhealthy, but their inventory is highly predictable.

Is a Dollar store in the US comparable to a 7-eleven from Asia?

I don't live anywhere where they have either a Dollar store or a 7-eleven, I've only learned about the 7-eleven concept on my last trip to Bangkok.

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