A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun • Hacker News Board

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#211

Post by rudolph9 » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 4:51 AM UTC

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.)

Yes! And more and more they have organic or no pesticides food. Aldi is the store I miss most since leaving the Midwest :/ such good fresh food for relatively little money

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#212

Post by rudolph9 » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 4:55 AM UTC

grendelt wrote: post #8

Dollar General and Family Dollar are not dollar stores. They are variety stores - their stuff is not $1. Dollar Tree is a dollar store.

They’re honestly kinda expensive. Dollar tree gives you a lot for your money

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#213

Post by LyndsySimon » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 1:23 PM UTC

mawburn wrote: post #158

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…

I have a lot of family in rural Arkansas and Dollar General has been a life changer for them. It's only about 30minutes to Walmart or a grocery store, but that can huge hassle for small things or late night medicine.

I happens on a smaller scale, too. I’m also in rural Arkansas, and about 15 minutes from Walmart. I’m 5 minutes from Harp’s, and with basically no traffic in that direction. I tend to go to Harp’s.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#214

Post by LyndsySimon » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 1:27 PM UTC

aiisjustanif wrote: post #156

anilshanbhag wrote: post #10

It's fairly obvious that grocery stores would not want to be in poor neighborhoods. This article paints it all as segregation / race issue which is inaccurate where it is really an issue of purchasing power of the community. While many poor neighborhoods are communities of color - dollar stores have their origin and largest footprint in rural America which is predominantly white.

> This article paints it all as segregation / race issue which is inaccurate where it is really an issue of purchasing power of the community The purchasing power of the community, especially in the US, does reflect that it very well indeed could be a segregation / race issue still lingering. You have to remember that especially in the South, segregation was not that long ago for the tail end of baby boomers (1960-70…

Where I live has effectively no minorities, and the same economic conditions exist.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#215

Post by JustSomeNobody » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 4:45 PM UTC

linkmotif wrote: post #37

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…

Very refreshing to see people posting this plain simple reality. Not only is there plenty of cheap healthy food, if people wanted more of it—BAM—capitalism would be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail to sell them whatever they want.

I think something people are missing here, though is that when you’re poor you work multiple jobs and commute into the city you work in but can’t afford to live in. You don’t have time to cook many nights so while you may want good healthy cheap food, you settle for the faster meal.

BAM. Being poor truly sucks.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#216

Post by Lkjhmnbv » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 6:18 PM UTC

AlexTWithBeard wrote: post #167

Among other reasons of sorry state of the communities this article mentions "white flight". Would it be worth starting a campaign to attract white people back to the dilapidated neighborhoods?

You mean gentrification?

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#217

Post by linkmotif » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 6:39 PM UTC

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #215

linkmotif wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Very refreshing to see people posting this plain simple reality. Not only is there plenty of cheap healthy food, if people wanted more of it—BAM—capitalism would be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail to sell them whatever they want.

I think something people are missing here, though is that when you’re poor you work multiple jobs and commute into the city you work in but can’t afford to live in. You don’t have time to cook many nights so while you may want good healthy cheap food, you settle for the faster meal. BAM. Being poor truly sucks.

My family was on welfare growing up. Most literally. We found time to make food that was cheap and nutritious (dry beans, dry lentils, cheap chicken parts). That’s how we got out of poverty. It’s the only way out of poverty. Saying something is difficult isn’t constructive, productive or particularly interesting.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#218

Post by suscipit » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 6:41 PM UTC

That is beginning of the new era and the sources can be given to us as well because we are all living in this era.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#219

Post by JustSomeNobody » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 8:46 PM UTC

linkmotif wrote: post #217

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think something people are missing here, though is that when you’re poor you work multiple jobs and commute into the city you work in but can’t afford to live in. You don’t have time to cook many nights so while you may want good healthy cheap food, you settle for the faster meal. BAM. Being poor truly sucks.

My family was on welfare growing up. Most literally. We found time to make food that was cheap and nutritious (dry beans, dry lentils, cheap chicken parts). That’s how we got out of poverty. It’s the only way out of poverty. Saying something is difficult isn’t constructive, productive or particularly interesting.

Congratulation on getting out of poverty. That truly is something to be proud of. Do not, however, assume that your story is the story of thousands of others. Doing so isn't constructive or productive and could be harmful.

Re: A Dollar Store Backlash Has Begun

#220

Post by linkmotif » Tue, Dec 25, 2018, 10:01 PM UTC

JustSomeNobody wrote: post #219

linkmotif wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My family was on welfare growing up. Most literally. We found time to make food that was cheap and nutritious (dry beans, dry lentils, cheap chicken parts). That’s how we got out of poverty. It’s the only way out of poverty. Saying something is difficult isn’t constructive, productive or particularly interesting.

Congratulation on getting out of poverty. That truly is something to be proud of. Do not, however, assume that your story is the story of thousands of others. Doing so isn't constructive or productive and could be harmful.

It does go both ways. That’s true.