A question I have always wanted answered:
If the plural of Attorney General is AttorneyS General, is the plural of Dollar General: DollarS general??
The economics of dollar stores
201–210 of 226 posts
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#202100 yen (approx $1) have long been huge in Japan too, and their business model is even simpler: most of what they sell is plastic and made to order in China in huge volumes. They have grocery selections too, but nothing that would require refrigeration or otherwise spoil quickly. And while hardly luxury, they're also not down-market in the way that Dollar X's in the US are, many are located in central business distri…
Daiso, the largest chain in Japan, designs a lot of their own products, and the shear variety of some product lines is one of the stores’ attractions. Twenty years ago, before going back to the U.S. from Japan for a family reunion, I bought fifty folding fans, each with a different Japanesey design, at Daiso as gifts. The relatives I handed them out to seemed delighted, and they cost me only a buck apiece. Until I st…
i love daiso. the one in little tokyo (downtown LA) is actually spacious, relatively-speaking. apparently ikea loves them too, as i've seen a lot of gadgets that are staple items at daiso make it over the years into the ikea catalog. little kitchen items are what i notice the most, but other things too.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#203Dollar tree is the only remaining true dollar store. I don't know why people count the others.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#204Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this point is underappreciated. Sometimes it definitely makes sense to pay more per unit/kg for some item for a smaller quantity if otherwise you'd be throwing out an excess
At some point I bought a sampler set of miniature colognes from one of the big makers (CK I think). Probably 5 x 5ml or something. Dirt cheap, and perfect for traveling. Turns out 5ml of cologne is enough for years and years if you use it rarely and sparingly (as you should). The huge 50 or 75ml perfume bottles must be one of the products most often thrown out without finishing. I bet CK thought these sampler sets wo…
> "...if you use it rarely and sparingly (as you should)"
yes please, a hint is ok, but stinking of cologne (especially the really musky stuff) is a big turn-off for many women.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#205> Today ~34k pepper the US landscape... On average, a new one pops up every 6 hours
The 6 hour thing can't be right, can it?
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#206100 yen (approx $1) have long been huge in Japan too, and their business model is even simpler: most of what they sell is plastic and made to order in China in huge volumes. They have grocery selections too, but nothing that would require refrigeration or otherwise spoil quickly. And while hardly luxury, they're also not down-market in the way that Dollar X's in the US are, many are located in central business distri…
Dollar stores also exist in Canada (Dollarama and Dollar Tree), where my wife and I call them 75cent stores because of the conversion rate.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#207Earlier quoted context omitted.
At some point APRs really stop making sense for two-week loans. It's easier to understand what people pay in three parts: processing costs, a risk premium, and the lender's margin. Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law estimated the margin at 3.75%. The argument against payday lenders is a paternalistic one with moralistic overtones, with all the potential flaws that might entail.
Ever had a payday loan? I'm guessing no.
i'm unsure why this would make APR a better tool to understand two-week loans, or how it would make things less paternalistic
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#208Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's definitely not true for all paperback books. I often buy remaindered paperbacks at Dog Eared and Alley Cat bookshops in San Francisco. You can tell they're remaindered because they're marked with felt tip. When I lived in the UK, Fopp was a great source for them (along with discount films and music.)
My knowledge of the subject goes back to a high school job in a bookstore. Things may well have changed since then. Back then we ripped the covers off mass market paperback and sent them back to the publisher for a credit. The books were supposed to be discarded but you did from time to time come across a paperback book with no cover at a thrift store or similar, so clearly that didn’t always happen.
I’ve had plenty of paperback books lose their covers fairly quickly, seeing used books without covers doesn’t mean they had their covers intentionally ripped off.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#209A question I have always wanted answered: If the plural of Attorney General is AttorneyS General, is the plural of Dollar General: DollarS general??
No. “Dollar General” is a trademark/proper noun, not a common noun. When pluralized, trademarks are typically paired with a common, pluralized noun since one is typically referring to the mark’s owner entity. “Dollar General stores” “Dollar General brands”
Common nouns with postpositive adjectives, in US English, have the noun pluralized: attorneys general, sisters-in-law, courts-martial, professors emeritus, accounts receivable.
Re: The economics of dollar stores
#210Earlier quoted context omitted.
My knowledge of the subject goes back to a high school job in a bookstore. Things may well have changed since then. Back then we ripped the covers off mass market paperback and sent them back to the publisher for a credit. The books were supposed to be discarded but you did from time to time come across a paperback book with no cover at a thrift store or similar, so clearly that didn’t always happen.
I’ve had plenty of paperback books lose their covers fairly quickly, seeing used books without covers doesn’t mean they had their covers intentionally ripped off.
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