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Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

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11–20 of 91 posts

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#11

One thing I noticed about Family Dollar anytime I went into one is their prices were not any better than the local grocery store. You walk into DollarTree and it feels like a dollar store, with Family Dollar there were tons of products I saw where I knew it was cheaper at the local grocery store, and not just cheaper where you would buy a bigger item for more but end up paying less for each unit, but 1-1 products tha…

Family Dollar occupies a weird space. The successful stores are in locations where other retailers refuse to go. But they sell dollar store quality stuff at (sometimes higher than) Walmart prices.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#14
post #5

I hope Aldi gets 1,000 stores soon. Ideally I'd like to see 5,000+ Aldis in the US.

The love for Aldi must be very regional or personal. Because I walk into them and just see knock off snacks such as chips/poptarts, an aisle of rice and pasta, and an aisle of canned food items, and pretty much nothing else in them.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#15
post #7

When they were competitors, before the merger in 2015, they built stores next to each other. Rite Aid did the same thing with Walgreens drug stores. Then after the merger, they ended up with redundant stores in the same location. Duh! https://corporate.dollartree.com/news-media/press-releases/d... The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper pr…

Aldi's or another store is often very far away. I go to them because they are close and available. Most of us know they are more expensive. Time and travel need to be taken into account. Nearest grocery store is a minimum of 25 minutes one way. Family Dollar was 5 minutes away.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#16
post #7

When they were competitors, before the merger in 2015, they built stores next to each other. Rite Aid did the same thing with Walgreens drug stores. Then after the merger, they ended up with redundant stores in the same location. Duh! https://corporate.dollartree.com/news-media/press-releases/d... The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper pr…

> The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper products

This only makes sense if you think poor people are dumb or naive. They don't know how to compare prices?

As other people have mentioned, sometimes the value is the amount you can buy. If your personal financial margins are small, it is okay to spend more per oz on a single bar of soap because it is the difference between having soap vs not.

We shouldn't assume cost per unit is the only value a store provides.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#17
post #7

When they were competitors, before the merger in 2015, they built stores next to each other. Rite Aid did the same thing with Walgreens drug stores. Then after the merger, they ended up with redundant stores in the same location. Duh! https://corporate.dollartree.com/news-media/press-releases/d... The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper pr…

These places create food deserts, for the reason you mention. They are engineered to get poorer people to come there instead of a normal grocery store. The grocery store in your neighborhood struggles and closes, now you have to drive twice as far to get fresh produce, or go to Family Dollar and buy a week's worth of frozen Banquet meals.

That can't be healthy for any population.

I avoid these stores on principle now, even for things where it makes sense to go to a dollar store.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#18
post #7

When they were competitors, before the merger in 2015, they built stores next to each other. Rite Aid did the same thing with Walgreens drug stores. Then after the merger, they ended up with redundant stores in the same location. Duh! https://corporate.dollartree.com/news-media/press-releases/d... The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper pr…

For the truly poor on food stamps Aldi is not an option. They do not accept food stamps.

Re: Family Dollar to close almost 1,000 stores

#19
post #7

When they were competitors, before the merger in 2015, they built stores next to each other. Rite Aid did the same thing with Walgreens drug stores. Then after the merger, they ended up with redundant stores in the same location. Duh! https://corporate.dollartree.com/news-media/press-releases/d... The thing I don't like about these stores is IMO they take advantage of poor people who think they are getting cheaper pr…

The misconception about dollar stores is that they sell cheaper products. However it’d be cheaper to buy almost anything per unit at Costco. Dollar stores provide a service when they sell the same products but smaller sizes, which makes it easier for people who don’t have enough cash to buy stuff.
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