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Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

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Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#291

Post by refurb »

paulpauper wrote: post #37
koolba wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Likely through shrinkflation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrinkflation Next time you’re at the supermarket check if the bacon brands you remember are still a pound. I bet many of them are now 12 ounces.

by charging huge markup on per unit cost by reducing quantity. 3 pills of Tylenol for example for $1 instead of a bottle which may have dozens for $6 . The brands create special mini-sized packages specifically for dollar stores. Big business.

That’s exactly why I shop there. No sense paying $5 for 100 tablets that expire when I could spend $1 for 5 tablets that will get used.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#292

Post by refurb »

htek wrote: post #136
14 wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With often same great sized packaging only with smaller amounts inside. Very wasteful. Deodorant, chips, pills, etc all look like a normal sized bottle but in reality is a smaller size for dollar stores. I have also heard things like canned goods of say a brand of soup they have special made for places like Costco that demand higher quality ingredients where the dollar store would get lower quality versions. Perhaps…

This reminds me of an argument I had a few Thanksgivings ago with an aunt who loudly proclaimed that the $0.49 can of black beans from the bargain store is exactly the same as the $3.49 can of black beans from the supermarket.

Your brand name super markets dramatically mark up items that Dollar Stores don’t.

Next time your in your local Hispanic or Asian market, go and see what those same beans cost. It won’t be anywhere near the price of Safeway or Wholefoods.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#293

Post by vore »

ingenieros wrote: post #277
vore wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just plain rice and plain beans every day? I think there is a lot of work that goes into preparation you're willfully ignoring for in making it less boring and soulcrushing.

This is precisely why I avoided using adjectives such as savory or delicious. Taste is entirely subjective and varies widely from individual to individual. Nutrition on the other is based on scientific fact, hence why I chose to use terms such as: nutrients, fiber, protein. Btw, I find the term "souldcrushing" to be an insult to the millions of individuals who rely on such food staples for their daily nutritional int…

You seem to have a very utilitarian view of food that most people do not have: the average person does not quantify food purely in terms of their nutritional value, and enjoying the taste of it is a pretty big factor for if they want to eat it every day or not!

And again, comparing subsisting on "$30 of rice and beans" is a completely different proposition to "nations which rely on plant based diets": people in these nations are not eating unflavored rice and beans every day.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#294

Post by jdsully »

throwaway0a5e wrote: post #249
kevinob11 wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience it is incredibly common for people without much money to have cars that seem impractical, because they are easy to buy but hard to maintain. I think this is pretty common with cars that were very popular when they were first released (the 300 was) so the market is saturated with old ones in rough condition that are cheap to purchase but terrible to maintain. Sample size of 1, but my roommate in colle…

Well cared for FCA products (and several other makes) are rare because they offer permissive financing and tons of incentives and intentionally design to keep low MSRPs. This results in lots of of people of more modest means owning them initially. That is a recipe for hard miles and minimal maintenance. Your average Chrysler 300 is likely to have far more wear on the bump stops and in the back seats and trunk and far…

I was wondering why my dodge dropped in value so fast. I kept it over 8 years so it averaged out but those first years were tough.

I had to repair a thermostat and condenser in those 8 years, but I found it was much easier to work on then my brother in law’s Ford - the thermostat was impossible to get to without destroying your hand on that one.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#295

Post by Digory »

dragonwriter wrote: post #270
Digory wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People that shop for groceries at dollar stores do it because: 4. They only have a dollar. Yes, it's cheaper by the fluid ounce to buy a barrel of Pine-sol at Costco. But if you have $100 for groceries and household expenses this week, you'll pay more per ounce to minimize the cash-flow problem. Their cash-flow constraints and cost of credit both prevent them from economizing. That is how most Americans shop.

> Yes, it's cheaper by the fluid ounce to buy a barrel of Pine-sol at Costco. Its frequently cheaper to buy the same size package of a grocery item at a traditional grocery store than a dollar store; I've seen cases as extreme as things that regularly go 4/$1 (and occasionally go on sale at 10/$1) at regular grocery stores going for 1/$1 at a dollar store. But if you don't have a regular grocery store in convenient d…

I have seen the same loss leaders at “traditional” supermarkets, but it’s also true that stores like that are disappearing from rural areas. And they’re usually losing out to a Dollar General or Dollar Tree. So even in head-to head competition, dollar stores are meeting some perceived need.

Then, in the suburbs, it seems grocery stores are trying to go up the chain by focusing on prepared foods. The cheap cafe has been replaced by bar covered in shiplap and the fruit trays run $25 after labor.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#297

Post by tyingq »

chrisseaton wrote: post #278
tyingq wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Talking about inflation to motivate pay rise is a logically unsound argument. I get the rest of what you're saying, but I don't see how it's logically unsound. To me, it logically unsound if a company raises prices to match inflation, and all of it's costs other than employee salaries raise at roughly the inflation rate. Why are salaries solely exempt as a cost subject to inflation?

Why does your employer pay you at all? To get you to work for them. So how much do they pay you to work for them? As little as it takes to convince you to work for them and not someone else. So how much does it take you to convince you to work for them? Just a little more than anyone else will pay you. So your pay depends on how much anyone else will pay you. Where does inflation enter that logic? You can say 'my cos…

You could say that for any good or service, yet inflation is a thing.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#298

Post by Mountain_Skies »

mmastrac wrote: post #219
wly_cdgr wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A 50lb bag of white rice can be had on Amazon for $88, which translates into roughly 1k calories/$1 delivered to your doorstep for free in two-three days. You can get similar calorie/$ value with pasta, peanut butter, oatmeal. No one who has $40/week to spend on food in America needs to go anywhere close to hungry if they don't waste their money and time driving to dollar stores to buy overpriced non-bulk groceries.…

Ok, so you now need: A credit card + bank account A stable address and room to store bulk stuff A place to get packages where they won't be stolen $88

You can add cash to your Amazon account at AllPoint ATMs, CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, GameStop, 7-11 and many other stores.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#299

Post by ingenieros »

tksb wrote: post #279
ingenieros wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"But it's also boring and soulcrushing to have everyday" It's also rich in vegetable protein and a great source of fiber. Geez, when I think of "boring and soulcrushing" meals I think of SOYLENT not a nutritious meal enjoyed by tens of millions across LATAM on a daily basis.

If you believe that anyone counting cents is aware or concerned with it being "rich in protein" by your standards then count yourself among the disconnected. Survival is first. "Geez"

I used to volunteer to feed the homeless vegan meals in downtown LA and also spent 2 years volunteering for a vegetarian soup kitchen in Copenhagen. Clearly you are the expert on the matter and I'm clearly the one "disconnected" from reality.

Re: Dollar Tree says US$1.25 price point to become new standard

#300

Post by ingenieros »

vore wrote: post #293
ingenieros wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is precisely why I avoided using adjectives such as savory or delicious. Taste is entirely subjective and varies widely from individual to individual. Nutrition on the other is based on scientific fact, hence why I chose to use terms such as: nutrients, fiber, protein. Btw, I find the term "souldcrushing" to be an insult to the millions of individuals who rely on such food staples for their daily nutritional int…

You seem to have a very utilitarian view of food that most people do not have: the average person does not quantify food purely in terms of their nutritional value, and enjoying the taste of it is a pretty big factor for if they want to eat it every day or not! And again, comparing subsisting on "$30 of rice and beans" is a completely different proposition to "nations which rely on plant based diets": people in these…

The op mentioned "$100 is plenty to afford groceries at a grocery store." Surely some of that could go into things like: salt and garlic, no? You also talk about "the average person" which makes me seriously wonder what you mean by this? What is an average person in your world view? I've had the opportunity to live in 3 different continents and I'd be hard pressed to describe an average person to you. Perhaps you are right and my views are a bit utilitarian, but I can assure you that my soul is not crushed whenever I sit down to eat a plate of moros y cristianos.
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