Nearly 1 in 3 new stores opening in the US is a Dollar General

[quote] Wow, when did America get so shitty?

1776

One just opened in my town!

MUrica has been on a downward slide for decades

Trump was the icing on the shit cake

The ironic part is they are not inexpensive, I guess the “Dollar” in the title leads people to think they are getting a deal there.

Dollar General is not Dollar Tree where everything is $1.

The US will soon be a country of discount stores.

Dollar General has been a long time supporter of LGBT, even before it got fashionable to be a supporter

Well I didn’t know dollar general was a gay place but things are not a dollar in there. They do have Cigs at least

Not every new store can be a Starbucks.

I went into one once in New Mexico when I was attending a workshop at Ghost Ranch. It was kind of depressing - especially when the woman in the checkout line kept asking the cashier to remove items and to try to run her debit card again at a lower amount. Like five times.

This just underscores how few new retail stores are opening due to Amazon and internet purchases.

It's not a sign of America's love of Dollar General.

They go into smaller towns that can't support a Walmart and sometimes even a supermarket. They kind of fill a niche between convenience stores (7-11) and large discount stores. Basically, they've become today's general store/variety store.

1619.

It's a great place to cruise for hot tail.

Just kidding..

DG, Family Dollar, etc. are often the only stores in blighted areas/food deserts- where people don't even have cars or transportation (who wants to carry groceries home on the bus?). You can buy a hammer, a quart of oil, a can of soup, some flower seeds, pet food...

R11 I think both can be true: online shopping killing retailers and people "love" it. Love is probably the wrong term though, it's more that they don't want to love better.

It's basically a small scale Walmart, as R12 pointed out. There's 4 of them 10 mins away from me, even though Iive in an upperclass area (avg income 90k). They re typically a mess, with not enough room for shit they want to shove in the aisles. Corporate makes them stock holiday items months in advance (the one by me had Christmas stuff out in late Sept).

I actually blame the upper middle classes for this more than the poor. 99% of those I see shopping in these places are well off -- same with garage sales and consignment shops. Instead of buying at local stores and paying a few bucks more, they want cheap, because 1.) They're cheapskates wanting a deal 2.) They're older people that are buying cheap shit out of boredom 3.) They've overindulged in other areas with their finances, living on credit (vehicle leasing every 6 mos - a year, 300k + gaudy mcmansions, etc.)

Is that the good dollar store? Not being poor I have never been in one? Do they bar you if you have a degree?

We are pleased to supply 90% of the products you’ll find in this store.

I lived for a couple of years in rural Louisiana, and the only stores in the region are Dollar General and Family Dollar. They are not cheap. Even Walmarts are few and far between.

Dollar Tree is the good one, not Dollar General. It's fun to go in and pick up a bunch of things you can use for $1.00 per item. The gardening supplies were good this year and the canned/boxed/jarred grocery items are good as well.

I used to be too snobby for these kinds of stores but my husband got me to love them. Dollar General is not cheap, it is what some of the posters above said. It is a general store. Great description. I need cat litter and milk and Tylenol, but I don't feel like going into the grocery store. Or the grocery store is not in my neighborhood. So I go to Dollar General, and the stuff is about the same price as anywhere else. We don't go there much anymore because the main draw for us was that they had a cheap store brand of cat litter, maybe $1.25 or $1.50. But then one of my cats was diagnosed with asthma so we're expensive cat litter all the time people now. They also have smaller sizes of regular brands. So maybe you are broke this week but you still want to buy whatever brand cereal. You get a smaller size brand that is cheaper, but if you figure it out it is probably proportionally the same price as a full size would have been. It serves a lot of purposes.

Dollar Tree is a whole other animal. Everything is a dollar. For real. They have all kinds of crap but some useful stuff too. I think I've said this before, but they have overstock or old stock DVDs for a dollar. It isn't easy to find anything you'd want to watch, but there are some cartoon DVDs one can purchase for a dollar and sell on Ebay for $5. The same with books, but I haven't gone far down that road. They have some real brands, some off brands. They sell all kinds of crap that you've paid more for somewhere else. I see people buying mops and all kinds of cleaning equipment. Frozen garlic bread in the box is $1 at Dollar Tree but around $3 in the grocery store. As mentioned a few months ago, they carry some older brands like Salon Selectives. I'm simple and endlessly fascinated by life, but it's worth checking out.

R21 yes the name brand stuff at the DG is usually $1 or more cheaper than anywhere else and it is good for small errands, requiring a little of everything. My previous comment probably sounds like I hate them, but I use them more frequently than other stores.

They sell name brand energy drinks for the best prices, beer is the best bargain there, pet supplies are cheaper, along with *most* of the items there. I usually like their selection of cards/ gift wrapping.

Only found the smokes more expensive by a couple dollars, and wish they'd cut down on the clutter from the BS items (tacky jewelry, cheap toys, holiday crap, etc.)

they have the best soft cat food

We're getting a DGX store:

DGX stores are smaller footprint locations with a “curated assortment of grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, home cleaning supplies, an expanded selection of health and beauty products, home décor, electronics, seasonal products, pet supplies, candies and snacks, paper products and more.” It also offers an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables and coffee stations.

The Chelsea Twostep.

Dollar General = Sugar & Salt

Hm, I wonder if this has anything to do with the continually shrinking middle class.

I miss Woolworth!!!

I was a stockboy at K-Mart in ancient times: would I now be called a curated assortment engineer at DGX?

Parent company is a subsidiary of Goldman-Sachs. Former CEO David Perdue was Trumptard senator from GA. Tells ya all ya need to know.

The existence of one in your town immediately signals desperation.

They should just change the name. "Dollar" in the title means it's for poor people

are there glory holes cut out in the restroom walls?

R28 I'm right there with you. Woolworths was fun to shop at -these "Dollar" store are depressing. They sell a pathetic blend of cheap shitty makeup , off brand baby and cleaning supplies and shitty greeting cards and home items . All the merchandise is the epitome of cheap Chinese crap-much like Walmart. Our society is crumbling faster than the Roman Empire.

I always stroll through the clothing aisle because they have every size of bad clothing available. Are you coming off a three day meth bender? They have leopard tights and sports bras in your size. Have you been eating everyone’s feelings? They have tights and a 5xl tee shirt in your size! Did you throw your shoe at somebody and they drove off with it? They have slippers in your size.

Dollar General is like DollarTree only with a higher limit. Family Dollar is owned by DollarTree, so they carry a lot of the same items, but still only charge a dollar. They're fine for just picking up a few things that you don't want to hassle with a big box store. Stay away from their off-brand food items, they're mostly from India and have a large salt/fat/sugar content and taste like shit

I'm in marketing and all three stores are clients of ours, so I do a lot of work there. The staff is underpaid and overworked, so give them a break. No Karening, they'll kick your butt

I don't know if they will last since thousands of companies in China went bankrupt

R23 soft cats need a lot of special care.

We should encourage their workers to unionize so that it slows down the spread of these abominations.

The problem with the US is the rich, and the politicians helping/protecting them. Inequality is at an all-time high and nothing is being done.

They're mainly located in areas that would be considered "food deserts" near where I live.

Another problem we're encountering is a ton of gas station/convenience stores opening up like crazy. They're opening up like right across the street from each other. There's one on every corner.

If you don’t want to shop there, don’t. It’s like Walmart but with a smaller range of items. I prefer Dollar Tree because you can buy lots of junk for fun parties and pay very little. I don’t care because I’m too poor to shop at Saks or one of those places that charges $500 for a pair of shorts.

We're #1

...in Dollar General stores.

I'm fine with Dollar Stores being around but just don't want one in my neighborhood. I'm sure they're not great for housing prices in the areas.

My sister's suburban town is actually debating whether to allow a Dollar Store into an empty store front. She is adamantly against it because it automatically scars a town as being low class.

R43 there is a Dollar General that just opened in my town. It’s solidly middle class here and houses sell in days right now. Nobody cares.

Reaganomics.

They have, yet again, launched a new store concept.

Years ago they launched a more "upgraded" variety of their stores (I can't recall the name of it right now) that had fresh produce and meats.

I am Sam Dollar and I endorse this thread

[quote]I'm right there with you. Woolworths was fun to shop at -these "Dollar" store are depressing.

Laverne) What are we doing in here Shirl? We can't afford anything in this store

Shirley) We'll just look around, browse a bit, see the latest styles and fashions and then go right down the street to Woolworth and buy the same thing.

[quote]they have the best soft cat food

All of my late cats said the same thing

They just have things made smaller and buy them in bulk. You actually get less per ounce.

[quote] there is a Dollar General that just opened in my town. It’s solidly middle class here and houses sell in days right now. Nobody cares.

Wait a year as the buying cools off. Then see what happens.

If it's not the main store in the town, the housing prices should be fine. When it's the main store, then you should worry. What's worse, is, once Dollar Store opens, others can't compete and close.

I'm happy to frequent a store where the employees get paid poverty level wages and no benefits so I can purchase merchandise made in China that is laced with carcinogens just so I can save a buck.

[quote] who wants to carry groceries home on the bus?

I did it for years.

r53

Yeah Ralph but that was your sack lunch

Travel pro tip: you can get a tube of Colgate toothpaste that is just under 3oz. Goes through airport security and lasts two weeks, and cheaper than the smaller travel size to boot!

Too expensive

Welcome to New Russia.

I've only shopped there once, when I was travelling through Arkansas and needed a new USB cable for my phone. Angry, mean cashiers with prison tattoos and meth teeth. I was glad to make it out of there alive.

These stores are terrible for the environment. A blight on planet earth. They're filled with cheap Chinese crap made by slave labour, then transported across the ocean in cargo ships which kill marine life and pollute the oceans, and then their product are disposed if within a few months, if not weeks. Don't even get me started about the excess plastic from packaging and shopping bags.

Wait until Walgreens joins this list. It's a monthly occurrence for senile senior citizens to either crash their cars into the place or hit the metal fence on the way out.

What about Family Dollar, you poor and cheap bitches? Where is HER description?

For those thinking Dollar Gens is or isn't cheap - I'm going to say those on the not cheap are actually right. I work for a very large, blue chip, manufacturer. Think of Dollar General as the REVERSE Costco where they have extra large sizes of your favorites of your favorite items at the regular size price. Think Cetaphil Cream at 20 oz for the price of the Walmart version, which is 12 oz. Think Dove Bars at a bonus pack a the price of a regular 3 pack, etc.

Dollar General uses "cheater" sizes that are smaller so you are actually paying more per ounce or gram. That same Irish Spring bar is now 1/3 smaller for not much cheaper than Walmart.

It's shady on the manufacturers part too because a smaller size doesn't always (and sometimes not at all) save you money. But they have to have back room deals with Walmart and the club stores to differentiate and not lose distribution.

Honestly, its a lot of corporate conspiracy to fuck over the poor and middle class.

Shocker.

The colored people shop there for canned goods and soda !!!

Both of our Dollar Generals are in the poor parts of town

r60 recently an old person driving out of our Walgreens crashed through a house behind it's fence and landed in their pool.

Walgreens is a complete rip-off everything cost at least twice as much there as anyplace else

Never buy toiletries and over the counter meds at Walgreens or Dollar General as they are more expensive

R61, Dollar General owns Family Dollar now.

I don't personally mind shopping at dollar stores, including Dollar Tree. I've scored some great deals at them from time to time. I've mentioned this on here before I think, but at one point Dollar Tree was selling Progresso brand canned artichokes. Those are normally $3.99 elsewhere. Of course I snatched a bunch up. Family Dollar sells their own knock off version of Girl Scout Cookies (that taste identical) for a fraction of the price. I also go to these places for other random shit like pens, notepads, foil containers, batteries, gift wrap, etc...

There's something nostalgic about shopping at a local five & dime store.

[quote][R61], Dollar General owns Family Dollar now.

No, it doesn't.

[quote] I've mentioned this on here before I think, but at one point Dollar Tree was selling Progresso brand canned artichokes. Those are normally $3.99 elsewhere.

Really, you're excited about getting Progresso artichokes for a few cents cheaper? That's pathetic

For all you who cry "The Poors!" I've run across plenty of Old Monied shoppers at Dollar Tree. Their "off brand" cleaning products are fine. Moreover, I don't need to buy more than 100 aspirin at a time: $1 vs. $5 (elsewhere). Index cards, aluminum foil, and other non-food items similar. Do you really need to pay three times as much for a greeting card?

R69, It's not a "few cents" cheaper, it's a few dollars cheaper.

Dollar Tree is where I go for cards, a lot of them are 50 cents

Fucking hell:greeting cards, knockoff Girl Scout cookies, and Progresso artichokes. The things I am missing.

It's cheaper but the quality of the merchandise is also much cheaper

Considering 1 in 3 can only afford Dollar General, I buy it…

Apparently ours is quite "modern" - just what downtown Minneapolis needs, a Dollar General. Fitting, I guess.

We have a similar store in Germany, I think it it's based in Holland. It's called Action. I love it for cheap gardening supplies, pool inflatables, that sort of thing.

I also like it because it's where all the foreigners hang out, seems like the Germans don't like it. All you hear in there is Russian, English, Farsi, Turkish etc.. I go at least once a week and hang out with my fellow foreign bargain hunters, unbothered by interrogating sales staff. A dazed looking woman rings your purchases up without any chat. Bliss.

I bought beautiful seagrass baskets there for my houseplants, I'd seen them at a swanky garden centre for about 20 - 30 euro, at Action I've paid between 3 - 6 euros.

Dollar tree has plastic silverware too! $1 for a set of knives or forks! Who needs silverware?

R76 we have that in Des Moines, it actually carries quite a bit for a small store.

DGX is rebranding to fool the poors. It might fool a few people with money too, until they walk in the door.

I havent been to a Dollar General in years.

One thing I couldn't stand was they always had a line of 20 people waiting because one cashier was working no matter how busy the store was. Like gurl, ain't nobody got time for that.

At least Walmart has transitioned to self check, you do all the labor but there is virtually no wait time to check out.

Um, R78, everyone needs silverware. I have one everyday set of stainless, one fancier set of stainless, one set of silverplate, and one set of sterling. (But I love flatware).

Can I pick up any dildos for a dollar at either Dollar General or Dollar Tree?

Yes, but they're "previously owned."

Dollar Genital

[quote]I've run across plenty of Old Monied shoppers at Dollar Tree.

Maybe old money from Mayberry, but not ACTUAL old money from Boston, NY or Philly

How much is their anal bleaching cream? Asking for a friend.

[quote]I've run across plenty of Old Monied shoppers at Dollar Tree.

Just the other day I popped in and who should I see but Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle trading 10% discount coupons with Mrs. Schuyler van Rensselaer!

Actually, yes R86, "real" Old Money. You seem to be stuck in some Thurston Howell myth mindset.

Old Money love being frugal. It makes them feel less bad about the generations of family wealth hoarding of which they are the beneficiaries.

No one feels bad "about the generations of family wealth hoarding of which they are the beneficiaries."

Like growing up in a beautiful place, they might feel fortunate, but they don't feel guilty.

r88=Jackie on Assistance, Dollar Tree regular

When my mother retired to a tiny rural town she started shopping at these. Sometimes they are the only option in a small town for immediate needs like eggs and bread.

I've driven through small towns and see the main stores are often some version of the Dollar Store. They come in and kill off all competing businesses, like Walmart does.

The towns always look so sad and run down

In San Francisco there used to be a store south of Market in the 80's called "Canned Foods." It was a big grocery store that specialized in off brands, dented cans, frozen stuff that was near expiration date, and just weird stuff that I guess couldn't sell elsewhere. It was super cheap. I used to shop there when I first came to SF and was dirt poor. Actually got a kick out of it because I'd see odd stuff there I never saw in regular grocery stores. Canned Chef Boyardee Ravioli in creamy white sauce. Weird stuff like that. Marketing failures that were dumped I guess. Store's long gone. Now it's a Best Buy and that'll probably go the way of Circuit City.

I can find “brand” name milk at the DG cheaper than anywhere else in town.

I mostly buy foodstuffs there.

I don’t get any pills or beauty products. I read somewhere that those things might be out of date or expired.

Beer is cheap there as well.

Little Debbie cakes are often 2 for 4 bucks.

I don’t mind those stores. Sometimes it’s better to drop by than to haul ass to Walmart.

Dollar Tree is not a dollar store. Shit can be a dollar to hundreds of dollars.

[quote]I don’t get any pills or beauty products. I read somewhere that those things might be out of date or expired.

Do you not know how to read expiration dates?

[quote]Dollar Tree is not a dollar store. Shit can be a dollar to hundreds of dollars.

Wrong. EVERYTHING at Dollar Tree is $1 (or less.)

The same is not true for Family Dollar, Dollar General, or the 99 Cents Only stores.

Dollar Tree is fun.

They have a million different kinds of candy, old school, and gum, too.

Plus the gift bags and tissue paper.

Our Dollar Tree doesn’t have any refrigerators, tho. Just shelf-stable stuff.

I don’t go to Family Dollar. That’s too ghetto. 😛

It’s pathetic that DLers know the differences among the various Dollar Stores

Agreed, R101.

And defend them as where old money shops.

And know way too much about products in stock at this store or that.

Shopping at Dollar General & Aldi is a normal routine for many where I live. Small midwestern town.

Which dollar store has the better pound cake? Apologies if this has been discussed upthread, but this is DL and I'd be surprised to be the first to bring up this topic for discussion.

More importantly R104, which dollar store should made the official DL dollar store?

Dollar Tree and sometimes Dollar General are the only places I can find the Friday's Potato Skins (bacon & cheddar) snack I like.

I go to Dollar Tree in San Diego all the time. Why pay several dollars for body wash, dental floss, a notebook, a can of soup, a box of cookies, laundry detergent, etc., when you can pay a dollar? And these Dollar Tree items are good quality.

Do they sell caviar?

R108 yes but it’s just one egg for a dollar!

I can recall being disappointed in a pair of tongs, that ended up barely able to manage flipping a single piece of bacon; their chili powder was more like dyed cardboard dust. Otherwise, I've saved a lot at Dollar Tree. It does not replace the supermarket, but would help stretch scarce funds as a complement when necessary.

I went to a Family Dollar (Dollar General?) recently in a less-prosperous part of town which had a serious ghetto vibe. There was an item in stock at the Big Lots next door that wasn't available at my usual location.

What a shit show.

The country with the world's biggest economy, that prides itself on the breadth and depth of choices in consumer goods, will be reduced to the land of Dollar General Stores, so Data Loungers can find their Fridays Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins and Progresso canned artichokes at a good price.

Adding 1000 new stores a years for the past three years and gaining momentum, there will soon be more Dollar General Stores (17,117 in 44 states at the end of 2020) than there are incorporated towns and cities in the U.S. (19,145).) Each a blight on the landscape, each responsible for closing competing shops.

So rich in money, so poor in choice and quality of life circling the drain.

But that’s just it, R111. The country is not “rich in money”.

Hence the success of these stores, some of which you obviously disdain.

Regular people have to shop there. Or haven’t you heard? The millionaires and billionaires have all the money, they don’t even pay taxes.

We have to make due with the scraps they pay.

You think people enjoy spending half an hour in line to get a cheaper gallon of milk because there is only one fucking cashier?

Fuck you and your privilege.

There’s an almond cookie at the Dollar Tree that tastes the same as the more expensive Vortmans or whatever that brand is.

I get two boxes whenever I’m in there.

Live the dream R113!

R93 again....she did not replace the grocery store with Dollar General but it's closer to her house than the small Brookshire Bros store in town. The bigger town about 45 minutes away has the HEB and Kroger but if you only need milk why bother?

I have a relative who lives in a rural community in Northern Calif. Her town is about a 45-minute drive to two larger cities that have more shopping options, but in her town there's just one mainstream supermarket (with the highest prices I've seen outside of Whole Foods), a Grocery Outlet, and a Dollar General. No Target, no Walmart, no other chain stores. So for some people, it can be a decent option for many purchases.

Unionize Dollar General

R111 I live by 2 supermarkets and 3 grocery stores but they do not carry the Friday’s potato skins, my point was I can only find them at Dollar Tree and some Dollar Generals.

r117 Having the most outlets doesn't make them "the biggest retailer" by any means. And their total revenue for last year wasn't even $30 billion, much less their PROFIT. I hate it when people post shit like that and present it as factual.

1980 Sunshine. It just took several decades for low IQ people like yourself to notice it, OP

R119. Don't defend Dollar General or similar stores. They mistreat their employees regardless of their profits.

Shopping was once an odyssey...

I live in a lower middle class town. We were solid middle class a few years back when we got a Dollar Store. I went in to check it out and someone had taken a shit in the middle of the aisle. This was shocking back then. I never went back.

Reagan.

r123 sounds like that shit made a lasting impression on you.

R123 exactly WHERE is this store?

At least you can buy a decent pound cake without giving up an arm and a leg!

Dollar General doesn't keep the pound cakes that keep coming up in this and other DL threads. Sorry.

^Has never been to a Dollar General

^^ shops at hoity-toity Trader Joe’s. Well Excuse Me!

So many trash folks on DL

People want quantity over quality. It’s sad.

Has anyone tried their $1 “steaks”?

They don't sell meat AFAIK.

Think again!

[quote]So many trash folks on DL

Agree. Taken aback by how many of you hoes shop at the dollar stores.

How does paying 80% less for things like aspirin or mailing envelopes make one a "ho" exactly?

r137 you are a whore for cheap products

R138 whores don’t want cheap things. You on the other hand would whore your prolapsed anus out for a tank top with a fancy logo on it.

I go to Dollar Tree for these Reynolds Pop Up, Pre-cut Foil Sheets. Use them for the little baking tray in my Breville Smart Oven. $1 at DT vs. $3 at Publix.

Also, the little bag of Russell Stover Caramels is perfect, 4 individually wrapped chocolates takes care of a craving.

No way would I trust or eat a $1 "ribeye".

R140, I use the Dollar Tree mini-bag of Reese's crunchy peanut butter cups for that. (grin)

I love the little pre-cut foils. Didn't know they carried them. I use them for creme brulees.

During our reigns, r128, we made personal appearances at most of the different Dollar chains to represent our individual products. I seem to remember a Dollar General here and there. It's kind of a blur now. It was all a flurry of flashbulbs, greeting throngs of customers, and maintaining poise whatever the cost. The only negative aspect was the bags we were required to wear on our heads so that the focus would be on the product and not on our lovely visages.

Even if you’re holding tight to a budget, you can show up at a Holiday Party🎄 with a decent and well received Classic Fruit Cake. Thank you Dollar General!

And the generous array of cheerful fruit set in a moist reasonably spiced cake will create Holiday memories for all.

Rather be with people who shop at Dollar General and Family Dollar than the snobs that will only shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

R147, really? People who shop at Trader Joe’s and WF aren’t particular snobs if not wanting to literally eat shit is considering being a snob

R148, there are decent grocery stores other than Trader Joes and Whole Foods to buy your food. People that choose only to go to those two stores because they literally think everywhere else is for people who want to "eat literal shit" are snobs.

Dollar Tree is not always a bargain. For example, canned evaporated milk is 75 cents at Walmart, and it is a better tasting canned milk. Dishwasher tablets are 4 for $1 at DT, yet a pack of 20 or 25 is about $5 at a local store. So, no savings. Canned beans are up to 50 cents cheaper at the grocery store and Walmart. There are good finds at both DG and DT, but you have to know your prices to make sure of this. Another thing to consider is to check the label as to the country of origin of the food you are buying. This applies to frozen food. It also applied to name-brand candy. Don't assume it is made in the USA. This also applies to cleaning chemicals and health and beauty aids. Some of this stuff is made in China.

America isn't getting "shitty", more Americans are becoming poor, while the 1% gets wealthier and more laws are being passed for the 1% to pay less taxes and simply trample all over everyone else. FACT.

Don't be so naive OP.

I go to Dollar Tree at least once month, I've noticed since the Covid pandemic, most the food shelves and their freezer section are always practically empty.

R150, as for many Dollar Tree items being made in China, look for the words "distributed by" and usually the packaging states a US company, that's a sign the item is not made in the US.

People need to be savvy shoppers, as you said, know the regular and sales prices at other stores. It's up to the consumer to read the damn labels and compare the weight and prices against other stores. For example, Dollar Tree carries the same exact Colgate toothbrushes sold at Costco six for $8, they are 3 for $1 at Dollar Tree. Same exact toothbrushes. I've also noticed not all Dollar Tree stores carry the same items as other DT stores.

There are many bargains to be found at Dollar Tree, for example the full size Arm & Hammer all natural vegan Essentials body wash is much cheaper than the price of this item at Rite-Aid and Walgreens.

My Dollar Tree has a great book section. I found Anne Rice and a few Jason Bourne books. Books are great to add to Christmas gifts.

I want some Dollar Tree sushi!

Yes, r152, that is correct about the distributed by. I have noticed this, too. Almond milk I bought yesterday is marked this way. Many items made in China are marked Made in PRC (People's Republic of China). I still find some of the most unexpected things, especially in the food section, to be made in China. More things are made in China than might be expected. Danish style butter cookies made in China stand out for some reason. The tin they are packed in is so much like the real thing.

Foods are also marked made in Turkey, Bulgaria, Vietnam, Argentina, India, Mexico, South Korea, Romania, and others. In the job lot store I find cakes from Brazil, especially panettone.

[quote] there are decent grocery stores other than Trader Joes and Whole Foods to buy your food.

It's pathetic if someone thinks Trader Joes is a store for snobs? Have you actually ever been in one? It's a regular grocery store that mainly sells its own brands. Nothing is particularly extravagant.

r155 Trader Joe's is by no one's definition of the word "a regular grocery store."

Nor is Trader Joes some fancy store

Trader Joe's targets more affluent, educated shoppers. It's definitely not Kroger, Safeway, Stop n Shop, etc.

I hate Trader Joe's and Aldi. I hate being forced to buy more than a couple of potatoes or onions, or a single head of garlic, at a time. WTF am I going to do with 5 heads of garlic? And you can't get Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's at either place. I'd much rather shop at Safeway than Trader Joe's.

I don't do my usual, routine shopping at those stores, but for stuff that's not as great at thd supermarket itself.

The DT had canned evaporated creamer. It turned out to be a weird mix of soy milk and cows milk. It was imported from the Philippines.

I live in a large city with several family dollar, dollar general and dollar tree stores throughout, one thing I noticed is that dollar tree can be found in middle class strip malls but never the family dollar or dollar general stores which you typically find in lower income areas or rural towns in my state.

I admit to shopping at dollar tree for art supplies, greeting cards and TGIF chips which I never find at the grocery store. I love to bargain shop when I can.

The map shows a high concentration in some states in relation to the population size.

One of the other formats of their stores they began rolling out years ago was "Dollar General Market". Very similar to an Aldi's.

R135, I'm not sure if you tried them, but imo the Dollar Tree "Ribeye" steaks are awful. Very heavily processed and once you cook them they shrink down to the size of a thin slice of roast beef lunch meat. They're actually a ripoff by weight. I can get a pack of fresh thinly sliced steaks (typically meant for cheesesteaks) at my grocery store for just a few bucks per pack and definitely less than $1 per steak.

I wouldn't buy if myself, but wanted to point out that one can buy meat at these stores.

R147, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are quite different from each other.

Trader Joe's is relatively inexpensive overall, I'd say cheaper than most standard grocery stores. They primarily feature their own store brand products instead of big brands which keeps the costs down. I wouldn't consider it "snobbish" to shop there at all.

Whole Foods on the other hand... it's all snotty bottle blonde middle aged white women showing off their Lexus SUV's, their Platinum Amex cards, their huge diamond rings, their Coach purses, etc... If you were to put them in a lineup, I wouldn't be able to tell one apart from the other.

I get plastic silverware and lunch bags at dollar tree. I keep them in my desk drawer at work. At least once a week someone forgets cutlery and wouldn’t be able to eat their lunch if I didn’t have extras and shared. It’s usually my boss.

R167 do you get the silver ones?

Keep eating third-world rejected exports. Only, please don't feed it to your poor helpless pets.

[quote] Wrong. EVERYTHING at Dollar Tree is $1 (or less.)

I meant Dollar General.

R168, if they have any yes; but whatever they have is fine.

Lots of items are now made in China. I bought some BLINK eyedrops, think that was the name, at Rite-Aid. The drops were $13.99, I forgot to read the label. The drops were made in China. I returned them. I'll be damned if I put some Made in China shit in my eyes!

Blame the US companies for off-shoring their products, you cannot blame China for accepting US companies offers to manufacture goods. This fact seems to be lost on most consumers. It's the US companies, they are to blame for all these items now being manufactured in foreign countries. That's why I'd always laugh out loud at Dump raging at China, who did he think was off-shoring all those US jobs? The greedy US CEOs that's who! It's all about cheap foreign labor versus paying Americans a living wage.

Our city is getting the DGX more upscale version. We have tons of supermarkets here so this is not a food desert. Looks like they are putting it on the poor side of town.

Are these store basically selling, soon-to-expire name brand products?

r174 No. That would be Grocery Outlet, Big Lots, and sometimes the 99 Cents Only store and Dollar Tree. But not Dollar General or Family Dollar. They have store-branded and name brand products, but it's just like any other retailer. No closeouts or expired stuff from other stores.

I moved to a small rural town two years ago. One reason I chose this town was because they are very pro-local, and were known for NOT letting retail and fast-food chains build and open in town. "There's a better, local option!" they'd say, except there wasn't. When I moved here, there was:

-Three gas stations. Two local, one chain (Kwik Trip)

- One locally owned & operated grocery store

-A Ben Franklin Store (yes those still exist)

Now two years later, One local gas station became a franchisee with Casey's, A Dollar General opened, the Ben Franklin is really struggling, the grocery store is closing at the end of the year (couple is retiring), Kwik Trip wants to buy the grocery store, tear it down, and build a second Kwik Trip. KT has also changed their strategy and have expanded their food options, lots of heat & eat, easy prep foods options, along with an expanded "basics" section. They often sell bananas, apples, potatoes, breads and milk much cheaper than the grocery store.

So our future in this town looks like DG + Kwik Trip for most of our needs. Driving to the next town over for groceries.

The problem with small towns is that when these changes start happening, people sometimes don't act quick enough. In two years, it will be very hard to open a local option for groceries or even a local general store.

[quote]When did America get so shitty?

The proliferation of discount stores is a reflection of the fact that people can't afford anything. Since productivity has been on the rise while wages have stagnated, since the EIGHTIES, and since the top 0.1% gets progressively richer while workers get poorer, what do you expect to happen? A Nordstrom in every town?

Whenever the economy was improving, you'd see expansion of high end stores. Whenever the economy was depressing, you'd see the proliferation of discount store.

Unfortunately, since about GWB, I've only seen more and more discount stores.

I'm not from Germany (and please correct me if I'm wrong), but I read a while back they have a different approach to grocery shopping. They're smaller grocery stores and the purpose is to get in and get out as quickly as possible.

It seems like primarily a branding issue to me as well. Stop emphasizing that it's a cheap store for the poor, and focus on it's locality and convenience. Places like Walmart are a nightmare to shop at, their parking lots are bigger than a football field.

Our local Aldi's have taken off in popularity over the past 20 years.

R173 well, smell you!