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I have never shopped at dollar stores, but lately they are sprouting up like weeds around me. Which is kind of bizarre, because businesses have been closing up and leaving this area for the last 30 years at least. We have lots of vacant storefronts. All the gas stations except one are closed. The local grocery stores are a complete joke. Except for the modern checkout stands, they look like they haven't been remodeled since the 1960s.
But in the middle of this economic disaster, Dollar General decided to tear down a bunch of vacant buildings and build a brand new store. Having heard people talk so much about dollar stores I decided to stop by this new Dollar General, to check it out for the first time. It was my first time ever in a dollar store. I had a coupon for $5 which I thought I could use for something, but I couldn't use it. The prices were are a complete joke. Nothing I could see was even close to $1. They should call it a $5 store, because that is about the cheapest items they have. I'm not sure how this store compares to other Dollar General stores, but if this is the best they have to offer, the chain is doomed. The only thing this Dollar General could compete with around here would be the local 7-Eleven store, and they are failing at that. As I drove into the store, I wasn't even sure it was open, because there were so few cars in the parking lot. The Dollar General had two employees and one customer, other than me. The 7-Eleven store next door had five or six customers in the store at that same time.
This got me thinking and wondering why these dollar stores are such a big deal. Do you shop at dollar stores and why? Are your dollar stores different than the one I described above? I'm curious to know.
I like Dollar TREE - not Dollar General. Dollar Tree stores are light, bright, very organized. And everything IS a dollar.
Dollar General seems like a cheat and it is dark and crowded. I see them in low income parts of town - they seem like they are fooling people into thinking there are good deals when there really aren't but folks may not have many options. So I just don't go there.
Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have items that cost a dollar and greeting cards that are 2/$1. I usually go there for greeting cards and party supplies, which are generally cheaper than you could get even at Walmart and with more selection.
It’s only been a hand full of times that I shop at dollar stores. Dollar General is a rip-off. Don’t go there. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree is great in a pinch. I get my kid’s school project supplies there. The food is iffy stale tasting IMO but better than nothing.
I live in a town of 50,000 and there are five "Dollar Stores" that I know of, although I can't break it down by Family Dollar, Dollar General, etc. They tend to proliferate in areas where the economy is a bit depressed, which is why Cloudy Dayz is seeing more of them in his/her area as other businesses leave. One in my town is in the same shopping plaza as a perfectly decent grocery store, so it's not lack of other choices.
I haven't shopped at any of them. I divide my grocery shopping between Costco, where I trust their meat and produce, and one of the "mainstream" grocery stores, which has a bigger selection than the dollar stores. I pretty much have the same things on my shopping list week in and week out- just depends on what needs replenishing- so I don't like the "random" aspect of Dollar Store selections.
My SIL loves Dollar Stores because she can take her grandkids there and get them a lot of little toys and games for not much money, but I try to avoid Made in China so that's out for me.
I like Dollar TREE - not Dollar General. Dollar Tree stores are light, bright, very organized. And everything IS a dollar.
Dollar General seems like a cheat and it is dark and crowded. I see them in low income parts of town - they seem like they are fooling people into thinking there are good deals when there really aren't but folks may not have many options. So I just don't go there.
OK, thanks. At least I know I'm not alone in what I saw. This one did look like a cheat, and it was dark, but not crowded. It was just me and one other customer in the store. It's not in a bad area. It's in a prime location on the highway. The building looks nice. It's the only new construction I have seen in this town in the five years I have lived here. It might be the only new construction in the last 10, 20, 30 years, I'm not even sure.
When I walked inside, the first thing I noticed was the narrow dark aisles, but that wasn't the worst thing about the store. The worse thing was the very limited selection, and the sticker shock when I looked at the prices. Everything I saw was over $3, most over $5. It's like shopping in a convenience store both in terms of selection and price.
I don't see how this store can be suscessfull. Yes, there aren't many alternatives around here. But everybody has cars and can drive the 20 miles to Walmart or Fred Meyers to shop. The price difference will easily pay for the gas. I know that was the first and last time I will be in that store.
Thanks, I knew that the second I walked in the door. LOL. It shows you how much I know about dollar stores. I figured if it has "Dollar" in the name then it's a dollar store. I know better now.
I like Dollar Tree where everything is $1. The others can be a ripoff and you may do better at a big box store. Around here they tend to spring up in small towns with no competition. I think of them as the Woolworth's of the 21st century. A little bit of everything.
One of them has a couple of "dollar store" aisles where everything is $1. I can never remember if a location is a DG or a FD.
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It's like shopping in a convenience store both in terms of selection and price. 
