Dollar Stores Are Suddenly Hot

[jeffrey]

Wal-Mart may have become the premier place to shop for Americans struggling through a severe recession, but the giant chain has competition nipping at its heels.

The nation’s dollar stores, those once-dowdy chains that lured shoppers by selling some or all of their merchandise for $1, are suddenly hot. They are busily opening new stores, outfitting existing stores with refrigerators and freezers, and sprucing up their aisles with better lighting, fresh paint and new signs.

And while most big retail chains are closing stores and radically cutting back on new outlets, the dollar chains are planning to open hundreds of stores this year in some of the best locations to which they have ever had access...


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/bu.../02dollar.html

[canadamom]

Our Walmart has their own dollar row now.

[mom-from-missouri]

And, many dollar stores take coupons. I get many free items from ours this way-- name brand items. My "Free Shopping after coupon" this week from our dollar general include:

1 suave shampoo
1 suave conditioner
1 crest toothpaste
1 colgate toothpaste
1 sauve deoderant
2 cans of campbells soup
1 small box kleenex
2 cans starfish tuna

All items were $1 or less and my coupons ranged from 75 cents to $1. I only paid tax. And, our Dollar General is 3 blocks from my babysitting gig, so I have to pass it on the way home, so no extra fuel to get there.

All the items have been rotated into my stockup pantry in the basement.

You can go to dollargeneral.com for some of their printable coupons. They do not except internet coupons except the ones from their website.

[Ima saver]

I have always purchased certain items at dollar stores. They have some good buys.

[rob62521]

I'm like Ima, we've always bought things at Dollar Stores. Yet, one of ours, Deals, went out of business last fall. Go figure!

I wonder how Aldi is faring in this economy.

[simpleyme]

Me and DH went to the dollar store and bought mothers day cards, they had a great selection of nice cards
we each selected one then felt like cheap a$$es when the total for 2 cards was only 1 dollar!

our moms live out of town so we each spent a grand 92 cents on our moms(had to stamp it) felt guilty ,but I could have went to halmark and spent 5 and the love sent would be the same ;-)

[techguru]

Dollar stores are "overly organized garage sales." This niche always does well in recessions.