These are tough times for two big US dollar store chains. In the past month, Family Dollar said it will close nearly 1,000 stores and 99 Cents Only said it will go out of business.
Both companies said inflation and shoplifting have contributed to their troubles. While inflation has pressured the companies’ low-income customer base and shoplifting has squeezed their profits, those factors alone can’t explain their difficulties.
Years of strategic mistakes and underinvestment have plagued Family Dollar and 99 Cents Only, retail analysts say. Both brands were acquired by other companies and faltered under their new owners.
The Family Dollar is the closest store with basic essential groceries (bread, milk, etc) to where a friend’s parent lives. The actual grocery stores are 30+ minutes away.
This just contributes to the increase of food deserts in some areas.
The dollar stores themselves are part of the problem. They are huge national chains that helped to push out the smaller grocery stores that originally served those communities.
In what year are you from time traveler?
Maybe this is an opportunity for the return of the family owned convenience store?