Dollar General/Family Dollar Stores

[Ashikaga]

Like I said, I buy most of my food at Dollar General Stores. They do have some pretty good food items. There counterpart chain is Family Dollar Stores. Sometimes I go to them. I would assume that there are quite a few of them over there in Houston.

Chet Cuccia

[TexasHome]

Yes, they are scattered out all around the Houston and surrounding areas. I cant believe Wal-Mart hasnt targeted them and put em out of business. I also like Big Lots which is coming on pretty strong.

Like I said, I buy most of my food at Dollar General Stores.  They do have some pretty good food items.  There counterpart chain is Family Dollar Stores.  Sometimes I go to them.  I would assume that there are quite a few of them over there in Houston.

Chet Cuccia

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[Ashikaga]

Yes, they are scattered out all around the Houston and surrounding areas. I cant believe Wal-Mart hasnt targeted them and put em out of business. I also like Big Lots which is coming on pretty strong.

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Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if someday Wal-Mart put everyone out of business.

[kjb434]

Dollar Generals are making headway in smaller communities throughout the US according to a CNBC analyst a couple of months ago.

Many small communties are too small to support a Wal-Mart, so the residents will travel to nearest larger town that had one. Doller General (and Family Dollar) decided to expand to the small communites that don't have Wal-Marts. They are making a killing.

This is the trend I've notice throughout Louisiana and East Texas.

[Ashikaga]

Dollar Generals are making headway in smaller communities throughout the US according to a CNBC analyst a couple of months ago.

Many small communties are too small to support a Wal-Mart, so the residents will travel to nearest larger town that had one.  Doller General (and Family Dollar) decided to expand to the small communites that don't have Wal-Marts.  They are making a killing.

This is the trend I've notice throughout Louisiana and East Texas.

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Well, I've learned something new. My bachelor's degree is in History and Political Science, not any kind of business. I just don't see how Dollar General/Family Dollar make money because of their low prices.

[Kirzania]

Well, I've learned something new.  My bachelor's degree is in History and Political Science, not any kind of business.  I just don't see how Dollar General/Family Dollar make money because of their low prices.

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They get cheapa$$ crap and sell it for a dollar (or $.99). People will buy anything if it's a dollar. Think Dollar Menu, Dollar Days, whatever. People flock to it like mosquitoes to stagnant water. I always thought they got their inventory from rejects to companies like Wal-Mart or from China or something... So they virtually pay nothing and people pay a dollar. :shrugs: Always made sense to me. Besides, who wants to spend $4 on a bottle of Windex when you can buy $1 bottle of Amazing! Glass Cleaner?

[kjb434]

What is amazing is that many bathroom supplies are the name brand. They are playing the same card as Wal-Mart, but they are locating store where Wal-Mart can't make an investment. Wal-mart needs a certain population base. For example, home hometown is about 25,000 people. The Wal-Mart could be supported alon there, but there are also about 40,000 people with a 10-15 mile range that would consider this the closest Wal-Mart. The far out location are getting Dollar Generals and Family Dollars and saving many people the trip. Wal-Mart doesn't feel too much of the affect, but Dollar Generals are looking up with increased business.

This story is an example of a store finding a market niche that is not being capitalized and jumping on it. Just the same way that Target and K-Mart are aiming for customers just above the Wal-Mart customer. People willing to pay a little more for some goods. Target and K-Mart are starting to thrive again and Wal-Mart continues. These companies realized Wal-Mart can't be fough against, so they adjusted their plans and are continueing to do well.

This is the part of market economics and capitalism I love. The adaptation and flexibility of competition.

The Dollar General's expansion is also creating a few jobs in these small town and pumping some sales tax revenue back into them instead of losing them to the nearby larger town.

[Kirzania]

I have high hopes that one day, if at all, Wal-Mart will creep into a Dollar General niche and be generally refused by the locals. Dollar G will flourish as per usual and Wal-Mart/Target will be forced to see that more people, whatever their SES, aren't willing to pay their jacked up prices. $55 for an etagere that only cost them $12 to make? You gotta be ____ting me.

[kjb434]

Well, word is that Wal-Mart in certain areas where Target or K-Mart is a direct threat will be altering the store to appear more upscale. I think Wal-Mart feels they have capitalized on the lower end market with their warehouse like stores.

Wal-Mart has the issue of being on a tight-profit margin. They are making money off shear volume versus overpricing items. This leave little growth other than growing into other sectors of the market are new items to sell.

[YakuzaIce]

@Kirzania You just need to watch the ads. I have gotten stuff like that for around 20 dollars all the time.

Regarding dollar stores (I don't know which company) though, I went in with a friend who loves to shop there. Someone said how they are usually name brand, (maybe it was just the one I went into) but nothing was a brand I had even heard of, though most bottles, boxes, etc.. were modeled after brand name ones.

[RedScare]

Or, you could just put the roll of TP on the top of the toilet and save the whole $55. But, then, that would look kinda male, wouldn't it?

[Watchful]

They get cheapa$$ crap and sell it for a dollar (or $.99). People will buy anything if it's a dollar. Think Dollar Menu, Dollar Days, whatever. People flock to it like mosquitoes to stagnant water. I always thought they got their inventory from rejects to companies like Wal-Mart or from China or something... So they virtually pay nothing and people pay a dollar. :shrugs: Always made sense to me. Besides, who wants to spend $4 on a bottle of Windex when you can buy $1 bottle of Amazing! Glass Cleaner?

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Your description sounds like "dollar only" stores from ten years ago...and I still see some occasionally...like somebody went down to Harwin and loaded up their truck and opened a store! HOWEVER...

Dollar General/Family Dollar are a different genre entirely. They are not "dollar only" stores. There is a limited selection (much more limited than Wal-Mart, for example) but their prices are often better than Wal-Mart.

In addition, the "99 Cent Only" and "King Dollar" stores have a lot better buys. I stocked up on Newman's Only Olive Oil/Vinegar salad dressing when it showed up for a buck at the King Dollar store several months ago. You will find all manner of items there and at the "99 Cent Only" store.

For those of you who shun these stores, I can only say "thank you" because we do need some folks who continue to pay full price or the bargains might not exist!

[UrbaNerd]

Isnt the brand new one in Montrose a "99 Cents only" store? I remember going there. They had a pretty good selection of stuff!

[Ashikaga]

Dollar Generals are making headway in smaller communities throughout the US according to a CNBC analyst a couple of months ago.

Many small communties are too small to support a Wal-Mart, so the residents will travel to nearest larger town that had one. Doller General (and Family Dollar) decided to expand to the small communites that don't have Wal-Marts. They are making a killing.

This is the trend I've notice throughout Louisiana and East Texas.

In most cases, you get what you pay for. Most of the stuff at Dollar General/Family Dollar is OK. But some items aren't. Don't ever buy a manual can opener at those stores. It's a piece of junk. The cutter disk blade broke off and fell into the can.

[MarthaG]

I agree... you get what you pay for. There are some good deals to be had in these stores, and there are some rip-offs. You just have to pay attention to what you are buying.

I try my best to avoid Walmart. I can not stand to be in a store that has inventory stacked up to the ceiling. For this reason alone I am will to pay a little bit more and go to Target.

We have a Dollar General (or General Dollar) close to the house and I will make quick stop in there for some items. I really like Big Lots for seasonal items. Be sure to check expiration dates on all food items.

[Ashikaga]

I agree... you get what you pay for. There are some good deals to be had in these stores, and there are some rip-offs. You just have to pay attention to what you are buying.

I try my best to avoid Walmart. I can not stand to be in a store that has inventory stacked up to the ceiling. For this reason alone I am will to pay a little bit more and go to Target.

We have a Dollar General (or General Dollar) close to the house and I will make quick stop in there for some items. I really like Big Lots for seasonal items. Be sure to check expiration dates on all food items.

Now that you've mentioned the end of most mom & pop stores with personalized service, I guess now the only one that comes close would be Dollar General/Family Dollar stores. I live alone and I get most of my food items from Dollar General. Since they are much smaller in size to H.E.B. Pantry and Wal-Mart Supercenter, they only have about two or three employees on duty, which means that they could give a degree of personalized service.

[Ashikaga]

They get cheapa$$ crap and sell it for a dollar (or $.99). People will buy anything if it's a dollar. Think Dollar Menu, Dollar Days, whatever. People flock to it like mosquitoes to stagnant water. I always thought they got their inventory from rejects to companies like Wal-Mart or from China or something... So they virtually pay nothing and people pay a dollar. :shrugs: Always made sense to me. Besides, who wants to spend $4 on a bottle of Windex when you can buy $1 bottle of Amazing! Glass Cleaner?

Like I said in another topic, my belief that Dollar General/Family Dollar stores are the replacements for the five-and-dime stores that I remember when I was a little kid (Ben Franklin, TG&Y, F.W. Woolworth, etc.) That is also my belief that I stated about the decline in roadside restaurants like Stuckey's, that other chains like Cracker Barrel are replacing them.

[Ashikaga]

Well, word is that Wal-Mart in certain areas where Target or K-Mart is a direct threat will be altering the store to appear more upscale. I think Wal-Mart feels they have capitalized on the lower end market with their warehouse like stores.

Wal-Mart has the issue of being on a tight-profit margin. They are making money off shear volume versus overpricing items. This leave little growth other than growing into other sectors of the market are new items to sell.

In the Chronicle is a full page ad for another dollar store that says that nothing they sell is over $1. I don't see how such a store can make any money. In addition to their overhead, I know that the Chronicle charged them a pretty penny for that full page ad. But who am I? What do I know? My Bachelor's was in History & Political Science, not in Business/Marketing/Economics/Finance, etc.