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Recently, I realized how diverse the economic circumstances of dollar store shoppers can be when on a mission to return some of the varied size containers I had purchased in a frenzied attempt to get organized. Honestly, the containers were only adding to my clutter, so I decided to exchange them for something I really needed. No sense in asking for a cash refund at a dollar store, because the shelves are stocked with lots of useful products. Things like: assorted gift bags, party supplies, books and coloring books, mailing items, tissue paper, snacks, cleaning products, etc. with everything costing a dollar. Each time I visit there to pick up one specific item, I tend to fill my cart with about 20 other products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, that day a newer Mercedes-Benz SUV\npulled up to the dollar store. A young mother with three older children who all\nresembled models for a Ralph Lauren commercial got out and hurried into the\nstore to shop. This confirmed my suspicion that dollar store enthusiasts are\neverywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was in the southern states in the 1950s\nwhen dollar stores first cropped up. Now, they are a successful phenomenon\nnationwide. Another version of a dollar store has all types of products many\ncosting more than a dollar, which might be the only retail option a shopper has,\nespecially in a rural or impoverished area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHowever, in July 2019, www.CNN.com<\/a> posted a\nless than positive article, \u201cDollar stores are everywhere. That\u2019s a problem for\npoor Americans,\u201d by Nathaniel Meyersohn regarding, \u201c\u2026opponents\u2026argue that\ndiscount chains stifle local competition and limit poor communities\u2019 access to\nhealthy food.\u201d Proponents would disagree, especially if there\u2019s no competing\ngrocery store that might be affected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The success of the rapidly growing number\nof dollar stores in the midst of a highly unfavorable brick and mortar retail\nclimate is certainly convincing of consumer demand. A CBS Moneywatch June 2019\narticle by Sarah Min reports that this year, \u201cThe top five retailers for planned store openings are Dollar\nGeneral, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Aldi and Five Below. Dollar General alone\nis planning to open 975 stores\u2026 making it the No. 1 company for expansion\u2026Dollar\nTree follows with about 350 planned store openings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n An unscientific study of Facebook friends asking whether they frequent dollar stores and what they purchase there, came up with a noteworthy 88 comments. Referring mostly to the chain of dollar store where everything costs a dollar, comments were posted about buying a plethora of items including: \u201cGift bags, greeting cards, seasonal decorations, paper products, party supplies, snacks, and on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nare some things you might want to avoid purchasing according to an article in\nthe Philadelphia Enquirer, \u201c10 items you should never get at the dollar store,\u201d\nby Lia Sestric, either because they aren\u2019t a good deal or due to poor quality.\nAmong those, toys for children made in China untested by the Consumer Product\nSafety Commission, and off-brand canned goods or off-brand medicine and pet\nfood, whose ingredients should be carefully monitored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Personally, I started shopping at a dollar\nstore, when it was my only choice when I lived in a rural area a dozen years\nago. Sadly, the small, local grocery had closed within months of the dollar\nstore\u2019s opening though. So, I was grateful I was able to purchase much-needed\nsupplies when caretaking for an ill relative prohibited me from driving the required\nfifteen miles to reach a full-size grocer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides, my little survey proved there are a lot of individuals who enjoy a trip to a dollar store. Take my nephew, Andy, for example. He lives in a faraway state, and my means of staying in touch with him is through cards and little gifts. One of those gifts I often include is a little \u201cgreen\u201d money for him to make a trip to his local dollar store, because I learned that\u2019s one of his happy places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This must run in the family, because the dollar store is one of my happy places, too. After all, you just never know what a dollar store shopper looks like, because we truly are everywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Christina Ryan Claypool is a an award-winning freelance journalist who is a three-time Chicken Soup for the Soul book contributor. She has been featured on Joyce Meyer Ministries Enjoying Everyday Life and CBN’s 700 Club. Her latest book, “Secrets of the Pastor’s Wife: A Novel”<\/a> is available on Amazon<\/a> and through all major online outlets. Her website is www.christinaryanclaypool.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What does the typical dollar store shopper look like? It\u2019s difficult to define that demographic, because all kind of folks frequent them. In the past, I\u2019ve noticed grandmotherly types, young couples with children, older men, students in search of snacks, … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/christinaryanclaypool.com\/blog1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Sympathy-Greeting-Cards.jpg\")
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