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https://retailwire.com/discussion/s...necrest,General stores in their neighborhoods.
JANUARY 17, 2024
Dennis Limmer
Across America, many communities are starting to question the impact of dollar stores. Criticisms range from providing low-quality, unhealthy food options to actively blocking the establishment of stores with more nutritious offerings. These stores, abundant across the country, have also raised safety concerns with reported instances of rodent infestations as well as robberies and other crimes.
In 2015, leading health organizations found that 81% of the products tested at dollar stores have one or more toxic chemicals linked to serious health issues like cancer. Even after years of consumer pressure, these major chains are still slow to improve product safety. According to a report from the Ecology Center in 2022, “Of the 226 consumer and food products tested at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General, 99 Cents Only, and Five Below, 53% of the products screened in 2021 contained one or more chemicals of concern.”
Today, companies like SHEIN face tremendous backlash for producing super cheap products in China. Often, such cheap products require terrible labor practices and are low quality, toxic, and harmful to the environment.
Despite these criticisms, dollar stores continue to thrive. With an estimated 249 million Americans living within 5 miles of one, they’re almost as commonplace as McDonald’s. The two largest chains, Dollar General and Dollar Tree, own a total of 35,000 stores, generating $37.8 billion and $28.3 billion in revenue, respectively, in 2022.
The convenience, job creation, and affordability they offer make dollar stores necessary for many people, particularly in low-income communities. While these stores do provide a more accessible shopping option, they often sell nonperishable, highly processed foods, leaving fresh and healthy produce mostly out of the picture. However, Dollar General sells fresh fruits and vegetables in around 3,900 stores and aims to increase that number to 10,000 stores in the coming years.
Starting in 2018, a wave of action began to surge across the United States as towns and cities started pushing back against the rapid proliferation of dollar stores. Around 60 communities — including Tulsa in Oklahoma, Kansas City in Missouri, and Mesquite in Texas — have attempted to restrict the growth with proactive measures such as limiting their locations or outright banning them. They’ve been using zoning bylaws as their weapon of choice, voting to put temporary or permanent restrictions on dollar stores in their areas.
A recent victory came from a community in Louisiana. They managed to halt a dollar store development via a court ruling. The judge in the case ruled that green-lighting the project would be detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents. This prompted other major cities like Detroit and Chicago to start establishing their own prohibitions.
Furthermore, a community in Stonecrest, Georgia, became the first U.S. city to completely outlaw these stores in an effort to attract more grocery supermarkets.
In another development, residents in Michigan and Nebraska raised their voices against the construction of new Dollar General stores in their neighborhoods. The strong opposition led policymakers to reconsider and ultimately reject the initial plans. However, undeterred, Dollar General’s developers filed lawsuits against these decisions. Faced with the daunting prospect of significant legal expenses, the communities had no option but to back down. As a result, the previously opposed dollar stores are now under construction.
But what about the regular customers? What are their thoughts on banning dollar stores?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest sought to answer this question by conducting the first nationwide survey post-pandemic on the dollar store boom. The study, which was released in October 2023, comprised responses from 750 lower-income dollar store shoppers scattered across the country. The findings revealed that these shoppers relied heavily on dollar stores for their basic necessities and did not desire a ban on them.
Interestingly, 82% of respondents felt that dollar stores had a positive impact on their communities, though 81% also wanted to see healthier food alternatives offered, ranging from fruits to vegetables. However, more inventory could bring more problems.
In one instance, there was a shopper who faced the grim reality of the fresh produce a dollar store had to offer. Picking up a soft, oozing apple, they quickly found that it was not the only item past its prime. The zucchini and spinach were also in a shocking state — spoiled and slimy. This shopper isn’t a passive observer anymore; they’re actively part of a local group in Cascade, Maryland, seeking legal action to prevent the proliferation of dollar stores offering subpar groceries.
These findings suggest that while there’s a case for restricting the expansion of dollar stores, there’s also a need to understand and address the reason for their popularity among many customers, particularly those from low-income households.
Additionally, the limitation of dollar stores doesn’t guarantee the sprouting of grocery stores, which are often courted and require a strategic and targeted approach. The prohibition of dollar stores has, however, sparked creativity in some communities, leading to mobile grocery stores and urban gardening initiatives that provide residents with fresh produce.
The dilemma around dollar stores reveals a broader issue. The situation calls for a reassessment of how corporations impact local communities. While the outright ban of dollar stores isn’t universally feasible or desirable, it’s crucial for communities to have the power to shape their retail landscape and not feel so easily defeated by corporations with access to more monetary resources.
Should Dollar Stores Be Banned in North America?
JANUARY 17, 2024
Dennis Limmer
Across America, many communities are starting to question the impact of dollar stores. Criticisms range from providing low-quality, unhealthy food options to actively blocking the establishment of stores with more nutritious offerings. These stores, abundant across the country, have also raised safety concerns with reported instances of rodent infestations as well as robberies and other crimes.
In 2015, leading health organizations found that 81% of the products tested at dollar stores have one or more toxic chemicals linked to serious health issues like cancer. Even after years of consumer pressure, these major chains are still slow to improve product safety. According to a report from the Ecology Center in 2022, “Of the 226 consumer and food products tested at Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar General, 99 Cents Only, and Five Below, 53% of the products screened in 2021 contained one or more chemicals of concern.”
Today, companies like SHEIN face tremendous backlash for producing super cheap products in China. Often, such cheap products require terrible labor practices and are low quality, toxic, and harmful to the environment.
Despite these criticisms, dollar stores continue to thrive. With an estimated 249 million Americans living within 5 miles of one, they’re almost as commonplace as McDonald’s. The two largest chains, Dollar General and Dollar Tree, own a total of 35,000 stores, generating $37.8 billion and $28.3 billion in revenue, respectively, in 2022.
The convenience, job creation, and affordability they offer make dollar stores necessary for many people, particularly in low-income communities. While these stores do provide a more accessible shopping option, they often sell nonperishable, highly processed foods, leaving fresh and healthy produce mostly out of the picture. However, Dollar General sells fresh fruits and vegetables in around 3,900 stores and aims to increase that number to 10,000 stores in the coming years.
Starting in 2018, a wave of action began to surge across the United States as towns and cities started pushing back against the rapid proliferation of dollar stores. Around 60 communities — including Tulsa in Oklahoma, Kansas City in Missouri, and Mesquite in Texas — have attempted to restrict the growth with proactive measures such as limiting their locations or outright banning them. They’ve been using zoning bylaws as their weapon of choice, voting to put temporary or permanent restrictions on dollar stores in their areas.
A recent victory came from a community in Louisiana. They managed to halt a dollar store development via a court ruling. The judge in the case ruled that green-lighting the project would be detrimental to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents. This prompted other major cities like Detroit and Chicago to start establishing their own prohibitions.
Furthermore, a community in Stonecrest, Georgia, became the first U.S. city to completely outlaw these stores in an effort to attract more grocery supermarkets.
In another development, residents in Michigan and Nebraska raised their voices against the construction of new Dollar General stores in their neighborhoods. The strong opposition led policymakers to reconsider and ultimately reject the initial plans. However, undeterred, Dollar General’s developers filed lawsuits against these decisions. Faced with the daunting prospect of significant legal expenses, the communities had no option but to back down. As a result, the previously opposed dollar stores are now under construction.
But what about the regular customers? What are their thoughts on banning dollar stores?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest sought to answer this question by conducting the first nationwide survey post-pandemic on the dollar store boom. The study, which was released in October 2023, comprised responses from 750 lower-income dollar store shoppers scattered across the country. The findings revealed that these shoppers relied heavily on dollar stores for their basic necessities and did not desire a ban on them.
Interestingly, 82% of respondents felt that dollar stores had a positive impact on their communities, though 81% also wanted to see healthier food alternatives offered, ranging from fruits to vegetables. However, more inventory could bring more problems.
In one instance, there was a shopper who faced the grim reality of the fresh produce a dollar store had to offer. Picking up a soft, oozing apple, they quickly found that it was not the only item past its prime. The zucchini and spinach were also in a shocking state — spoiled and slimy. This shopper isn’t a passive observer anymore; they’re actively part of a local group in Cascade, Maryland, seeking legal action to prevent the proliferation of dollar stores offering subpar groceries.
These findings suggest that while there’s a case for restricting the expansion of dollar stores, there’s also a need to understand and address the reason for their popularity among many customers, particularly those from low-income households.
Additionally, the limitation of dollar stores doesn’t guarantee the sprouting of grocery stores, which are often courted and require a strategic and targeted approach. The prohibition of dollar stores has, however, sparked creativity in some communities, leading to mobile grocery stores and urban gardening initiatives that provide residents with fresh produce.
The dilemma around dollar stores reveals a broader issue. The situation calls for a reassessment of how corporations impact local communities. While the outright ban of dollar stores isn’t universally feasible or desirable, it’s crucial for communities to have the power to shape their retail landscape and not feel so easily defeated by corporations with access to more monetary resources.
