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I normally like CityLab, but the tone of this article really grates on me. Calling dollar stores parasites? The article casually notes that without these stor

I normally like CityLab, but the tone of this article really grates on me. Calling dollar stores parasites? The article casually notes that without these stores many poor or minority communities would be true retail deserts, but it offers no workable alternatives. Only invective. Every Dollar General I've ever been in has dairy, eggs, a competent selection of canned and dry goods (pasta, beans, etc), baking goods, and a good (if basic) selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. It's not the dollar store's fault if the surrounding community insists on frozen pizzas and soda.

deleted 8y ago
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throw-far-away 8y ago
IKR. The article comes off as some serious FUD rhetoric judging, perhaps for animosity-seeking clickbait sharing/engagement? They're discount retailers and not hiding this fact. Dollar stores are awesome whether you're poor and it's all your can afford or stingy rich. They're demonstrably better than full-price grocery and hypermarts that are most definitely parasites. Maaybe they are a symptom of income inequality but they're not a cause of it or worsening it.
da_chicken 8y ago
Yeah, this does kind of feel like condemning people for having the gall to not shop at Trader Joe's. Realistically, what's the difference between Dollar General and Woolworth's 5¢ & 10¢ stores? What's the difference between Amazon and the Sears Roebuck Mail Order Catalog? The names have changed, but merchandise really hasn't.
- selimthegrim 8y ago
  There was a Bloomberg article from not too long ago where one real estate analyst described the dollar store companies as betting on the existence of a permanent underclass in America. That might be the subtext this article is driving at.
  - kungtotte 8y ago
    I make really good money for my area (I'm not in the US), but I still prefer to buy some things at dollar stores or the cheap store brands at regular stores. Some things it's just not worth paying twice as much for name brand things. There's a brand of microfiber cloths I buy to clean my truck and car and it's the same exact brand in the dollar store and the supermarket that are next door to each other but it's literally twice as much in the supermarket. It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much?
    - Swizec 8y ago
      > It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much? Because someone might think you're poor and omygodwecanthavethatwhatwillpeoplethink!? But honestly social signaling is a huge part of why people buy brand-name stuff. Sometimes it's actually better, often it's just better marketing. Many times the higher price creates the psychological effect of enjo9ying the item more.
    - creato 8y ago
      > It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much? I know you said it's the same product so this doesn't apply directly, but I was reminded of something that happened to me. I was buying sponges, and the store-brand knockoffs were about half as much as the name brand sponges. They had the same yellow/green design, and they're just sponges... why not get the cheaper ones? When I got home and used the sponges, I noticed that they were leeching green dye onto everything I used the sponges on, even for at least a few days after using a new sponge. I never noticed significant staining from the sponge runoff, but it's also not worth $3 every few months to not have to wonder if my sponges are going to dye my food/dishes/whatever I'm cleaning green. Anyways, I don't really have a point here, it's just really annoying that I think of these sponges every time I'm buying the cheaper knockoff products.
- pishpash 8y ago
  There are some food deserts in expensive urban areas, too, and drug stores serve the role there, not really that different from dollar stores. It's not a uniquely poor phenomenon.
- IWeldMelons 8y ago
  Speaking of Trader Joes - ALDI, the ugly cousin of the TJ, is actually so much better and cheaper than Dollar Store.

deleted 8y ago

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throw-far-away 8y ago

IKR. The article comes off as some serious FUD rhetoric judging, perhaps for animosity-seeking clickbait sharing/engagement? They're discount retailers and not hiding this fact. Dollar stores are awesome whether you're poor and it's all your can afford or stingy rich. They're demonstrably better than full-price grocery and hypermarts that are most definitely parasites. Maaybe they are a symptom of income inequality but they're not a cause of it or worsening it.

da_chicken 8y ago

Yeah, this does kind of feel like condemning people for having the gall to not shop at Trader Joe's. Realistically, what's the difference between Dollar General and Woolworth's 5¢ & 10¢ stores? What's the difference between Amazon and the Sears Roebuck Mail Order Catalog? The names have changed, but merchandise really hasn't.

selimthegrim 8y ago
There was a Bloomberg article from not too long ago where one real estate analyst described the dollar store companies as betting on the existence of a permanent underclass in America. That might be the subtext this article is driving at.
- kungtotte 8y ago
  I make really good money for my area (I'm not in the US), but I still prefer to buy some things at dollar stores or the cheap store brands at regular stores. Some things it's just not worth paying twice as much for name brand things. There's a brand of microfiber cloths I buy to clean my truck and car and it's the same exact brand in the dollar store and the supermarket that are next door to each other but it's literally twice as much in the supermarket. It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much?
  - Swizec 8y ago
    > It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much? Because someone might think you're poor and omygodwecanthavethatwhatwillpeoplethink!? But honestly social signaling is a huge part of why people buy brand-name stuff. Sometimes it's actually better, often it's just better marketing. Many times the higher price creates the psychological effect of enjo9ying the item more.
  - creato 8y ago
    > It's pieces of fabric that will end up covered in grime and grease, why should I pay twice as much? I know you said it's the same product so this doesn't apply directly, but I was reminded of something that happened to me. I was buying sponges, and the store-brand knockoffs were about half as much as the name brand sponges. They had the same yellow/green design, and they're just sponges... why not get the cheaper ones? When I got home and used the sponges, I noticed that they were leeching green dye onto everything I used the sponges on, even for at least a few days after using a new sponge. I never noticed significant staining from the sponge runoff, but it's also not worth $3 every few months to not have to wonder if my sponges are going to dye my food/dishes/whatever I'm cleaning green. Anyways, I don't really have a point here, it's just really annoying that I think of these sponges every time I'm buying the cheaper knockoff products.
pishpash 8y ago
There are some food deserts in expensive urban areas, too, and drug stores serve the role there, not really that different from dollar stores. It's not a uniquely poor phenomenon.
IWeldMelons 8y ago
Speaking of Trader Joes - ALDI, the ugly cousin of the TJ, is actually so much better and cheaper than Dollar Store.