> 1. We have more people without much disposable income In absolute terms, or just on average? This may be the case simply because the US population went from

> 1. We have more people without much disposable income In absolute terms, or just on average? This may be the case simply because the US population went from 250 to 320 million people over that time, but household disposal income is up considerably as well. An alternative answer may be that Dollar stores have very low franchise fees (~$50K, from one site I looked at) and low inventory costs. This, along with cheap commercial rent, makes it an attractive option for non-tech people who want to start a retail business but don't have a lot of money saved up.