Stories

Exploring The Rise In Dollar Store Backlash

ADVERTISEMENT

Shopping trends change throughout the years. Often they simultaneously shape and are shaped by outside conditions. Eating practices can be affected by economics just as much as they influence them. Ultimately, changes can be very cyclical. Currently, we see this play out with dollar stores popping up around the country. They both play a role in providing affordable necessities but also leave consumers wanting. For all the benefits, those living near such stores sometimes greet them with backlash.

Exploring some of the backlash towards dollar stores also means looking at health in America. Fresh is considered good. Locally grown vegetables often draw in consumers, and nothing beats a deep swig from a cold glass of fresh milk. Generally, fresh also means healthy. But the advent of dollar stores and their low costs means consumers may flock towards what’s less expensive. Often, from dollar stores, they are less healthy.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dollar stores can emphasize the relationship between wealth and health

Dollar stores have become the target of backlash and defense in renewed measure / MoneyWise

Our understanding of what’s healthiest is constantly evolving. Often, it is as much tied to finance as it is to science. Already, the dairy industry is changing because of new milk consumption trends. Houses with lower incomes often turn to what is financially more easily available. This can include quick fixes that don’t take up a lot of time or money.

ADVERTISEMENT

RELATED: Sears And Kmart Closing Nearly One Hundred Stores As Millennials Ditch The Struggling Chains

Easing the burden on their wallet comes with a cost, though. Companies understand that Americans appreciate speed and efficiency. As a result, they understandably promote fast solutions as good things. Fast and cheap, especially. But to be both, foods may sacrifice their nutritional value and even add unhealthy components.

Dollar stores don’t just get backlash; they are quite divisive

Dollar stores provide a lot of inexpensive options that are not always healthy / NYC Food Policy Center

Moves by the government to discourage the spread of dollar stores have gotten mixed responses. Defenders of the inexpensive chains emphasize the gap they fill in areas starved of retail opportunities. In some communities, residents simply do not have enough options, and so dollar stores give them inexpensive variety. They also open up the chance to find employment, gain experience, and buy discounted goods.

However, researchers see maps of dollar stores as maps of economic and social division within America. Flourishing regions of cities have an abundance of well-stocked supermarkets. But when hard times hit and even big chains feel the negative effects, dollar stores flourish because poorer Americans need an affordable option more than ever. And though they do present a place for Americans to find a job, the ILSR found they provide fewer jobs on average than independent groceries. Finally, comparisons also found discrepancies in pricing. Some items, researchers found, cost more at the dollar store than at a nearby Walmart. For these reasons, people are looking at dollar stores with new, critical eyes.

Critics say dollar stores follow and flourish because of poor economic conditions / The Reporter

RELATED: Autoworkers Fear Electric-Based Vehicles Will Leave Them Without Jobs

Show comments
Share
Published by

Recent Posts

Bruce Springsteen Gets Honest About Future Of His Career After Health Battle

After a brief hiatus, Bruce Springsteen returned to the stage last week. With a dynamic…

11 hours ago

McDonald’s Will Start Selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Nationwide

It's the alliance of two giants in their respective fields. On Tuesday, both McDonald's and…

14 hours ago

‘Titanic’ Prop That Kept Rose Afloat Sells For Over $700,000

When one door closes, a decades-long debate begins. 1997's Titanic featured one iconic scene after…

16 hours ago

‘Petticoat Junction’ Cast Then And Now 2024

*FAQs at the bottom of article* UPDATED 3/27/2024 Forget about your cares, it is time…

16 hours ago

This Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Star Won’t Return For Sequel

Among the original Beetlejuice cast members was Jeffrey Jones, who played Winona Ryder’s on-screen dad,…

18 hours ago

Diana Ross’ Children Celebrate The Legendary Singer On Her 80th Birthday

The supreme career of Motown powerhouse Diana Ross began 65 years ago, and Tuesday marks…

19 hours ago