Dollar Tree is Changing
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (90937)
United States
March 7, 2024 12:31pm CST
For years and years, The Dollar Tree was a store where every single item in the store was $1. There were exceptions like greeting cards which typically sold for 50 cents. But nothing was more than a dollar.
They changed their format after 25 years in business a few years ago and raised prices by 25% throughout their stores. And now everything costs $1.25.
Or does it?
Dollar Tree has been slowly conditioning customers to pay more. And it's a clear shift in their business model that I think will eventually change the store forever. Perhaps inflation is at the root? Or perhaps they simply can no longer afford to do business the way they could before?
They did add the $5 line of items recently. But now some items are individually marked at higher than the $1.25 price. For example, they had 1-liter bottles of Coke products on the shelf for $1.75.
I think it is just a matter of time before Dollar Tree simply becomes another Family Dollar or Dollar General. And by the way, Dollar Tree owns Family Dollar.
10 people like this
9 responses
@MommyOfEli2013 (84022)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Mar
that is a bummer that the prices for some things are going up....$1.75 for a liter is still a dollar cheaper than the grocery store...but was better when they were $1 to $1.25
2 people like this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
7 Mar
It is going to take away from the "fun" and "value" of the store in my opinion. Even 90% of the time I find most things at Dollar General and Family Dollar aren't cheap at all, and so I hardly ever shop there. Granted, not everything even at $1.25 is a good price. But they have MOSTLY had good deals.
@MommyOfEli2013 (84022)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Mar
@porwest Yes, I agree with that. We don't have a dollar general, but we do have Family Dollar and I never considered that a cheap place lol. Dollar Tree did have a lot of good deals at $1.25, but if a lot is going up to $1.75 that's just sad! They couldn't start at $1.50? lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
7 Mar
@MommyOfEli2013 I'd prefer they just stick to the $1.25. I mean, when you change the entire personality of your store that you've built a reputation on for three decades, that seems like it would be bad for business. But who knows? I know they have to make a profit, and I understand that aspect of it. But I also understand they may lose some customers by doing it.
The whole concept was always, load up your cart, it's all the same price. Now that's becoming untrue.
@kaylachan (69826)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Mar
I think inflation is catching up with them, and they have to adapt. Their prices are still at rock bottom, but it does catch up eventually. Look at gas now vs back in the 90's for example. Prices tend to fluculate, but you'd be hard pressed to find a gas station with prices under 2.00 anymore. Many are over 3.00.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (69826)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Mar
@porwest And, if they do, not very much.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
8 Mar
@kaylachan Never ever seems to go down as much as it comes up, that's for sure.
@LindaOHio (178780)
• United States
8 Mar
We don't shop at any of the Dollar stores. We do all of our shopping at Walmart, Giant Eagle, Aldi's and Marc's. Have a great weekend.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (62529)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
7 Mar
What a lot of people don't understand is that Family Dollar and Dollar Tree are the same company, owned by the same people. So like you said DT is just adopting more of the stuff that FD has. FD has always had a couple aisles of DT items, now its the other way around.
Here, in FL and AL there are combo stores. That are DT and FD in ones tore.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (62529)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
7 Mar
@porwest I worked at DT for a couple years, so I know some of the ins and outs of getting good deals. My ex manager still orders stuff by the case for me- when I need it or can afford it.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
7 Mar
@thislittlepennyearns So long as you know what to look for. As I always say, every penny counts, and unless you have an abundance of them, it pays to keep as many of them as you can. lol
@porwest (90937)
• United States
7 Mar
They should know it after reading my post that Dollar Tree owns Family Dollar since I mentioned it. lol. But who reads these things anyway? But yeah, I think DT is beginning to look at a model that more closely relates to FD. By how much we will have to wait and see, I guess.
I saw those combo stores the last time we vacationed in St. George Island.
@Tampa_girl7 (50256)
• United States
7 Mar
I can still remember 5 and dimes from my childhood. You are right dollar stores may go poof too.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
7 Mar
Eventually I get that they have to make a profit, and it's harder to do that when inflation is so high. It's a bit sad to see it especially considering their model has largely been "load up your cart, it's all the same price" for three decades. When you change the entire "personality" of your store concept, that's going to rile some customers.
As the old saying goes, it takes years to build a loyal customer and only seconds to lose one.
@2ndchances24 (8959)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
7 Mar
Yep, that sounds about right, It's a never ending
ordeal when some crazy fa#t gets in office that
doesn't know what they are doing sh!t goes up.
1 person likes this
