Monday, August 1, 2022

Dollar Store Invasion.

www.fastcompany.com/90278384/why-dollar-stores-are-bad-business-for-the-neighborhoods-they-open-in?fbclid=IwAR3cqFpYVeM481_4wlCFaPw_gn4QL2sJMFTrJSlmO35VIOcKP2V_VvW3V64


As someone living in a food semi-desert, I disagree with some of this. Before dollar stores started popping up, we had to drive miles for reasonable assortments of groceries, OR we had to buy them at overpriced convenience stores and gas stations.
I do agree it places an additional strain on mom-and-pops, but so does any new business with the same prospects. We are fortunate here that we have a family owned (and expanding) set of convenience stores that are reasonably priced.

The only larger store in my current town is a save-a-lot. Dollar General and Family Dollar often have name brand foods for the same price or less than this bigger store. There are Kroger, Wal-Mart, and IGA stores in several different directions, but why go to them when the 'Dollar$' are both available and reasonable and don't use a lot of gas? And this is in an only semi desert for shopping. 

Part of the reason for new stores is that the older stores can no longer carry all the products that the citizens need. The buildings need to be larger, and with more adaptable for usage space.
In some cases the buildings, equipment, and utilities are no longer compatible. Or adaptable.
These are solid reasons for a new building.
(it's my hope that the old building's next life has been planned, because I hate stores that let old building sit and rot.)

As with most of life, there is no clear yes or no choice here. No black and white; no either/or. The situation is not good OR evil. It's more likely to be good AND evil, at the same time, in subtle shades of gray -- or maybe even loud brilliant colors.

It's life.
It's how things are.