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Dollar StoresDollar stores are retailers once known for selling a wide range of household goods for one dollar or less—although in recent years, inflation and rising costs have forced many dollar store chains to use multi-price formats, including some as high as $7. Today, it would be more accurate to call Dollar Tree, for instance, a $1.25 store.
Dollar stores emerged in the mid-20th century, when postwar America was increasingly producing cheap consumer goods. The concept drew on "five and dime" stores, where items were either five or ten cents a piece, as well as retail promotions at other retailers known as "dollar days."
With more than 40,000 stores in the US, the dollar and variety store industry was worth about $119.8B in revenue as of early 2026. These businesses make money by purchasing inventory in bulk, then selling it at a markup. The top dollar store retailers by market share include Dollar Tree, Dollar General, and Family Dollar.Explore Dollar Stores
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Dollar stores are often found in rural, low-income areas of the USShoppers in these areas are increasingly turning to dollar stores for food. A study published in 2023 found that dollar stores were the fastest-growing food retailers by household expenditure share, with rural growth outpacing growth elsewhere (a 102.9% increase in rural areas versus 89.7% elsewhere). American Public Health AssociationDollar stores can have negative impacts on local businessesWhen a household name dollar store like Dollar General opens in a small town or local community, neighborhood businesses often lose out on key sales, driving revenue down and putting them at risk of closure. This has led some experts to argue that dollar store chains can cause economic stress, rather than relieve it. Fast CompanyDollar stores procure their merchandise in bulk to help cut costsIn order to keep prices cheap, dollar stores source this merchandise from a variety of places, including liquidation sales (an event that happens when retailers need to sell off inventory quickly), directly from distributors, foreign markets, and more. YouTubeThe best items to buy at dollar stores, according to a financial expertExperts advise purchasing items like greeting cards, pregnancy tests, candy, gift and party supplies, and other items from the dollar store to maximize savings. KiplingerDollar stores tend to be smaller in size than other retail storesA typical Dollar Tree is roughly 8,000 to 12,000 square feet. That's about one-eighteenth of the average Walmart store. Some experts suggest Dollar Tree keeps its stores smaller intentionally, so that customers can see all the products faster, increasing their likelihood of seeing something they want to buy. Business InsiderThe products sold at dollar stores tend to be smaller in sizeRecent reports suggest that dollar stores regularly practice 'shrinkflation,' the practice of making products smaller while keeping the price the same or even raising it. The Week11,000 new US dollar stores opened between 2007 and 2017Dollar store retailers experienced significant fiscal gains during the 2010s, which were then accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But in recent years, dollar stores have been closing in large numbers and suffering financial hardship. Experts point to Walmart's strategy of decreasing prices to cater to inflation-fatigued customers, and point out that when Walmart does well financially, dollar stores typically suffer. The WeekDollar stores often place staple items at the back of the storeThis forces customers to encounter other, less-necessary items on their way there, leading to impulse buys. This video explains other ways that dollar stores make money while selling extremely cheap products, keeping dollar store profit margins relatively high. YouTubeThe modern large chain dollar store business model originated in the SouthThe first Dollar General store opened in Kentucky, the first Family Dollar in North Carolina, and the first Dollar Tree in Southern Virginia. To this day, dollar stores have more distribution centers in the South than anywhere else in the US. TuftsThe worst things to buy at the dollar store, according to a financial expertSome dollar store products can be low quality, and experts advise not purchasing them. This list includes 17 products to avoid at dollar stores, including batteries, toys, costumes, and more. KiplingerDollar Tree was increasingly targeting higher-income shoppers in 2026Dollar Tree stores have been opening in wealthier areas in recent months, with its 9,000th store opening in 2025 within a few miles of a Louis Vuitton store and a Porsche dealership. A recent survey found that 19% of the money spent at dollar stores came from households with annual income exceeding $100,000. BloombergIn 1955, the first Dollar General store was opened in KentuckyIt was created by a father and son, Cal Turner Sr. and JL Turner. At the time, no item in the store cost more than one dollar, although that has since changed. Atlas ObscuraMeet a government agent who laundered millions of dollars for Pablo EscobarRobert Mazur went undercover for years inside the Medellín cartel, which was sending more than 15 tons of cocaine into the United States every single day. Mazur created more than 30 jewelry stores to create business fronts before he finally got through to the cartel. Business InsiderBob's Discount Furniture was born from a motorcycle accident Founder Bob Kauffman crashed his motorcycle and nearly required a leg amputation. After sleeping on a waterbed appeared to help his recovery, Kauffman decided to sell the beds. His authentic and frugal approach (and goofy commercials) led to quick growth. The QuotaSome ads help create ‘symbolic value’ for productsA Rolex watch and a watch from the Dollar Store serve the same purpose: helping the wearer tell the time. But a Rolex is worth thousands of dollars while the Dollar Store watch is costs $1 because of symbolic value, or what the watch says about its wearer. This article helps break down the difference between the two. Psychology TodayFort Knox was built to be a secure facility for the US Treasury's gold reservesThe gold reserves were previously used to back the US dollar under the gold standard. Although the US went off the gold standard in 1971, Fort Knox continues to store a large portion of the nation's gold reserves. YouTubeA gold standard is a system where every dollar in circulation can be exchanged for a set amount of goldFor centuries, the things people used as money had intrinsic value, such as precious metals like gold. In medieval Italy, giant wheels of parmesan cheese were once used as a store of value. 1440 DailySeventeen strange historical heistsHigh-dollar chocolate and cheese robberies to art thefts and audacious train robberies. Explore history's most peculiar stories of stealing with this list of seventeen tales of burglaries. Mental FlossIBM helped turn Rio de Janeiro into a smart city before it hosted the World CupIn response to the deadly floods and mudslides in 2010, Brazil and IBM developed a multimillion-dollar plan to modernize Rio's emergency management infrastructure. An operations center utilizes advanced weather forecasting, surveillance, and real-time data to surveil and respond to events such as severe storms more accurately. Meredith HannonSome argue that the $2 bill could be more useful than the $1 billInflation has made purchasing items with just a $1 bill extremely rare. At a time when dollar stores are no longer true to their name, it seems that the $2 note may be the more practical small bill to keep on hand. This article advocates for the use of $2 bills, while detailing their history of being overlooked and the communities that swear by them. CNNMacy’s doesn’t own its flagship location because of the 'million dollar corner'When Macy’s moved to the Herald Square location, it reached a verbal agreement to acquire that corner of land—but at the last minute, it was sold to a rival store for roughly $1M. The Real Deal
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