Sounds like the grocery stores were not serving their customer base well if they couldn’t compete with “overpriced” dollar stores.
Carrying cost of produce does not add up. If produce is going bad at that spoilage rate the store management fucked up and didn’t order the correct amount of product for the location. You can’t wish your way into a product mix.
Nothing was stopping grocery stores from identifying this need. Pretending your customer base is more affluent than it is sounds like a quick way to go out of business to me.
Explain why rural customers prefer the dollar store to the grocery store? Are they just stupid and don't know what's best for themselves?
Perhaps the rural grocers are not carrying the appropriate product mix for their current (new?) customer base, and are overvaluing customer service?
I don't like it - but I also spend time in rural communities and see why these places beat the local grocers. They offer better value for the dollar. Often they are indeed cheaper on a unit cost basis, much less overall per transaction.
It's sort of like folks screeching about "food deserts" in urban communities I've lived in, thus enacting laws forcing fresh produce be carried by the local convenience stores. That produce simply rotted on the shelves since - surprise! - the local business owners knew their customer base better than a bunch of do-gooder ivory tower academics did.
You can make some strong cases for Walmart putting Main Street rural America out of business using predatory pricing schemes and the like. It's a lot more difficult for dollar stores.
They do not offer better "value on the dollar" they offer units that individually cost less but over a year of buying what you need to survive you pay more. That's how items are generally priced; smaller packages, higher unit price (as in, price per ounce).
You shouldn't say "screeching" if you want to be taken seriously, it makes you sound shallow and dismissive, incapable of understanding how your narrow outlook is not applicable in some situations.
Please, take even the most basic efforts to understand what people are talking about here instead of forcing me to shove information down your throat like you haven't learned how to use an internet search yet. You don't need my help, and nothing I can say will be more convincing than your own personal research.
I wonder why someone might opt to pay less up-front vs. going after cost per unit by buying more in bulk?
Why doesn't everyone shop at Costco or Sam's Club? Are they dumb?
Or perhaps certain customer bases have differing needs? If you can't afford to play the game, the store offering smaller units at a lower cost with horrible customer service is absolutely better value for your dollar. Especially when that store is bringing it much closer to you than the alternatives.
Your comment is precisely what I mean by screeching. I've lived amongst those who frequent such establishments and understand the reasons why. I also understand why the local grocers (and other stores) tend to not economically service their needs well - both the social reasons and the financial ones. I've even managed a family owned small grocer at a point in my life. Even then I could understand why someone strapped for cash might end up at a "less optimal" chain store. Heck, I recently shopped at one and was quite happy it existed vs. having to drive an extra 25 minutes to the closest "real" grocer in the nearest thing resembling a small town. The extra few bucks I spent was worth it just in gas savings alone.
The screechers love to screech and not do much useful for those who they profess to care so much about. I prefer to look towards those actually doing, not talking or doing studies.
It all comes down to the simple fact you cannot wish your way into a more affluent (or financially literate, if you prefer to be uncharitable) customer base. It costs more to bring the supply chain to the lower classes. Dollar stores tend to exist for a reason in most places - and unless you are trying to optimize for small business owners and local employment, they tend to service many communities better than what they replaced - both by bringing more choice, as well as better pricing.
If your argument is that poor consumers should be willing (or forced) to pay more to support healthier food options and paying staff better - that's fine. But I don't think that's the argument anyone else here is making. The local grocers losing business tend to actually be more expensive even on a per-unit basis on many to most items. Try shopping at one and then going down the county road to the closest dollar store - it might be eye opening.
I don't see anything that says they are "fucking" them. I see plenty that they are out competing them. People get to choose to go to whatever grocery store they like.
Carrying cost of produce does not add up. If produce is going bad at that spoilage rate the store management fucked up and didn’t order the correct amount of product for the location. You can’t wish your way into a product mix.
Nothing was stopping grocery stores from identifying this need. Pretending your customer base is more affluent than it is sounds like a quick way to go out of business to me.