by Christina Lee on February 11th, 2009
Major dollar store chains are reporting growth in their most recent quarters – a trend that continues from the holiday season and demonstrates that consumers still consider them highly valuable.
As the biggest of three chains, Dollar General reported yesterday a 9.4 percent same-store sales increase in its fourth quarter, amounting to $2.85 billion.
Dollar Tree had a year-to-year fourth quarter sales rise of 6.8 percent, or $1.39 billion, as annual sales totaled a record $4.64 billion in 2008. Meanwhile, Family Dollar experienced a 4.2 percent year-to-year increase in its 2009 first quarter sales, amounting to about $1.75 billion.
Performance... Read more »
by Christina Lee on December 29th, 2008
Three years ago, Marc Joseph – president of wholesaler and closeout company Dollar Days – responded to hundreds of his customers’ calls with one book. With “The Secrets of Retailing: Or, How to Beat Wal-Mart,” he wanted to teach any small business owner how to establish a unique presence in their neighborhood, even with a Wal-Mart down the street.
But in 2008, Wal-Mart emerged as the sole big-name retail winner against a number of contenders. While its competitors slashed prices out of necessity, Wal-Mart discounted to make profits. The company’s net sales totaled $374.5 billion, an 8.6 percent increase from... Read more »
by Christina Lee on November 26th, 2008
Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie – all Thanksgiving staples, though this year they also collectively serve as a reflection of present economic conditions.
Nationwide, Thanksgiving food prices rose 6 percent from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In addition, a meal for a family of ten this year will cost an average of $44.21, over $2 more than what it cost in 2007.
Consumers may wonder how, considering today’s lower gas prices, they are still ending up paying more for tomorrow’s meal – specifically, as much as $2.20 more for a 12-oz. package of brown-n-serve rolls and $3.12... Read more »