Dollar stores have generally been known for cheap gift supplies, party decorations and cleaning supplies.
But a growing number of consumers are frequenting dollar stores for groceries.
Yeah, you read that right. Groceries.
And not just the processed, packaged kind. It’s not unusual to find dairy, frozen vegetables, meat and fresh produce at more and more dollar stores.
For example, the 99 Cents Only Stores get fresh produce twice a week. Some Dollar Tree locations, such as the one at 2430 S. Harrison Road and a new one opening Saturday at 5385 E. Broadway, have refrigerated and frozen food sections.
Dollar stores seem to be popping up around the country at record numbers. As of 2013, there were 25,486 dollar stores in the U.S., a Nielsen study found. That’s not too far behind the 33,445 traditional supermarkets.
Of the 16,570 new stores built between 2007 and 2013, the largest chunk — 36 percent — were dollar stores. The second-largest was convenience stores, at 32 percent. Grocery store growth was the smallest, at 7 percent.
About 66 percent of U.S. households shop at dollar stores because people are finding more value in the dollar store than ever, the Nielsen study said. Low prices combined with the convenience of quicker trips equal more customers.
Tucsonan Hallah Karaman, store manager of First Rate Second Hand Thrift Store, is one such customer.
She says she gets about 90 percent of her produce, all of her cleaning and pet supplies, as well as most snacks and drinks from the 99 Cents Only Store.
By doing so, Karaman says she spends between $80 and $100 a month on groceries, versus spending a couple times that amount at regular stores.
“The other day I got a 2-pound artichoke for 99 cents, which is amazing,” Karaman said. “Because at Safeway, they were $3.99 each.”
Meat and dairy are the only things Karaman stays clear of at the dollar stores. She says the dollar-store dairy tends to offer good brands but is sold in smaller quantities, so she may as well get more at the grocery store.
But, the meat at dollar stores is another story.
“There’s something about the meats they carry,” she said. “It just seems like they are incredibly processed and don’t seem healthy. I call them questionable meats. Like, you say you’re bologna, but you look like you could have six other meats in there.”
To be clear, Karaman said she is the same way at the grocery store. “I always feel safer going to the deli section. I’m always going to pick the Boar’s Head brand over the generic. ... Spending very little on produce and cleaning supplies at the 99 Cents Only Store gives me more money to spend on the nicer things I buy at other markets.”
Generic brands don’t bother Karaman. She said she buys store-brand chips, salad dressing and mayonnaise. “I haven’t seen much of a difference. The generic goldfish are even a little bit cheesier than the name brand.”
But not all items are generic. Dollar stores carry lots of brand-name items, although many come in packages that Karaman estimates to be about 10 percent smaller.
I tagged along with Karaman on a shopping trip to the 99 Cents Only Store last week. “I’m proud of shopping here,” she said. “It’s just smart.” She said she tries to not spend more than $30 on her weekly visits.
We walked down the canned goods aisle, then hit the produce section. This is where Karaman typically spends the most money. She grabbed a bag of salad, a container of blackberries and a container of raspberries, as well as a couple of avocados. “Oh, spicy hummus! That is happening,” she said as she placed it in her cart.
She grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine section — moscato for $2.99. “I love moscato,” she said. “I’ll try any of it.”
We continued through the store, checking out each aisle. In the automotive section, she grabbed apples-and-cinnamon air freshener. “My mom is coming to town next week,” she said. “When I know she’s coming, I’m like, ‘What extra cleaning supplies do I need?’ ”
At the cash register, Karaman’s total came to $35.53, a little bit over her $30 budget, but she left happy. “I only spent $35, which feels like nothing and my fridge is full,” she said.
I also spoke with a couple of shoppers on a separate day last week.
One shopper, Ginger Fryer, looked at bananas that were selling for 49 cents a pound. Shopping for food at the dollar store hadn’t occurred to her until a friend mentioned it.
“She said: ‘Don’t snub your nose. You’d be surprised.’ And I am,” Fryer said. “I try to come once or twice a month now. There’s a water I get at Sprouts for $1.49. It’s only a dollar here. I like to save a dollar here and there.”
Another shopper, Janice Ellington, was shopping with her family that same day. She said she gets most of her groceries there, especially if they have certain brands she likes.
Ellington showed me some of the groceries in her cart, which was loaded with fresh produce, bread and canned goods. “This bag of lettuce — $2 at the store. A dollar here. This Nature’s Own bread, a dollar. I pay $3 for these oatmeal things at Fry’s. Here, they’re a dollar. It’s a bargain.”
She said some of the packaged goods are smaller, but dollar-store shopping cuts her bill down by 70 percent to 75 percent.
“This is my place,” she said.
While I was there, I did a little shopping myself. Giant cucumbers were only 59 cents each, so I grabbed one. I also got a bag of sugar snap peas, three Yoplait Greek yogurts, which were three for a dollar, a package of two yellow squash, a bunch of asparagus, a package of raspberries, a package of blackberries and a package of four Smart Ones ice cream desserts. It cost me only $7.60. And it was all good.
I’m not saying everything is a bargain, because it’s not. For example, sandwich bags come in such small boxes that the unit price is actually higher at the dollar store. Boxes of cereal are about half the size of those at the grocery store. You’d be better off getting a full-size box on sale at the store. Same with packages of cheese.
However, if you’re strapped for cash and want to get fresh produce, it might be worth it to check out your local dollar store.
Like Ginger Fryer’s friend said, you might be surprised.
