Are the savings real at dollar stores?
Remember that old joke that there’s a Starbucks on every corner? These days you might be seeing more dollar stores than coffee stores. “Believe it or not, dollar stores outnumber Starbucks and McDonald’s combined — and more are coming. Four of 10 store openings this year are expected to be dollar stores,” said Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter Brian Vines.And consumers are not shying away. According to a recent Consumer Reports survey, 88 percent of Americans shop at dollar stores at least sometimes. The most common reason? They’re inexpensive and convenient. But are the savings real? CR investigative reporter Brian Vines says yes, but there’s a caveat. “In our investigation, the dollar stores, when compared to nearby grocery stores, were indeed cheapest for an entire purchase for each of our shoppers. But, even though you might save more money at a dollar store, your options for each item could be pretty…
