Podcasts Government The Strong Towns Podcast Dollar Stores Are Leeching the Economic Vitality of Communities Across the U.S.

Dollar Stores Are Leeching the Economic Vitality of Communities Across the U.S.

Published: June 5, 2023, 10 a.m.

A recent report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance reveals some shocking facts: In 2021, half of the new stores opened in the U.S. were chain dollar stores. Moreover, Dollar Store and Dollar Tree (which are part of the Family Dollar system) together operate more than 34,000 stores. That\u2019s more than McDonald\u2019s, Starbucks, Target, and Walmart combined.\nHow did we get to this point, how does this transformation in retail affect local economies, and what can communities do to protect themselves from this "dollar store invasion\u201d? Stacey Mitchell, co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and one of the authors of the aforementioned report, joins Chuck Marohn today on the Strong Towns Podcast for this conversation.\nADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES\n\nRead The Dollar Store Invasion report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.\n\n\nInstitute for Local Self-Reliance (website).\n\n\nStacey Mitchell (Twitter).\n\n\nChuck Marohn (Twitter).