23 Mar 2023

Dollar Store Restrictions

by | Date: 23 Mar 2023 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

As dollar stores multiply rapidly across the U.S., cities are developing dollar store-specific policies to rein in their growth. Such policies include “dispersal restrictions” that set limits on how close new dollar stores can be to existing ones. These ordinances account for the existing concentration of dollar stores within a neighborhood or city and help ensure that these chains cannot amass at such a density that they impede opportunities for grocery stores and other businesses to take root and grow. Our new map shows dollar store defeats and restrictions across the country. … Read More
26 Sep 2019

More Cities Pass Laws to Block Dollar Store Chains

by | Date: 26 Sep 2019 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Fueled by easy cash from Wall Street, two dominant chains are opening thousands of dollar stores across urban and rural communities, and causing economic distress nationwide. Inspired by ILSR’s research, a growing number of cities, including Birmingham, Cleveland, and New Orleans, are now taking legislative action to block new dollar stores and support local grocery store development instead. We take a closer look at this national movement. … Read More

Dollar stores and demographics maps — Philadelphia, Pa.
20 Feb 2019

Maps Show Alarming Pattern of Dollar Stores’ Spread in U.S. Cities

by and | Date: 20 Feb 2019 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Original maps from eight U.S. cities show how numerous dollar stores have become in urban America and reveal a striking pattern between dollar store locations and neighborhood income and race. We discuss each local context, presenting evidence for why these patterns have emerged and how some cities are beginning to check the spread of dollar chains. … Read More
6 Dec 2018

Dollar Stores Are Targeting Struggling Urban Neighborhoods and Small Towns. One Community Is Showing How to Fight Back.

by and | Date: 6 Dec 2018 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Although dollar stores sometimes fill a need in places that lack basic retail services, there’s growing evidence that these stores are not merely a byproduct of economic distress. They’re a cause of it. In small towns and urban neighborhoods alike, dollar stores are leading full-service grocery stores to close. And their strategy of saturating communities with multiple outlets is making it impossible for new grocers and other local businesses to take root and grow.… Read More
6 Dec 2018

Fact Sheet: The Impact of Dollar Stores and How Communities Can Fight Back

by | Date: 6 Dec 2018 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

National dollar store chains, including Dollar General and Dollar Tree, have seen huge growth over the past decade. These stores are also feeding more Americans than Whole Foods is. New research from ILSR’s Community-Scaled Economy Initiative documents the rapid rise of dollar stores and their damaging effects on the local economies of cities and small towns. Explore our two-page fact sheet to learn more about dollar store impacts and strategies to take action.… Read More
15 Nov 2018

Reining in Dollar Stores (Episode 59)

by | Date: 15 Nov 2018 | posted in: Building Local Power, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Co-hosts Stacy Mitchell and Marie Donahue speak with Tulsa City Councilwoman, Vanessa Hall-Harper. Earlier this year, the city council of Tulsa, Oklahoma passed an ordinance restricting dollar stores from building new locations in north Tulsa, a predominantly African-American area. … Read More