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| - I never used to like going to dollar stores, but once Dollar Tree got going, I got hooked. I love to browse the aisles and see what you can actually get for a dollar.
This chain has expanded many of its existing stores and added refrigerated and frozen foods. Granted, I don't usually buy the food items, since most of them are brands that I've never heard of.
Tonight I wanted to get a bottle of Palmolive dishwashing liquid. It may not be a real deal, since it's only a 14 oz. bottle, but that'll last for the next two or three years, so why buy a bigger one - for more money - at the supermarket? True to form, it wasn't the only thing I ended up getting, but I did make it out alive and having spent only seven bucks.
One of the best deals at Dollar Tree is being able to get really nice greeting cards for 50 cents each, though they've recently added a line of even nicer cards for a buck each. I've been to trade shows that supply the dollar store market and have seen first hand how cheap greeting cards can be for the vendor. Dollar Tree is still making a tidy profit on that fifty-cent card, but I'm not complaining. And big, fancy gift shopping bags for a dollar? Why would anyone buy one anywhere else?
Dollar Tree is not franchised; each store is corporate-owned, and that's how they are able to maximize their investment; most of the items in the store are made specifically for Dollar Tree, aka Greenbrier International. Good for the consumer in one way, by offering a vast selection of items for a small price. But the larger price is that what's good for the consumer is bad for our country. Everything's made in China.
One caveat: buy your helium balloons somewhere else, unless you don't mind them bursting before you can gift them. Tempting, but they're really poor quality.
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