Dollar Tree steps up fight, buys Family Dollar

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By CANDICE CHOI and MICHELLE CHAPMAN

NEW YORK (AP) — The fight for penny pinchers is intensifying.

Dollar Tree said Monday it is buying rival discounter Family Dollar for $8.5 billion, significantly broadening its reach as it looks to fend off Wal-Mart, which has been stepping up its courtship of lower-income customers

The deal makes Dollar Tree the biggest player in the dollar store segment, with its more than 13,000 combined locations eclipsing current leader Dollar General Corp., which has about 11,300.

Dollar stores grew during the recession as people across income groups searched for cheaper options. To attract a broader array of customers, they also expanded their offerings to include more groceries and brand-name products, instead of just the party favors and other knickknacks people often associated with them.

FULL story at link.



FILE - In this photo taken May 13, 2009, file photo, Family Dollar CEO Howard Levine poses for a photo at the company's headquarters in Matthews, N.C. Dollar Tree is buying rival discount store Family Dollar in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion, the companies announced Monday, July 28, 2014. Family Dollar Chairman and CEO Levine will continue to head Family Dollar and will report to Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser. Dollar Tree will continue to run its stores under the Deals, Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada brands. It will keep the Family Dollar brand, as well. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140728/us--dollar_tree-family_dollar-ae6237b753.html

[Louisiana1976]

1. I hope being purchased by Dollar Tree leads to improvements at Family Dollar. Family Dollar

is a crappy store.

[geomon666]

2. Agreed.

I've always had mediocre to bad experiences at Family Dollar, whether it was the store being unorganized or flat out dirty to rude employees. Dollar Tree was always my go to discount store.

[Hissyspit]

5. Now I only have to worry about confusing them with Dollar General.

[Sherman A1]

11. Agreed

they are indeed poorly run stores. That said I am in hopes that not too many jobs are lost in this buyout.

[rurallib]

3. well somebody loves the poor

maybe Republicans can make more.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. That pic of the CEO....

Has anyone noticed the growing number of shaved pates in the business/corporate / political world?

Has anyone watched Fringe?

[phleshdef]

6. Its a general male style thing. Those of us that are going bald have decided to just shave it all.

[ErikJ]

10. But it doesnt work for some, like Rick Scott

Makes him look like a hideous evil Voldemort or a bald Bat Boy.

[lululu]

12. any hair is better than no hair

[Codeine]

13. So not true, at least for me.

My looks improved 100% after I shaved that dwindling, baby-fine, peach fuzz disaster off my scalp.

[6000eliot]

7. Where we'll all be shopping once the Republicans get their way.

[elias49]

8. Race to the bottom. Oh joy! nt

[Kablooie]

9. Shop at Daiso Japan instead.

They are a $1.50 store but have much better quality products and a larger, more consistent selection.
Only in California and Washington right now but they have plans to expand to other states soon.

Daiso, not your mom's $1.50 store

List of Daiso Stores

[LynneSin]

14. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree are not the same kind of store

Family Dollar sells things over $1, it's kinda like a very very low-end messy, poorly run Wal-Mart.

Dollar Tree sells things for $1 but I will say this much - every Dollar Tree store I have been in have been clean as can be. I buy my greeting cards from Dollar Tree because well, they are $1.

[nolabels]

16. No exact recipe needed

One of my friends runs a 99cents + store (kind of a knock-off franchise thing). He just finds cheaper things people need and or might want to buy. Sometime it doesn't matter if might have to sell for several dollars. If people want to buy it he might try to sell it People like to go into a store with $20 bucks and come out of it with a bunch of stuff. It kind of fills a need they have or something

[Tommy_Carcetti]

18. How crappy does a place have to be to be a "very low end messy poorly run Wal-Mart"?

Given all I know about Wal-Mart, that's an extremely low threshold to meet.

[LynneSin]

19. Trust me it exists

But oddly enough if I'm near one in a safe neighborhood I will stop in to pick up Tide - which seems to be cheaper there than anywhere else.

[candelista]

15. I'll bet CEO Howard Levine doesn't shop at Dollar Tree.

I'll bet his servants do all the shopping for him, and his tailor comes to his house to measure him for clothes.

[lunatica]

22. Well he's done something quite useful for people who are financially strapped

I don't begrudge him one bit. Dollar Tree has helped millions, including me make it through to the end of the month many times. With things like food, for example.

[candelista]

23. He didn't do it for you.

He did it to make money.

[lunatica]

24. I know that

Duh!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

17. The bigger question is, did they buy it for a dollar?

And did it fall apart immediately afterwards?

[bigwillq]

20. I love my local Dollar Tree store

I have actually bought quite a few books there.

[lunatica]

21. Dollar Tree is a great place to shop

You can even buy reading glasses there.