Do dollar store bans work?

The Indicator from Planet Money

NPR

Business

4.7 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In recent years, we've seen dozens of cities ban new dollar stores from opening up. The thinking goes, by keeping dollar stores out, it'll be easier to get much-needed grocery stores to come in. On today's show, we visit two cities that have passed dollar store bans, New Orleans and Birmingham, to see if they've worked.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	NPR.
0:11.6	So we've been talking a lot about the influencer economy here on the indicator and it got us thinking about this particular corner of the influencer world.
0:19.8	Hey y'all, it's Thrifty Tiffany and welcome back to my channel.
0:23.5	Today we have a Dollar Tree Hall and I am a store haul.
0:28.2	And they're kind of this perfect window into why so many people love these discount chains because you can buy so many different things for cheap and influencers know it.
0:37.2	There's gear for prepers.
0:38.2	Today we're going to talk about 10 survival items that you can buy at the Dollar Store to home decor.
0:45.2	So these are wine bottle shaped decor pieces.
0:48.2	So these are really fun for decor for your space if you are a wine decor fan.
0:54.2	Ooh, I don't consider myself a wine decor fan but I think I could be converted.
0:58.2	Well, Steven Bessaha.
1:00.2	Hello, Steven is joining us today from the Gulf States newsroom.
1:04.2	This is a family of public radio stations in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
1:08.2	And Steven is here to talk all about dollar stores.
1:11.2	Yeah, it's good to join you, Waelin.
1:13.2	And we've heard for some time for all you could buy at Dollar Stores.
1:16.2	There's something really important that you can't. Fresh produce.
1:20.2	Sure, maybe there are a couple bananas or apples at the counter.
1:23.2	But they often so little to no produce that isn't canned or frozen.
1:28.2	Dollar chain critics also accused the stores of making it harder to recruit grocery stores.
1:33.2	Essentially, it's this one to punch against public health.
1:36.2	Fewer grocery stores filled with fresh broccoli, more dollar stores filled with packaged or processed foods.
	...

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