“There’s something for everyone in the dollar store, especially in the anxiety-ridden post-recession economy: By 2011 it was affluent households that were driving growth in the sector, making up some 22% of Dollar General customers … But the dollar store boom has come at a cost. Critics say there’s more to the dollar store economy than savings—and that even those great deals may not be as great as they appear. The stores erode jobs and local businesses, turn neighborhoods into grocery deserts, and encourage impulse consumption.” Quartz with an interesting look at the rise of dollar stores.