Dollar stores outnumber top 3 national chain drugstores

Call it a sign of the times. As of midyear 2011, the combined store count of the four largest dollar store chains—Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and 99 Cents Only—had surpassed that of the three biggest national drugstore chains—Walgreens, CVS, and Rite Aid—according to a new study released by commercial real estate services company Colliers International. The report, “Dollar Days: How Dollar Stores are Growing in a Weak Economy,” notes that the rapid expansion of this segment is due primarily to one obvious reason: Consumers are looking for value. Also, dollar stores’ strong earnings and aggressive store expansion/remodel programs have made them extremely popular with landlords and property investors. The four big dollar store chains operate approximately 21,500 locations in the United States. The study says Louisiana has 697 dollars stores, more than Mississippi, Alabama or Arkansas. Our neighbor to the west, Texas, has the most dollar stores in the nation: 2,243. Florida has the second most, at 1,222. See the full eight-page report here.