the rix mix

From New York Times

Stores Scramble to Accommodate Budget Shoppers

Some customers at Wal-Mart and the major dollar chains — Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree — have such modest budgets that the retailers report upticks in spending at the beginning of the month, when government benefit checks and many paychecks come through. Late in the month, sales drop as even multiroll packs of paper towels are ditched for a single roll.

“People are literally running out of cash on hand as the month goes on and they’re looking for smaller package sizes,” said Craig Johnson, president of the retail consulting and research firm Customer Growth Partners. “They may have $10, $20, $30 to spend getting toward the end of the month, and they have to be able to still feed the family and get diapers and so forth.”

I like Dollar General. Not a grungy cheapo dollar store. Has name brands. Priced fairly more than as "bargains." If you take advantage of supermarket sales you can do better. It's clean, organized, well-lit, really fills a niche.