cover image: Stretching the Dollar - Community-Informed Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access through Dollar Stores

Stretching the Dollar - Community-Informed Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access through Dollar Stores

24 Oct 2023

49 7 | Dollar Stores and Healthy Food Access There are more than 35,000 dollar stores across the United States,1,2 more locations than the other top ten largest food retail companies combined (Figure 1).3 Two companies control the dollar store market—in 2022, Dollar General operated 19,104 stores1 and Dollar Tree operated 8,134 Dollar Tree and 8,206 Family Dollar stores.2 Dollar stores are more li. [...] However, dollar stores do not offer the same variety of healthy options compared to supermarkets and thus had lower healthy food availability scores.17,18 Dollar Store Consumer Food Purchasing Behaviors and Shopping Motivations Aligned with the increase in the number of dollar stores in recent years, households’ food purchases at dollar stores increased by almost 90% between 2008 and 2020.5 While. [...] 11 News Media Scan Key Findings and Implications Recent news coverage of dollar stores as related to food access reflects a population and press with mixed sentiment and opinions of the increasing prevalence of dollar stores and their place within the American food system. [...] certain staple foods, including dairy and dairy alternatives, animal and vegetable proteins, fruits and vegetables, juice, whole grains, and legumes.84 Local Policy Scan Key Findings and Implications Local policies targeting dollar stores have largely focused on stopping new dollar store spread and increasing healthy foods available at new dollar stores or in neighborhoods where dollar stores are. [...] The collaboration between Louisiana State University Ag-Center SNAP-Ed, community leaders, and Dollar General to increase stock and marketing of healthy foods at a local dollar store in a small Louisiana town that lacked a grocery store could serve as a model that could be scaled.122 RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS Replicate the CSPI dollar store survey at the local level to inform local policy and corpo.

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