Dollar stores have become a go-to shopping option for millions of Americans, especially for those trying to stretch their grocery budgets.
But while these stores are often criticized for offering mostly processed, calorie-dense foods, a new study suggests their impact on overall diets may not be as harmful as some fear.
Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, and the USDA’s Economic Research Service analyzed shopping patterns from 180,000 U.S. households between 2008 and 2020.
They wanted to know how the rise of dollar stores—now the fastest-growing food retailer in the country—affects the quality of the American diet.
They found that the share of calories households get from dollar store purchases has nearly doubled over the past decade, from 3.4% to 6.5%.
The trend is most pronounced among lower-income households, communities of color, and rural areas, where the local dollar store may be much closer than the nearest supermarket.
To assess the healthfulness of these purchases, the researchers used USDA’s Purchase to Plate Crosswalk tool, which estimates the nutritional quality of what households buy.
The results confirmed that foods from dollar stores are, on average, less healthy than those bought elsewhere. Dollar store shelves tend to feature packaged snacks, sweets, and sugary drinks, and only a small fraction of locations carry fresh produce or meats.
Still, the study paints a more balanced picture than expected. Even among the households that shop at dollar stores the most, over 90% of their calories come from other sources—primarily grocery stores (55% of calories) and club stores (22%).
“People shop at different stores for different reasons, and dollar stores are often chosen for their price advantage,” said first author Wenhui Feng, Tufts Health Plan Professor of Health Care Policy Research. “What’s on the shelf isn’t always the same as what people bring home. Our study looks at how healthy the foods purchased there actually are in the context of a household’s total food shopping.”
Some shoppers seem to use dollar stores strategically, buying lower-cost snacks and sweets there while purchasing healthier items elsewhere. “People who buy more snacks at dollar stores appear to be buying fewer snacks from other stores,” noted senior author Sean Cash, Chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment at Tufts’ Friedman School.
With at least 37,000 locations nationwide—particularly concentrated in the South and in non-urban areas—dollar stores have raised concerns about public health, local business competition, and community safety. More than 25 local governments have restricted their growth, though it’s unclear if such policies improve diet quality.
The study concludes that while dollar store foods are generally less nutritious, their growing role in food shopping doesn’t necessarily mean Americans are eating worse overall.
The authors stress the need for more data to understand the true effects before communities adopt strict policies limiting their expansion.
If you care about health, please read studies about why beetroot juice could help lower blood pressure in older adults, and potassium may be key to lowering blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about rosemary compound that could fight Alzheimer’s disease, and too much of this vitamin B may harm heart health.
Source: Tufts University.
