Shopping at Family Dollar, 4 E. Carpenter St., a few times a month helps Jarrell Cunningham, 21, save money because he can spend less than $10 and purchase items like cleaning supplies that cost more at retail stores.
Cunningham, an Ohio University senior studying public relations, also shops at the discount stores Aldi and Save-A-Lot every couple of months to buy canned and frozen food items for about $20.
I'm always getting Pringles; they are cheaper there
he said.
Although Cunningham shopped at these discount retailers before the recession started, many other people are turning to these places to save money during the economic downturn.
Employees at Family Dollar are seeing an increase in higher-income customers, people who earn about $70,000 or more, spokesman Josh Braverman said.
The already-established core customers, typically women who earn $35,000 or less, are also coming in more often and spending more.
Most items at Family Dollar are less than $10 and products range from food to apparel.
We are not recession proof but we are recession resilient and it is not a bad place for us to be right now Braverman said.
Trade-down customers are people who used to shop at Target or Wal-Mart, but recently turned to places like Family Dollar, he added.
Dollar Tree stores, which carry a variety of products for a dollar or less, are experiencing a similar situation, where the current economic environment is providing an opportunity for more trade-down customers.
Everybody likes to save money and new customers are discovering us and we are serving our existing customer base
spokeswoman Shelly Davis said.
While there has not been a jump in the number of people shopping at Save-A-Lot, manager Brian Lushbaugh expects to see a little growth if the economy remains the same.
At the beginning of the month, food stamps, disability checks and social security checks are issued, which bring in more people who can spend about $450 at one time, but during the month the average shopper spends $60, Lushbaugh said.
In an effort to help customers, the store recently implemented a dollar-value menu which will last through the year, where every month certain items will be on sale for a dollar.
People who try to shop here want to get the best value for their money
Lushbaugh added.
While more people are turning to discount stores to save money during this recession, Cunningham has not altered his own shopping.
I don't really feel like my shopping habits have changed with the economy
Cunningham said. I still shop at Kroger.
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Culture
Emilie Schneider
