Where Have All the $1 Items at Dollar Stores Gone (2024)

Dollar General had the most items priced at $1, including utensils, tin-foil baking pans, kitchen tools, soup, candy, snacks, seasonal items, greeting cards and crafts at its store in Lindenhurst.

Stores are restructuring

Dollar stores are also finding that they need to tighten their belts to stay ahead of rising costs.

Dollar Tree recently announced plans to shutter approximately 600 of its Family Dollar stores in 2024. It expects to close an additional 370 stores in the coming years.

The discount retailer 99 Cents Only Stores, with 371 locations in Arizona, California, Nevada and Texas, is closing all its stores.

Dollar General, which opened its 20,000th store in February, is taking a different approach. This year, it plans to open an additional 800 stores, remodel 1,500 others and relocate 85 stores.

There’s also more competition

As more consumers turned to low-budget outlets seeking savings, big-box stores have responded by expanding their offerings of cheaply priced items. Walmart, for example, has a variety of items $1 and under, including cake mixes, gelatins, makeup sponges, cotton swabs, tissues and nail files. In February, Target launched its Dealworthy brand of nearly 400 low-priced everyday items such as cotton balls, cotton swabs and toothbrushes. Some items are priced at less than $1.

Are dollar stores still worth it?

Bargains can still be had at dollar stores, but given the competition, it’s wise to shop around for the best price. That’s easy to do online or through a mobile app. The dollar stores also have circulars. Joanie Demer, cofounder and co-CEO at The Krazy Coupon Lady, says she always checks Amazon and her loyalty apps to make sure she’s getting a bargain.

“Don’t just expect to see the best deals at dollar stores these days. Retailers are fighting for your foot traffic and will sometimes drop better promotions than what we see at dollar stores,” says Demer. “Cost compare as much as possible, and don’t be fooled by dollar store messaging.”