SHOPPERS in one neighborhood are losing half a dozen Family Dollar stores they counted on — and there’s nothing to replace them.
The strikes are part of a huge wave of Family Dollar closings announced by its parent company, Dollar Tree, in March.
The company said 1,000 Family Dollar the stores would close within the next few years – and six of them appear to be on the East Side of Buffalo, New York.
Many area residents are considered low-income and have difficulty shopping at many of the higher-priced stores common in the area.
They said they were disturbed by the closures and unsure how they would now find affordable shopping at future.
“It’s going to confuse this whole area. We’re going to feel trapped,” said Corey Wright, a customer at the East Delavan store. The buffalo news.
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“Where can I go without having to spend $5 on the bus to get there when I only have $5 to get what I need for my house?” he asked.
O next closer – and open – Family The Dollar Store for Wright is 1.5 miles away at 1185 Genesee St.
Wright told The Buffalo News he will have to walk further to get to the store or spend more on travel to get there.
Other residents said they were more concerned about the impact the closures would have on more vulnerable populations, such as the elderly.
“It’s going to be difficult for them,” another East Side resident named Nashawne Davis told local reporters.
“Some people won’t be able to shop. They will have nowhere to get the items they need.”
The closure of so many discount stores in an area will force customers like Nashawne to travel much greater distances to find an affordable general store as well.
“It’s kind of sad,” he said.
“We don’t have anywhere else to shop.”
There are currently no plans to replace the stores with similar, affordable stores, according to The Buffalo News.
HUNDREDS OF MISSING STORES
The following East Side locations are scheduled to close in the coming weeks:
- 3364 Bailey Ave.
- 928 Broadway
- 1031 Clinton St.
- 738 E. Delavan Ave.
- 1756 Genesee St.
- 1307 Jefferson Avenue.
Several Family Dollar Stores also closed on the West Side and other New York neighborhoods.
It’s kind of sad. We have no other place to shop.
Nashanne Davis
In addition to the 1,000 stores that will close during the next In recent years, company leadership also announced that 370 additional locations would not renew their leases once they expired.
A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE
Store representatives said the reduction was due to declining profits due to a combination of inflation, reduced sales and increased shoplifting.
“Family Dollar is a victim of the macro environment out there,” Dollar Tree CEO Rick Dreiling said during an earnings call last month.
Dollar Tree also faced a $40 million fine from the Department of Justice earlier this year after evidence emerged that inventory was kept in rat-infested warehouses.
Dollar Tree did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The US Sun.
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