Dollar Stores Emerge As Key Food Source For Low-income And Rural Households

Using dollar stores for nutrient purchases whitethorn beryllium a communal believe for Americans looking to free up costs for nan remainder of their market list, researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine, nan Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy astatine Tufts University, and nan USDA-Economic Research Service study connected August 11 in nan Journal of nan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 

Their multi-year study of wherever households bargain their non-restaurant calories recovered that dollar shop nutrient purchases are rising. Although nan nutrient purchased is little patient compared pinch different nutrient outlets, families are balancing this pinch much nutritious items elsewhere. 

To measurement nan effect of nan accelerating description of dollar stores and nan convenient, calorie-rich snacks that statement their shelves connected nan American diet, nan researchers examined nutrient purchases made by 180,000 nationally typical households successful nan United States betwixt 2008 and 2020. They past mixed this information pinch nan USDA's Economic Research Service's Purchase to Plate Crosswalk tool, which allowed them to estimate nan dietary value of these households' nutrient purchases. 

The lit suggests that group spell to different types of stores for different reasons and nan dollar shop is 1 that group take because of nan value advantage. There are a batch of concerns that foods connected dollar shop shelves are little healthy, but what's connected nan support does not adjacent what each family takes home. Our study looks astatine really patient nan foods purchased successful dollar stores are and compares that pinch nan healthfulness of each household's wide nutrient purchases." 

Wenhui Feng, first author, Tufts Health Plan Professor of Health Care Policy Research and adjunct professor of nationalist wellness and organization medicine astatine nan School of Medicine

As nan fastest increasing nutrient retailer successful nan United States successful nan past decade, dollar stores person transformed nan unit scenery pinch astatine slightest 37,000 beingness locations nationwide. While known for carrying a wide scope of products, they besides waste packaged foods and beverages that are precocious successful calories and debased successful nutrients, pinch only a mini percent of outlets carrying nutrient aliases meats. The study noted their beingness is peculiarly beardown successful nan South and extracurricular of cities. 

While dollar stores person raised concerns astir nationalist health, title pinch section businesses, and information issues owed to reported understaffing, much investigation is needed to validate their existent effect connected Americans. At slightest 25 section governments person established policies restricting their description , but nan effectiveness of these measures is unknown. The investigation confirms that items purchased from dollar stores are, connected average, little patient than those purchased elsewhere, but besides notes that nan mean family is getting 55% of their non-restaurant calories from market stores and 22% from nine stores. 

"Some group look to beryllium going to dollar stores strategically to bargain sweets and snacks, on pinch different packaged foods." said elder writer Sean Cash, Bergstrom Foundation Professor successful Global Nutrition and Chair of nan Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment astatine nan Friedman School, but he notes that group who bargain much of those astatine dollar stores look to beryllium buying little elsewhere. "We request much information connected nan existent effects of dollar stores connected patient eating arsenic immoderate communities whitethorn beryllium putting nan argumentation cart earlier nan horse." 

This study was supported successful portion by a USDA Economic Research Service Cooperative Agreement (58-4000-0-0021) and a Tufts University Springboard grant (M530868). Complete accusation connected authors, funders, methodology and conflicts of liking is disposable successful nan published paper.