CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Cash-strapped consumers attracted by $1 merchandise helped Dollar Tree here post a quarterly net income improvement of 14.4%, the discounter said Wednesday. Earnings of $43.6 million for the first quarter that ended May 3 increased from $38.1 million in the same period a year ago as gross margins as a percentage of sales increased to 33.9% from 33.4% last year. Earlier this month, Dollar Tree said sales increased 7.5% to $1.05 billion, and comparable-store sales improved by 2.1%. “To succeed in this environment we have to provide our customers with great value for their dollar, and a selection that meets their needs as well as their wants,” Bob Sasser, president and chief executive officer, said in a conference call. “I believe that Dollar Tree is consumer-relevant for these times.”

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