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Family Dollar to Expand Space for Food

Responding to consumer demand for affordable basic needs, Family Dollar Stores said that it would expand the space allotted for food and consumable products at its stores beginning in May.

Jon Springer, Executive Editor

April 9, 2009

1 Min Read
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JON SPRINGER

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Responding to consumer demand for affordable basic needs, Family Dollar Stores here said that it would expand the space allotted for food and consumable products at its stores beginning in May.

“Right now our customers are focused on needs, and so that’s why we’re focused on driving consumables,” Kenneth Smith, chief financial officer, said Wednesday in a conference call discussing second-quarter results. “That’s where the action is today.” The discounter said a 13% increase in sales of consumables — including food, household products, HBC and pet food — drove revenues up by 8.7% to $1.99 billion. As a percent of total sales, consumables increased to 61%.

Improvements in shrink, lower freight costs and fewer product markdowns in the meantime drove gross margins up by 1% to 33.7% of sales, officials added. Net earnings improved 32.9% to $84.1 million, or 60 cents per share.

Shares of Family Dollar were up by more than 6% Wednesday.

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About the Author

Jon Springer

Executive Editor

Jon Springer is executive editor of Winsight Grocery Business with responsibility for leading its digital news team. Jon has more than 20 years of experience covering consumer business and retail in New York, including more than 14 years at the Retail/Financial desk at Supermarket News. His previous experience includes covering consumer markets for KPMG’s Insiders; the U.S. beverage industry for Beverage Spectrum; and he was a Senior Editor covering commercial real estate and retail for the International Council of Shopping Centers. Jon began his career as a sports reporter and features editor for the Cecil Whig, a daily newspaper in Elkton, Md. Jon is also the author of two books on baseball. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Journalism from the University of Delaware. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. with his family.

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