5 things: Are dollar stores the big threat to Walmart?

Low, low prices: Walmart just released its quarterly report, and the retail giant continues to kill it in grocery, keeping its eye firmly on higher-income households. But dollar store competitors like Dollar General and Dollar Tree have the scale to pick up market share, writes Bloomberg. Dollar stores are literally everywhere in the U.S., and they often have a pseudo-monopoly on groceries in the areas they spring up. Walmart has strategically divested from smaller markets where it found business to be unprofitable, leaving potentially a big opportunity for dollar stores. Plus, a recent report indicates that consumers want to see more fresh grocery items at dollar stores. Watch your back, Walmart. —Chloe Riley

Slide on over: In the fight over supremacy of grocery sandals (aka slides), it all comes down to Aldi vs. Costco. Earlier this year, Aldi announced a new line of branded merchandise. You can get shirts, hats, and other items marked with the Aldi name … and some of it is seasonal. With summer just around the corner, Costco, which also unveiled a merch line, now has a wicked pair of black Kirkland slides, which has led to a shopper standoff with Aldi’s hot-weather footwear. The question remains, though: Which store has the best complementary socks? —Bill Wilson

Kid bucks: DoorDash recently ran a smart Mother’s Day promotion where it accepted kid-style payments as valid for an online flower auction. So, yeah: a kid’s version of money! You know: seashells, leaves, crayons, M&Ms. Your basic kid currency. To “bid” for a promotion code that could be used to purchase their mom a complimentary bouquet of flowers, parents could post a photo of those items to Instagram, TikTok or Twitter and tag @DoorDash with the hashtags #KidCurrency and #Sweepstakes. Cute. And you bet your boots the parents are going to remember such a cute gesture. —CR

Slapped with a lawsuit: If you think former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani deserves a pat on the back, by all means do not give him one. ShopRite worker Daniel Gill saw Giuliani in his store not too long ago and either tapped or touched him on the back … and it led to total chaos. Of course, it did not help that Gill coupled the physical engagement with the casual greeting, “What’s up, scumbag?” Giuliani did not appreciate the greeting and called the cops, who then arrested Gill. Now the former ShopRite employee is suing for $2 million for defamation. Gill now works at another supermarket undercover (nights) because, according to his lawyer, he’s afraid of being attacked by Giuliani supporters. Next time, look, don’t touch. —BW

And the winner is … bananas: Recent Instacart numbers reveal that bananas are the No. 1 grocery item the company delivers most, achieving an estimated $1 billion in sales. In fact, Instacart believes that if all of those bananas were joined together they would circle the Earth five times. Iowa is the state leader in banana purchases, just ahead of South Dakota and Minnesota. Why are they No. 1? The fruit is cheap, an American diet staple or… maybe the U.S. has a surprisingly large proportion of underground monkeys. Regardless of the reason, isn’t that just, dare I say, BANANAS?! —Alarice Rajagopal

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According to Bloomberg, stores like the Dollar Tree and Dollar General have the scale to pick up market share. And since they have a heavy concentration in the U.S., and are showing no signs of letting up in terms of expansion, there might be opportunity there. Plus, a new study indicates shoppers would prefer dollar stores providing more grocery options. Do you think dollar stores will listen and make a serious move in market share? Or are they content where they are at? 

Let us know in the comments below or email your thoughts to the SN staff at [email protected].