5 things: Here comes dollar store beauty

Dollar beauty: Yes, at first glance, this viral TikTok video of “2000s babe” Michaila Cothran putting on a full face of Dollar Tree makeup may seem ridiculous. But then, pull back your judgment a bit and realize that we’re talking about beauty: an industry that generates $100 billion in revenue worldwide, and an area where supermarkets would do well to get in on the action. Dollar General just recently announced that it will add new store layouts involving beauty, skin, and hair care shopping options. Branded as “Beauty Reinvention,” the new category will launch in approximately 300 stores this year. Buckle up and embrace your inner Y2K, grocers — cheap beauty is here to stay. —Chloe Riley 

It’s not a good look: Loblaws President and CEO Galen Weston Jr. just received a raise in the hundreds of thousands. Not an uncommon thing in the world of the C-suite, but also not great timing, as the cost of olive oil at No Frills (even private label) has hiked up to between $35 and $40 and shoppers aren’t happy about it. This also isn’t Loblaws’ first high-price showdown with consumers, either. Just last week the Canadian press laid into Weston about the price of chicken, which was going for a whopping $30 a pack. As a rebuttal, Weston said those packs were “premium” chicken. Those “premium” prices might incite a movement … one that involves customers moving to other stores. At least Weston got paid. —Bill Wilson

Save A Lot doesn’t trump Whole Foods: I lived in Chicago for over a decade and I remember the fanfare six years ago around a Whole Foods coming to the blighted neighborhood of Englewood, on the city’s west side. At the time, it felt both like progress and like a much needed amenity in the neighborhood. Then in November, Whole Foods announced it was pulling out of the neighborhood. Now, community members are protesting a Save A Lot store that was hours away from opening at the site of the former Whole Foods. What’s the issue? The protestors say they don’t want a discount grocer — they want “fresh, affordable, preferably Black-owned.” For now, the Save A Lot is holding off on its official opening until it can get more feedback from the community. —CR

Can online grocery literally save your life? The University of Kentucky is partnering with Instacart to see if and how having regular access to fresh and whole foods can improve overall health. The partnership will be targeting two specific groups: women who are pregnant and have either type two diabetes or gestational diabetes. And Medicaid adults ages 18-64 who have either type two diabetes or hypertension. Each group will get a certain amount of money to spend on groceries, trying to determine whether or not online grocery shopping helps in reducing health care costs. The university’s professors say they hope that establishing healthy shopping habits will ultimately lead to other healthy food-related choices among participants. —CR

Nighty night Aldi: Aldi is now offering a wearable sleeping bag. Yes, please … I think? Social influencer Paris de Jager was strutting her stuff in a pink sleeping bag onesie. “The sleeping bag one-z [sic] you never knew you needed until now,” she posted on TikTok. Aldi announced its spring/summer line of merchandise a couple of weeks ago, but failed to mention this little nugget. De Jager’s post has more than 100,000 likes and people were going bonkers about the multi-use garment. Hey, you never know when you might find yourself stuck in a line that is not moving for Taylor Swift concert tickets … and the need to lay down on the dirt floor becomes necessary. Of course, I’m not speaking from experience. —BW

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Dollar General is getting into the beauty market by offering products in its stores. Do you think the time is now for more supermarkets to offer beauty lines? 
Let us know in the comments below or email your thoughts to SN Executive Editor Chloe Riley at [email protected].