Dollar Tree is invading posh neighborhoods after years of catering to low-income customers— breaking ‘stigma of the dollar store’
NY Post
Dollar Tree is turning over a new, slightly more luxurious leaf.
The discount retailer is opening up shop in more affluent neighborhoods in an effort to draw out the nation’s biggest spenders.
Nearly half of new Dollar Tree locations over the last six years opened in the wealthier ZIP codes of metropolitan areas, compared to just 41% in prior years, according to a recent analysis by Bloomberg.
The new locations included the retail chain’s 9,000th North American store in Plano, Texas, in May 2025. The green and white storefront sits just a short drive away from affluent Plano’s Louis Vuitton store, luxury car dealerships and million-dollar residential neighborhoods.
Dollar stores have a reputation for gaining customers during lean times, but recent years suggest an alternative business tactic behind their ascent into ritzy enclaves — it pays to cater to wealth. The highest-earning 10% of Americans are driving the majority of the nation’s spending, changing how low-cost retailers like Walmart operate and reshaping the real estate market.
Plano was once far outside of the retailer’s orbit, but now pricey Range Rovers dot the parking lot.
