A new national study challenges the idea that shopping for groceries at dollar stores automatically leads to unhealthy eating. Dollar store foods are less nutritious than those sold at grocery or club stores. But researchers found that households often balance those purchases with healthier items from other retailers. This keeps their overall diets largely intact.
Published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the study analyzed food purchase data from more than 183,000 U.S. households between 2008 and 2020. Researchers used the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index to score purchases. Foods bought at dollar stores averaged a score of 38.4 out of 100. Grocery stores scored 49.7, and club stores scored 50.9.
When looking at households’ overall food purchases, the difference was much smaller. Families that got more than 10% of their calories from dollar stores had a total diet score of 46.3. Those who didn’t shop at dollar stores at all had a score of 50.5.
Lead author Wenhui Feng of Tufts University said dollar store shoppers appear to be using these outlets strategically. “People go to different types of stores for different reasons, and the dollar store is one that people choose because of the price advantage,” she said. She added that “what’s on the shelf does not equal what each household takes home.”
Dollar stores are now the fastest-growing food retailers in the country. They have more than 37,000 locations, outnumbering Starbucks, Walmart, Target, and McDonald’s combined. Their share of household calories nearly doubled from 3.4% in 2008 to 6.5% in 2020. Rural, lower-income, and minority households are more likely to rely on them.
Researchers found that even frequent Dollar Store shoppers still obtained most of their calories elsewhere. Many use the stores to buy inexpensive packaged goods, snacks, and staples. They then spend their savings on produce, dairy, and meats at other retailers. Senior author Sean Cash, also from Tufts, said that if dollar stores were not available, it is unclear whether families could afford the same mix of healthy and less healthy foods.
Some local governments have tried to limit Dollar Store expansion. They argue that these stores crowd out traditional grocery stores. But the study’s authors caution that such restrictions “may not be health-promoting” unless paired with ways to make healthier foods more affordable and accessible.