Across the country, cities are frequently populated with dollar-store chains like Dollar Tree, Dollar General and Family Dollar. However, there’s one place these don’t exist: Hawaii, according to Forbes.
Due to Hawaii’s high import costs, the financial loss would be too high to only sell customers items for $1, according to Happily Ever Travels. However, there is one exception to the rule: Aloha Dollar. The Maui-based store, which often caters to the islands’ various tourists, features a wide array of items including snacks, beverages, clothing, sandals, socks, jewelry, office supplies and Hawaiian souvenirs, ranging between $1.25-$10.
The Aloha Dollar’s prices are similar to other larger store chains across the country. In particular, Dollar Tree locations raised prices from $1 to $1.25 by the end of 2022 due to nationwide inflation, as previously reported in Footwear News.
“For 35 years, Dollar Tree has managed through inflationary periods to maintain the everything-for-one-dollar philosophy that distinguished Dollar Tree and made it one of the most successful retail concepts for three decades,” the company said in a statement in its 2022 Q3 earnings release. “The Company believes this is the appropriate time to shift away from the constraints of the $1.00 price point in order to continue offering extreme value to customers.”
Watch on FN
The news of Aloha Dollar and Dollar Tree’s similar pricing comes as similar retailers change their expansion plans this year. In particular, as FN previously reported, Dollar General is investing $100 million into expanding its store wages, standards and customer experiences, based on its 2022 accomplishments — including beginning nearly 3,000 real estate projects, increasing its tractor fleet and opening new distribution centers.
Previously, Dollar General went viral on multiple occasions — including an employee’s TikTok video disputing a $0.50 promotional raise and a $1.6 million fine for violating worker safety in four of its Alabama, Florida and Georgia-based stores in 2022.
