I compared Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar and found one messy, one pricey, and one that was just right for stocking up on snacks

Alex BitterJul 4, 2023, 20:00 IST

Insider visited Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree stores in Maryland to compare the chains.Alex Bitter/Insider

I visited the three main dollar store chains: Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar.
Family Dollar was the tidiest store I visited, while Dollar General was chaotic.

Dollar stores have become a big part of shopping in the US. But they're not all the same.

Insider previously reported on disorder and a shortage of workers at Dollar General stores across the country. Customers and store workers told Insider that aisles at many of Dollar General's locations are crammed with inventory — some so much so that fire marshals ordered the stores to close until they could tidy up.

But are all dollar stores as messy as Dollar General?

It's a question worth asking given how prominent the stores have become. Dollar General is on the verge of opening its 20,000th store after cutting ribbons on 1,000 new locations just last year. Dollar Tree has about 16,000 stores, some of which it runs under the Family Dollar name.

All three stores are common sights, both in remote rural areas as well as closer to major cities. And even if most items now cost more than $1, they're still popular places to shop, especially as inflation remains high.

To find out what the major differences are between the three main dollar store chains, I visited some of their stores in Southern Maryland, about an hour's drive from Washington DC.

Dollar General declined to comment to Insider for this article. Dollar Tree, which also owns Family Dollar, did not respond to a request for comment.

Do you work or shop at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, or Family Dollar and have a story idea to share? Contact Alex Bitter by email at abitter@insider.com or via text/encrypted messaging app Signal at (808) 854-4501.

My first stop was a Dollar Tree store at a mall in Waldorf, Maryland.

Alex Bitter/Insider

There was a wide variety of stuff inside, and it was almost all neat and tidy.

Alex Bitter/Insider

One thing I noticed right away: Dollar Tree sticks closely to its $1.25 price point for most items. Other dollar stores carry higher-priced items, as I'd soon learn. After I visited, Dollar Tree announced it would be raising prices on some items.

Alex Bitter/Insider

One thing I noticed right away: Dollar Tree sticks closely to its $1.25 price point for most items. Other dollar stores carry higher-priced items, as I'd soon learn. After I visited, Dollar Tree announced it would be raising prices on some items.

Like most dollar stores, there wasn't any fresh produce, but there was a wide range of frozen and packaged foods.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Startup brands like Flow water were well-represented on Dollar Tree's shelves.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Signage above the food section called attention to Dollar Tree's selection of snacks, which I found to be the most impressive part of the store.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Some were things I had never seen before, such as these fruit snacks flavored like an Arnold Palmer.

Alex Bitter/Insider

There were also lots of well-established brands, such as this orange soda from Faygo, which traces its roots over a century ago to Michigan.

Alex Bitter/Insider

In general, the shelves seemed well-stocked. I wouldn't have a problem stocking my pantry at a store like this.

Alex Bitter/Insider

And unlike some Dollar General stores that I've reported on, the aisles were free of any boxes, unpacked merchandise, or other obstructions.

Alex Bitter/Insider

I ended up buying a few snacks and drinks as well as this pack of plastic food containers.

Alex Bitter/Insider

This Dollar Tree also had a wide selection of crafting and wrapping supplies, such as these gift bags.

Alex Bitter/Insider

I'm not a regular shopper at craft stores like Michael's, but this could be a money-saving alternative to those chains, depending on what you need.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Overall, it was a fine experience. I found something that I needed for my kitchen, and I was impressed by the snack selection.

Alex Bitter/Insider

My next stop was Dollar General. This store was also in Waldorf, though it was a few miles down the road from the Dollar Tree and is a stand-alone location instead of being part of a mall.

Alex Bitter/Insider

My next stop was Dollar General. This store was also in Waldorf, though it was a few miles down the road from the Dollar Tree and is a stand-alone location instead of being part of a mall.

This store reminded me of pictures that shoppers and workers had sent me before. I saw unpacked merchandise blocked many of the aisles, and what was on the shelves was often a mess.

Alex Bitter/Insider

This store reminded me of pictures that shoppers and workers had sent me before. I saw unpacked merchandise blocked many of the aisles, and what was on the shelves was often a mess.

Grey plastic totes used to ship inventory from Dollar General distribution centers sat overflowing — or, in this case, on top of — the stuff that was actually for sale.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Grey plastic totes used to ship inventory from Dollar General distribution centers sat overflowing — or, in this case, on top of — the stuff that was actually for sale.

I visited this store in the early afternoon, and there appeared to be just one employee on duty. They were dividing their time between stocking shelves and ringing up customers at the register.

Alex Bitter/Insider

I visited this store in the early afternoon, and there appeared to be just one employee on duty. They were dividing their time between stocking shelves and ringing up customers at the register.

The boxes of unpacked merchandise blocked many of the shelves, making it hard to get a full picture of the merchandise that this store offered.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Some sections were relatively more tidy and well-stocked, such as this cooler containing milk and juice.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Other sections, such as this selection of school supplies, appeared simultaneously messy and understocked.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Outside, I found rolltainers that were mostly full of cardboard boxes.

Alex Bitter/Insider

In between some of the rolltainers, I found jugs of milk and other dairy products that appeared to have sat out of refrigeration for too long and spoiled.

Alex Bitter/Insider

It clearly wasn't for sale anymore, but I wondered what had happened to it before it was thrown out, especially since it appeared to be well past its sell-by date.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Overall, the store was just too chaotic to shop at. Unless it was my only option, I wouldn't go there.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Fortunately, Dollar General is far from the only shopping option in Waldorf. There's a Food Lion less than a mile away, for instance.

Alex Bitter/Insider

And just half a mile in the same direction is this Family Dollar store, where I stopped next.

Alex Bitter/Insider

As I walked in, an employee greeted me and said "Welcome to Family Dollar." That didn't happen at either of the two stores that I visited previously.

Alex Bitter/Insider

The store was a sharp contrast with the Dollar General I visited. The shelves were well-stocked, and the aisles were clear of boxes and inventory waiting to be unpacked.

Alex Bitter/Insider

The store was a sharp contrast with the Dollar General I visited. The shelves were well-stocked, and the aisles were clear of boxes and inventory waiting to be unpacked.

The range of grocery items was similar to Dollar General and Dollar Tree. There still wasn't any fresh produce, but items like milk were available.

Alex Bitter/Insider

There were also lots of store-brand imitators of brand-name products, such as these "Pop-Ups."

Alex Bitter/Insider

Like Dollar Tree, this store also had boxes of Flow water and other upstart food brands.

Alex Bitter/Insider

But that selection comes at a price — literally. Many of the products at Family Dollar are far too expensive for a store like Dollar Tree to carry for just $1.25.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Family Dollar had a selection of name-brand baby diapers, for example, which were on sale at two packs for $19.

Alex Bitter/Insider

In that sense, the Family Dollar store I visited felt like a mini-Big Box store, or the small-format stores that Target has opened in many urban areas.

Alex Bitter/Insider

Overall, the dollar stores I visited seemed best for packaged foods and random household goods, such as the food containers that I bought at Dollar Tree.

Alex Bitter/Insider

If I lived in a community that had all three stores and had to pick between them, I'd probably shop at Family Dollar. The store was clean, the staff was friendly, and the selection of products seemed to be widest, although it was the priciest.

Insider visited Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree stores in Maryland to compare the chains.Alex Bitter/Insider

If I lived in a community that had all three stores and had to pick between them, I'd probably shop at Family Dollar. The store was clean, the staff was friendly, and the selection of products seemed to be widest, although it was the priciest.

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I compared Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar and found one messy, one pricey, and one that was just right for stocking up on snacks

My first stop was a Dollar Tree store at a mall in Waldorf, Maryland.

There was a wide variety of stuff inside, and it was almost all neat and tidy.

One thing I noticed right away: Dollar Tree sticks closely to its $1.25 price point for most items. Other dollar stores carry higher-priced items, as I'd soon learn. After I visited, Dollar Tree announced it would be raising prices on some items.

Like most dollar stores, there wasn't any fresh produce, but there was a wide range of frozen and packaged foods.

Startup brands like Flow water were well-represented on Dollar Tree's shelves.

Signage above the food section called attention to Dollar Tree's selection of snacks, which I found to be the most impressive part of the store.

Some were things I had never seen before, such as these fruit snacks flavored like an Arnold Palmer.

There were also lots of well-established brands, such as this orange soda from Faygo, which traces its roots over a century ago to Michigan.

In general, the shelves seemed well-stocked. I wouldn't have a problem stocking my pantry at a store like this.

And unlike some Dollar General stores that I've reported on, the aisles were free of any boxes, unpacked merchandise, or other obstructions.

I ended up buying a few snacks and drinks as well as this pack of plastic food containers.

This Dollar Tree also had a wide selection of crafting and wrapping supplies, such as these gift bags.

I'm not a regular shopper at craft stores like Michael's, but this could be a money-saving alternative to those chains, depending on what you need.

Overall, it was a fine experience. I found something that I needed for my kitchen, and I was impressed by the snack selection.

My next stop was Dollar General. This store was also in Waldorf, though it was a few miles down the road from the Dollar Tree and is a stand-alone location instead of being part of a mall.

This store reminded me of pictures that shoppers and workers had sent me before. I saw unpacked merchandise blocked many of the aisles, and what was on the shelves was often a mess.

Grey plastic totes used to ship inventory from Dollar General distribution centers sat overflowing — or, in this case, on top of — the stuff that was actually for sale.

I visited this store in the early afternoon, and there appeared to be just one employee on duty. They were dividing their time between stocking shelves and ringing up customers at the register.

The boxes of unpacked merchandise blocked many of the shelves, making it hard to get a full picture of the merchandise that this store offered.

Some sections were relatively more tidy and well-stocked, such as this cooler containing milk and juice.

Other sections, such as this selection of school supplies, appeared simultaneously messy and understocked.

Outside, I found rolltainers that were mostly full of cardboard boxes.

In between some of the rolltainers, I found jugs of milk and other dairy products that appeared to have sat out of refrigeration for too long and spoiled.

It clearly wasn't for sale anymore, but I wondered what had happened to it before it was thrown out, especially since it appeared to be well past its sell-by date.

Overall, the store was just too chaotic to shop at. Unless it was my only option, I wouldn't go there.

Fortunately, Dollar General is far from the only shopping option in Waldorf. There's a Food Lion less than a mile away, for instance.

And just half a mile in the same direction is this Family Dollar store, where I stopped next.

As I walked in, an employee greeted me and said "Welcome to Family Dollar." That didn't happen at either of the two stores that I visited previously.

The store was a sharp contrast with the Dollar General I visited. The shelves were well-stocked, and the aisles were clear of boxes and inventory waiting to be unpacked.

The range of grocery items was similar to Dollar General and Dollar Tree. There still wasn't any fresh produce, but items like milk were available.

There were also lots of store-brand imitators of brand-name products, such as these "Pop-Ups."

Like Dollar Tree, this store also had boxes of Flow water and other upstart food brands.

But that selection comes at a price — literally. Many of the products at Family Dollar are far too expensive for a store like Dollar Tree to carry for just $1.25.

Family Dollar had a selection of name-brand baby diapers, for example, which were on sale at two packs for $19.

In that sense, the Family Dollar store I visited felt like a mini-Big Box store, or the small-format stores that Target has opened in many urban areas.

Overall, the dollar stores I visited seemed best for packaged foods and random household goods, such as the food containers that I bought at Dollar Tree.

If I lived in a community that had all three stores and had to pick between them, I'd probably shop at Family Dollar. The store was clean, the staff was friendly, and the selection of products seemed to be widest, although it was the priciest.