@Gusman There’s a lot of products in Dollar Trees here that are $5 now. It’s rare to find anything for $1, they raised the basic price to $1.25 and plan on raising it to $1.75 in October.

@Heartlander Shades of Venezuela.

@TheOneyouwerewarnedabout Expand your thinking. I believe this could be a good opportunity for mom-and-pop very small businesses. Put the powerful corrupted corporations under in various ways and let a couple start up food stands instead of corporate fast food places, ,businesses such as tiny small corner stores for basic groceries & cleaning & laundry essentials like is common some other countries could help with the lack of Dollar stores. I saw a lot of them in populated areas in Morocco. Customers have to ask for the things they want because there is a tall counter keeping them out of those tiny stores. Some items like snacks and sweets displayed behind glass cases under the counters. No need to pay anyone else $20 per hour and benefits such as workman’s comp
Insurance and the demand will be there. Also stop with the self- employment tax entirely. It has given unfair advantages to corporations when small business owners are heavily taxed. Give the police the power to handle shoplifters and business owners the right to protect their businesses with deadly force if need be. I am old enough to remember those mom and pop stores here mostly family run and the tiny food stalls. The food was great compared to fast food these days and small stores offered better services **** Also there is a plan in place to do away with the IRS and have a straight tax on new goods. Groceries are supposed to be non-taxed used goods if sold by individuals. Bartering may become a lot more common with used goods as well. Babylon is burning.

@4meAndyou Did that number include Family Dollar? I heard they would close down. There’s one maybe 8 blocks from here and it smelled like a dirty ashtray inside the one time I went there.

@cherokeepatti Nope. Just Dollar Twenty Five Tree.

@DeWayfarer Yeah Walmart started gradually adding foreign-made items back in the early 90’s. I’d see clothing tags that had red, white, and blue and the company name would have America or USA in it. But read the finer print on the label and they were made in Pakistan or China. I remember when Sam Walton was still alive that they’d get some merchandise being crafted in Oklahoma and have racks of it near the cash registers to help promote it…hair bows and decorated barrettes etc. back when they were popular here was just one of those small companies that got the business.

@NativePortlander1970 doubtful and I imagine other chains will do the same