A new study from Tufts University reveals that although dollar stores sell less nutritious food, American families manage to maintain a balanced diet by purchasing healthier items elsewhere.
Using dollar stores for grocery shopping is a common practice among Americans, especially those looking to save money, according to researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine, the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and the USDA Economic Research Service. Their multi-year study, published n the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, examines the impact of dollar stores on American diets.
The study analyzed food purchases from 180,000 households across the United States between 2008 and 2020. Leveraging the USDA’s Economic Research Service’s Purchase to Plate Crosswalk tool, the researchers were able to estimate the dietary quality of these purchases.
Calories from dollar store items have nearly doubled, increasing from 3.4% to 6.5% of household food purchases, with a notable rise among lower-income families and those led by people of color.
However, households still obtain the majority of their calories from other outlets, averaging over 90% from grocery and club stores.
“The literature suggests that people go to different types of stores for different reasons and the dollar store is one that people choose because of the price advantage,” first author Wenhui Feng, the Tufts Health Plan Professor of Health Care Policy Research and an assistant professor of public health and community medicine at the School of Medicine, said in a news release. “There are a lot of concerns that foods on dollar store shelves are less healthy, but what’s on the shelf does not equal what each household takes home. Our study looks at how healthy the foods purchased in dollar stores are and compares that with the healthfulness of each household’s overall food purchases.”
Dollar stores, having rapidly expanded to over 37,000 locations nationwide, particularly in the South and rural areas, have transformed the retail landscape. While these stores offer a variety of products including high-calorie, low-nutrient packaged foods, only a small number carry fresh produce or meats.
Despite concerns about the public health implications of their food offerings, competition with local businesses, and security challenges due to reported understaffing, there remains a need for more comprehensive research on their impact. Some local governments have imposed policies to limit their expansion, yet the effectiveness of these measures is still uncertain.
The study confirms that food items from dollar stores are less healthy compared to those from other retailers. However, grocery stores still account for 55% of households’ non-restaurant calories, with club stores contributing another 22%.
“Some people seem to be going to dollar stores strategically to buy sweets and snacks, along with other packaged foods,” added senior author Sean Cash, the Bergstrom Foundation Professor in Global Nutrition and chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Friedman School. “We need more data on the real effects of dollar stores on healthy eating as some communities may be putting the policy cart before the horse.”
Source: Tufts University