These kinds of establishments tend to run off their local competition with cheap, low-quality items, leaving themselves as one of (if not the only) source of necessities in these communities. Louisville Councilwoman Barbara Shanklin, representative of District 2, stated in an email, “I have been concerned about the proliferation of dollar stores in low-income communities for many years now. Most edible items at dollar stores consist of unhealthy options such as Lunchables, chips, soda, macaroni and cheese and egg scramble kits. They only offer frozen meals or frozen, processed meat such as bacon, hot dogs, beef tips, sausage links, and deli meats such as salami, ham, and turkey. Upon asking if they knew of any area dollar stores that sell fresh produce, I was told no. However, when I called different dollar stores in the West End, I was told that they did not sell any fresh meat or produce. The Dollar store website claims to offer fresh produce such as bananas, oranges, lemons, salad, broccoli, asparagus, and onions as well as staples such as milk, eggs, orange juice, and yogurt. However, as I discovered this was certainly not the case in Louisville. More: How school meals fight hunger and create a sense of community for Kentucky kidsĭollar General announced in March 2019 that it would be distributing fresh foods to as many as 5,000 stores nationwide by the end of 2019 and chain-wide in three to four years. It is ironic that a company that roots itself in predominantly Black neighborhoods denies employment to those same individuals.Īdditionally, the presence of dollar stores deters groceries and other businesses from entering the market. Dollar stores tend to employ fewer employees than independent grocery stores and typically offer no fresh produce, and just a small selection of manufactured foods. According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Dollar General violated federal law by denying employment to Black applicants at a significantly higher rate than white applicants. In 2019, Dollar General paid $6 million to settle a class race discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Studies found that around 57% of Dollar General’s business comes from households with less than $49,900 in annual income. These stores are not a byproduct of economic and social distress, but are a cause of it, taking advantage of the surrounding economic hardship and attempting to capitalize on it while further perpetuating food insecurities. The neighborhoods are Portland being 49.1%, California being 81.6%, Park Hill being 78.7%, and Shawnee being 83.5% predominantly Black/African American. Most dollar stores in Louisville reside in predominantly Black neighborhoods where household income is low. The brands Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree comprise most of these stores. Louisville has 28 dollar stores operated by the three major brands within its city limits, and a total of 83 across the metro region. Kentucky ranks sixth in the number of dollar stores per capita. The absence of grocery stores coupled with the proliferation of dollar stores contributes significantly to this endemic. Across Louisville, more than 120,000 people are living with food insecurity.
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