The real reason dollar store food is so cheap Joe Raedle/Getty Images BY JOEL STICE Everybody likes a bargain and in this day and age, it's hard to beat the price of just $1 (or a few dollars, in some cases). Prior to the 2008 recession, dollar stores were around, but they were hardly go-to shopping destinations for the masses. In the decade since, however, dollar stores have skyrocketed in popularity and are becoming a grocery shopping destination. Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or Family Dollar might not be your first choice to go grocery shopping, but again... how can you argue with those bottom-barrel prices? The big question concerning the food at dollar stores is how they are able to sell it for so cheap and still turn a profit — especially when the cost of everything else these days seems to only be going up. The answer to that question is a calculated formula that dollar stores have devised, that starts with the physical location and size of their stores and trickles all the way down to what they choose to carry, and how they purchase it. Read More: https://www.mashed.com/165989/the-real-reason-dollar-store-food-is-so-cheap/?utm_campaign=clip