Family Dollar: Please Come Again (for Beer and Wine)

The U.S. economy remains brutal on Family Dollar’s core, low-income customers, who have been making fewer trips there and spending less money. The dollar-store chain has been stocking up on grocery items to spur more business, which, in turn, is expected to boost the overall average sales ticket per trip as people tend to grab a few extra items.

The latest permutation of this strategy is a staple many of us won’t live without: beer and wine. Family Dollar has been experimenting with selling alcohol at about 200 stores this summer, and the results have been strong enough for nationwide expansion of beer and wine sales.