Maine Dollar Tree Locations Raise Their Max Priced Items to $7

I'm old enough to remember the OG dollar stores.

Today, there's a bunch of stores that all have "dollar" in their name. But when I was a younger man, there were actually dollar stores where everything was literally a buck. You didn't go in looking for grand pianos... You went in looking for pipe cleaners and balloons for science projects and birthday parties.

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These days, having dollar in your name just implies that there are some great deals to be had, on a variety of things you may need. Think of them as either mini-Walmarts, or oversized convenience stores. Dog food, bathing suits, small tool sets... There's a little of everything. Just nothing for a dollar, seemingly.

Maine Dollar Tree stores are upping their game.

There's a lot more competition among these smaller stores, than ever. Some are surging across the country, like Dollar General. Or some are closing tons of stores around the country, Like Family Dollar. Family Dollar is owned by the same company as Dollar Tree, so it gets a little fuzzy there, keeping them straight.

But Dollar Tree announced they're expanding their inventory, and now the max price on their items will move from $5, to $7. This is an effort to offer more variety, but likely to also make them a bit more competitive against super saver super stars like Dollar General.

Why the change?

The chain says that incomes are trending higher, so they're trying to capitalize on that by offering some higher priced items, like pet food and personal care items, according to WABI. If people are making more money, the hope is that the increased product line will make people spend more money in their stores.

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There's no clear indication if this change is immediate, or will be phased in. But it's definitely happening. Hopefully this will help the corporation out. As they raise prices in Dollar Trees, 1000 Family Dollar locations will close nationwide. Consolidation is cool, but usually what comes next... is more consolidation.

This will cost you more than a dollar, but it's still a great deal...