Overview

• The share of household calories from dollar-store purchases nearly doubled from 3.4% to 6.5% between 2008 and 2020.
• Despite lower average healthfulness of dollar-store items, households compensate by buying healthier foods elsewhere, leaving overall diet quality largely unchanged.
• Frequent dollar-store shoppers still source more than 90% of their at-home calories from other retail outlets.
• The study omits fresh produce, meats and away-from-home meals, limiting conclusions about total dietary intake.
• Authors caution that local expansion bans are unlikely to boost nutrition without ensuring affordable healthy alternatives.