When you see a dollar store, odds are that: - it is newly built. Building a dollar store is a fairly cheap way to raise the value of undeveloped land so some l

When you see a dollar store, odds are that: - it is newly built. Building a dollar store is a fairly cheap way to raise the value of undeveloped land so some land owners use them as an exit strategy for declining communities. - likely in an odd location, compared to other stores. The developers asked an inexperienced city council to rezone non-commercial land to approve the new build. Dollar stores wouldn't be as much of an issue if they leased existing commercial space but this rarely happens. Sub-optimal land usage can lower the chances of a depressed community from ever rebounding.