Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have tried living together, and it turns out they like it. These two discount retailers have been part of the same company since 2015, but now they’re starting to share buildings — forming Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combo stores, which you might have seen around your town. But how do these combo stores work? And how much does everything cost?
As rival Dollar General makes big moves with their PopShelf store concept, plans for a lot more Dollar Tree and Family Dollar combo stores are underway. Here’s what you need to know.
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If you have a combo store, you can get seasonal Dollar Tree items inside your local Family Dollar.
Even though Family Dollar and Dollar Tree are both owned by the same company, Family Dollar stores haven’t shared the same “everything’s $1.25” fixed price point as Dollar Tree stores do.
But inside the combo stores, you can get both the low-priced everyday items from Family Dollar (typically $1 – $10) as well as the rotating and seasonal $1.25 offerings from Dollar Tree. As if we needed another reason to shop at Family Dollar stores!
And in case you’re curious like I was — there’s no dividing wall inside the combo stores. The aisles are intermixed, with some sporting the green Dollar Tree signage and others clearly identifying the red and orange Family Dollar sections.
TIP: Dollar Tree announced they were raising their prices to $1.25 back in 2021, but now we’re noticing quite a few Dollar Tree $1 rollback prices in our stores (for things like spices and canned goods).
Where are the combo stores located?
If you live in a town with a population of 3,000 – 4,000, then chances are good that there is a combo store near you, per their website page. Which brings me to my next tip ….
Family Dollar currently has 810 combo stores, with plans to open hundreds more.
Family Dollar first announced the new combo store concept in 2019, and by the end of 2022, they’d already opened around 810 combo stores. Chances are good that when the fiscal year ends in 2023, we will hear that they’ve added hundreds more.
The company started with this concept in smaller, rural areas, but it’s been so successful that they plan to carry the idea into larger cities in the coming years.
Why combine both into one store?
It turns out that these two stores have slightly different target demographics. The Family Dollar chain has largely served as a discount store in underserved communities that don’t have a lot of other shopping options, while Dollar Tree stores emphasize the “thrill of the hunt” aspect of shopping at a discount store.
So, the cross-pollination of the two stores allows the parent company that owns both Dollar Tree and Family Dollar to reach a wide range of shoppers.
The combo stores don’t take Dollar Tree gift cards — yet.
Dollar Tree and Family Dollar customers have been waiting for the stores to accept each other’s gift cards — the way Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta do — but they’ll have to wait a little longer.
I recently spoke with a combo store employee in Texas, and the company is still working on accepting Dollar Tree gift cards in the co-branded locations, with no target date in sight.
When that finally happens, expect to see Dollar Tree gift cards work at Family Dollar stores nationwide, and vice versa.
A Quick Refresher on How to Save at Family Dollar
1. Download the Family Dollar app to get Smart Coupons (aka digital manufacturer coupons).
The Family Dollar app (download for iOS / Android) is where you get access to Smart Coupons, which are typically manufacturer coupons. Just know that you can’t stack a Smart Coupon with a paper manufacturer coupon.
2. Stack Family Dollar store coupons with manufacturer coupons for more savings.
These store coupons are usually dollar-off coupons like “$5 off a $25 purchase,” and they work on purchases storewide, so you can stack them with Smart Coupons and manufacturer savings.
3. Combine Family Dollar Smart Coupons with rebate app offers.
You can also stack Smart Coupons with savings from cash-back rebate apps like Ibotta. Since you receive cash back after your purchase with the Ibotta app, it’s totally legit to stack those savings.
Review These Tips for How to Save at Dollar Tree
1. Use manufacturer coupons to get items for dirt cheap, possibly even free.
If you have a manufacturer coupon that’s for $1 or $1.50 off, you can get Dollar Tree items for pennies, or even free. Just make sure the product size qualifies based on the coupon fine print, since Dollar Tree items are often different sizes than what you’d find in a traditional store.
2. Shop Dollar Tree after a major holiday to get up to 50% savings.
Another way to get super cheap Dollar Tree stuff is to shop after a holiday. You can repurpose so much of what you buy, or save it for next year.
3. Dollar Tree doesn’t offer refunds, only exchanges.
Be sure to factor this in when you make a purchase.
Related: Get more ideas for saving money at Dollar Tree.
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