Note the other stores mentioned: Walmart, Target and Costco--all discount stores. When you compare prices to convenience stores or drug stores the Dollar Stores are much cheaper.
And when you look at Walmart, Target and Costco remember time is money. And it takes significantly longer to shop at Walmart, Target and Costco (the long walks to and from your car, the long walk in the store itself, the waits at the cashiers).
How often are people going to Walmart/Target/Costco that walking time is a material factor?
I make weekly Costco runs and my total time car door back to car door is 15 minutes or less. I just order for pickup at Target, but even if I had to find the item, I can just see what aisle the product is in in the app and grab it and go within 10 minutes easy.
On the other hand, Dollar Tree or Dollar General is probably only budgeting 1 person for the staff, maybe 2 and so there is at most 1 register open 90% of the time. So you have a high probability of spending minutes just waiting in the checkout line. At Walmart/Target/Costco, you have self checkout and at Costco you have super fast staff at checkout with many lines open such that the lines are always moving quickly.
There's absolutely a difference. Going to Costco is a monumental hassle compared to Dollar General. They have few locations so for most people it's a farther drive. There's a line of cars snaking around the place waiting to buy gas. The parking lot is huge and I have to walk through it. Once inside, I have to pass the giant-screen TVs and half a warehouse of rarely-purchased items before I get to the food. All the food is in huge units. Often the lines at checkout are extremely long, and then there's another line to have my receipt checked before I get out. Then I have to load the stuff into my car - they don't bag it. Oh - and I paid a membership fee to experience all this!
Dollar General has many multiples more locations, and I can park right in front of the door. I'm in Costco every week and it's fine but yes, that walking time combined with everything else is definitely a factor.
I’d say it’s less about “time is money” and more about “I can afford 100 diapers with this week‘s pay check at 25 cents a diaper” and use my entire $25 budget if I go to Walmart, or “I can afford 25 diapers at 50 cents a piece and spend the remaining $12.50 on food - that will get me through this week” if I go to dollar general.
That’s literally the definition of living pay check to pay check - one’s outlook only cares about the next week or two, because you have to make trade offs between food, clothing, shelter, and essentials.
Is Target a discount store? It’s not Whole Foods, but I always heard it was a high-end Walmart. Costco is also known for really good quality, though the prices are still cheap.
And when you look at Walmart, Target and Costco remember time is money. And it takes significantly longer to shop at Walmart, Target and Costco (the long walks to and from your car, the long walk in the store itself, the waits at the cashiers).