Family Dollars are looking more like grocery stores but without the mega selection. Locations for these discount stores in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas recently have been redesigned and stocked with wider food selections. They now sell milk, eggs and other refrigerated items. And many of the stores have additional varieties of quick preparation meals, such as more spaghetti and spaghetti sauce options, said Josh Braverman, a spokesman for Family Dollar. The changes are a push by this North Carolina-based discount retailer to appeal to consumers who are looking for convenience and basic goods, from paper products to certain foods. “In looking at how the economy has evolved since last October or November, we really put a focus on those consumable goods that people use every day,” Braverman said. For customers heading to the stores for quick trips, Family Dollars have shifted the placement of certain products to complement others, such as selling plates near the food section, Braverman said. The stores also now are accepting different electronic payments, including credit and debit cards and electronic benefit food stamps. And Family Dollar even is following environmental trends. Tomorrow as part of a celebration of its new look, its area stores, including six in the Roanoke Valley, will give away reusable grocery bags to the first 100 customers. Also, the first 50 people will receive $5 gift certificates. Certain stores ...
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Family Dollars are looking more like grocery stores but without the mega selection. Locations for these discount stores in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas recently have been redesigned and stocked with wider food selections. They now sell milk, eggs and other refrigerated items. And many of the stores have additional varieties of quick preparation meals, such as more spaghetti and spaghetti sauce options, said Josh Braverman, a spokesman for Family Dollar. The changes are a push by this North Carolina-based discount retailer to appeal to consumers who are looking for convenience and basic goods, from paper products to certain foods. “In looking at how the economy has evolved since last October or November, we really put a focus on those consumable goods that people use every day,” Braverman said. For customers heading to the stores for quick trips, Family Dollars have shifted the placement of certain products to complement others, such as selling plates near the food section, Braverman said. The stores also now are accepting different electronic payments, including credit and debit cards and electronic benefit food stamps. And Family Dollar even is following environmental trends. Tomorrow as part of a celebration of its new look, its area stores, including six in the Roanoke Valley, will give away reusable grocery bags to the first 100 customers. Also, the first 50 people will receive $5 gift certificates. Certain stores ...