For Dollar Tree The Buck Stops Here

For Dollar Tree The Buck Stops Here

A quarter for your thoughts. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) If you think inflation, supply chain problems and increased demand by American consumers for just about everything is only made-up, Dollar Tree made it official this week: it will raise the price of most of its merchandise to $1. 25 by next April. But before you get crazy about the end of an era, consider that this is not the first time a retail chain defined by its pricing structure has had to make changes in its strategy. More on that in a minute. But for Dollar Tree, with more than 7, 800 locations under its brand (it also owns Family Dollar which has an additional 8, 000 or so stores), the move was seemingly in reaction to all of the above, which in the context of the current economic and retail climate seemed inevitable. But Dollar Tree went to great pains not to directly put the blame on those factors, saying the move was "not a reaction to short-term or transitory market conditions." Instead, it said this allowed the chain more options in its merchandising mix, including bringing back "favorites" that had been priced out of the current pricing