With the outbreak of COVID-19, retailers have worked hard to adapt by making their stores as safe and convenient as possible for consumers. In the limited-assortment stores category, drug stores and discount retailers are finding where they fit in this eCommerce evolution.

The discount retailer channel generated $87.4 billion in sales at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4 percent.

Dollar and limited-assortment stores are upgrading their offerings and allowing consumers to “save that money” when shopping for consumables.

Limited-assortment stores, dollar stores and supercenters are the fastest-growing segments of the brick-and-mortar retail food industry.

To celebrate and honor members of the military, Dollar General and The Coca-Cola Co.’s flagship brand released a new Share a Coke patriotic can series honoring service members, veterans and their families, the companies say.

As today’s consumers spend their dollars across more channels and store formats, retailers are facing increased competition for dollar share, experts note. Despite this fact, the overall discount retail channel performed “quite well” last year as dollar stores drove growth of nearly 7 percent, notes Jon Hauptman, senior director of retail at Long Grove, Ill.-based Willard Bishop Co., an Inmar analytics company.

Euromonitor International, Chicago, released new retailing industry data alongside its report: “What’s New in Retail: Emerging Global Concepts.” The new research showcases how the rise of omnichannel and demand for convenience are boosting innovation within the retail landscape, the market research firm says.

Between 2010 and 2015, high unemployment, stagnant disposable income, volatile energy costs and a changing mass-market perception of dollar stores contributed to a 3.3 percent growth rate, $66.7 billion in revenue and a $2.6 billion profit for the channel, according to IBISWorld’s September 2015 report titled “Dollar & Variety Stores in the US.”

During the recession, the countercyclical discount retail channel experienced years of growth, even to the point of becoming one of the fastest-growing retail channels during the time period, according to “Dollar & Variety Stores in the US,” an April 2014 report by IBISWorld.

Although discount retailers offer a wide variety of products for one-stop shopping at an affordable price, it’s their consumables selections that having been boosting sales, albeit indirectly.