Discount store
![]() | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (April 2021) |
Discount stores offer a retail format in which products are sold at prices that are in principle lower than an actual or supposed "full retail price". Discounters rely on bulk purchasing and efficient distribution to keep down costs.[1]
Types (United States)
Discount stores in the United States may be classified into different types:
Hypermarkets (superstores)
Discount
Category killers
So-called category killer stores, specialize in one type of merchandise and sell it in big-box stores. Examples include:
- Apparel: Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, Burlington, etc.
- Pet supplies: Petco, PetSmart
- Home furnishings and accessories: Big Lots, HomeGoods
- Office supplies: Staples, Office Depot, OfficeMax
Warehouse clubs
When membership is required, discount superstores are known as
Discount grocery store
Major discount
Variety stores, dollar stores, five and dimes
History
United States
During the period from the 1950s to the late 1980s, discount stores were more popular than the average
During the late 1970s and the 1980s, these chains typically were either shut down or sold to a larger competitor. Kmart and Target themselves are examples of adjuncts, although their growth prompted their respective parent companies to abandon their older concepts (the
In the United States, discount stores had 42% of the overall retail market share in 1987; in 2010, they had 87%.[7]
Many of the major discounters now operate "
Canada
In 2011, Marshalls, owned by the American TJX Companies, entered Canada, and Zellers sold most of its stores to Target. Target Canada filed for bankruptcy in 2015, selling its stores to Walmart, Lowe's and Canadian Tire.
In 2016, the Hudson's Bay Company started opening Saks Off 5th locations to sell off-price brands. American off-price chain Nordstrom Rack opened its first Canadian location in Vaughan Mills in 2018.
- Food Basics discount supermarket.
- No frills discount supermarket.
Multinationals
By country
Outside the United States and Canada, the main discount store chains listed by country are as follows:
Australia
- Aldi
- Big W owned by Woolworths Group
- Target owned by Wesfarmers
- Harris Scarfe owned by Spotlight Group
- The Reject Shop
- Cheap as Chips, Dollars and Sense, Shiploads, Red Dot.
Albania
- Diambe Market
Argentina
- Dia
Austria
Angola
- Usave
Belgium
Botswana
- Usave
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
- Dia (supermarket chain)
Bulgaria
- Lidl
- Kam Market
Chile
- Superbodega acuenta
China
Colombia
- Tiendas D1
- ARA (Jerónimo Martins)
- Dollarcity
- Ísimo, formerly Justo Y Bueno
Costa Rica
- Pali
- Pequeno Mundo
Croatia
- Eurospin
- Lidl
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Greece
Guatemala
- Super del Barrio
- Despensa Familiar
- Dollar City
- Econo Super
Ecuador
- Tiendas Tuti
Egypt
- BIM
El Salvador
- Despensa Familiar
- Dollar City
Estonia
Eswatini
- Usave
- Boxer superstores
Finland

- Lidl
- HalpaHalli
- Kärkkäinen
- Puuilo
- Tokmanni
Germany
Major chains of discount supermarkets in Germany are
.Honduras
- Despensa Familiar
Latvia
Hungary
Ireland
Kenya
- Jaza Discount
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Italy
Italy has numerous discount supermarkets, including Lidl and EuroSpin, the chains with the largest number of stores,[citation needed] and Aldi, Discount Dial, Dpiù, MD Discount, Penny, Todis and Tuodì.
Japan
Japan has numerous discount stores, including
Malaysia
- Eco-shop
- Mr Dollar
Malta
- Eurospin
- Lidl
Malawi
- Usave
Mexico
- Tiendas Neto
- Tiendas 3B
- Superissste
- Waldo's
- Bodega Aurrera
- PesoRama (JOi Dollar Plus stores)
Lesotho
- Usave
Morocco
- BIM
Mozambique
- Usave
Namibia
- Usave
Netherlands
New Zealand
- PAKnSAVE
North Macedonia
- KAM Market
- Market Kipper
- Stokomak
- Lidi
Norway
Nicaragua
- Despensa Familiar
Peru
- Tiendas Mass
- DollarCity
Philippines
- Dali Everyday Grocery
- O!Save
Poland

Discount supermarkets cover about 30% of food sales in Poland. Main chains include
Portugal
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Dia (supermarket chain)
- Plus sold to Jerónimo Martins
Netto converted into Intermarché
Panama
- El Machetazo
Romania
- lidl
- Penny
Russia
- 365+
- Chizhik
- Dobrocen
- Dixy
- Fix Price
- Moya Tsena
- Nizkotsen
- Pervy Vybor
- Pobeda
- Svetofor
- Mayak (larger stores)
Former
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
- Wellsave
- Devland Hyper
- Foodeez
- Looters Slashed price warehouse
- Usave
- Boxer Superstores
- Deals Superstores
Spain
Sweden
- Biltema
- DollarStore owned by Tokmanni
- Lidl
- Rusta
- ÖoB
Switzerland
Turkey
- A101
- BİM[8]
- BİM
- Hakmar Express owned by Hakmar
- Şok owned by Yıldız Holding
Ukraine
- ATB
United Kingdom
Venezuela
- Tiendas Ovejita
- Tiendas Daka
See also
- Charity shop
- five and dime, variety store)
- Everyday low price
- Flea market
- Garage sale
- Hypermarket
- Jumble sale
- No frills
- Types of retail outlets
- Warehouse club
References
- ISBN 978-1133171904.
- ^ "Walmart, Target, Kmart, Kohl's Lead 50 Years of Retail Revolution". adage.com. March 19, 2012.
- ^ "Kmart History | Kmart | About Us | Transformco". transformco.com.
- ^ "What is Lidl? Why this discount grocery store is giving Aldi a run for its money". TODAY.com. 18 June 2020.
- ^ "¤ Aldi | Handelsdaten". Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
- ^ Arkansas, Encyclopedia of. "Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- '^ "America's top stores." Consumer Reports, June 2010, p. 17.
- ^ "Bim A.Ş. > Welcome..." english.bim.com.tr. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
Further reading
- Nelson, Walter Henry, The Great Discount Delusion, New York: D. McKay, 1965.