Schizophrenic split at retail means deals for the price conscious

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: There’s a split in the retail landscape between discount stores and luxury retailers that can benefit you if you’re a price-sensitive consumer.

After almost 10 consecutive quarters of drops in same store sales, Wal-Mart has righted the ship and is again looking to reclaim its mojo as the place to go for deals. The nation’s largest retailer is willing to sacrifice margin on a lot of items to sell more of them. That means deals for you!

At the same time, sales at luxury stores are booming because the wealthy are no longer paralyzed with fear about spending. “Full-price selling is at record levels,” a big wig from Saks Fifth Avenue told The New York Times. “We’re now in a less promotional environment than we were before the recession.”

Meanwhile, Family Dollar is now going into California, the same state that was trying to make it difficult for Wal-Mart to open any stores. Expect them to slip in under the radar in the Golden State with no problem.

Both Family Dollar and Dollar General price a majority of their items at $1, but also offer some merchandise at higher price points. So they’re not true dollar stores. Dollar Tree and the 99-Cent Only chain, on the other hand, are both true dollar stores where everything is $1, no exceptions.

I love these kinds of stores especially for household items. If you are trying to stretch a buck and you’ve never tried these kinds of stores, give them a shot.