DEAR EDITOR:

I disagree with waivers sought to allow sale of alcoholic beverages in four Youngstown-area Family Dollar stores.

The “dollar store” is becoming a common feature in urban neighborhoods. Their patrons, who usually live nearby, are often a mother with children in tow, youth, seniors or bargain hunters. These patrons do not need to share store aisles and checkout lines with largely in-and-out purchasers of alcohol.

Can these stores handle increased traffic and workload? Family Dollar sometimes staffs only two employees in a unit, and one is often in stock areas. Youngstown police Chief Robin Lees reports that shoplifting and robbery are already a recurring reality in dollar stores.

Problems that might apply to alcohol clientele, in addition to shoplifting and robbery, could be image, hygiene and now, exposure. Certainly, there will be regular patron inconvenience.

The dollar store is a uniquely American phenomenon. I appreciate The Vindicator’s detailed overview of the waiver request.

Forbes magazine reports last year that combined, Dollar Tree and Dollar General have more stores than the six largest department / grocery store chains — starting with Walmart, Costco and Kroger.

Family Dollar is Dollar Tree’s “upscale” dollar store. You won’t find much for a dollar. You will find product variety, including household, health, clothing, dry grocery, lawn and garden, pet, gift, and anything else you might cram into a variety store.

A recent count reveals 15,115 Dollar Trees in 48 states. Dollar General also counts over 15,000 stores, and Family Dollar counts 8,000 stores.

With regard to the present controversy, there is an element of corporate optimization strategy involved. Applications for liquor licenses are targeted for stores that meet particular population profiles. This particular product introduction appears confined to Family Dollar.

Adding alcohol is good business. The grocer, convenience store, gas station and drive-thru sell alcohol, so why not the dollar store?

It is reported that Family Dollar told investors it would like to add alcoholic beverages to 1,000 of its 8,000 stores.

While the state issues licenses, cities, through planning commissions, retain the authority to restrict vendors for reasons of density or other neighborhood concerns. For that reason, a planning commission waiver is required, because stores already sit in applicant neighborhoods that vend the desired product. Existing vendors, stores that are smaller and locally owned, will unfairly surrender customers to the new vendor with national advertising behind it.

Granting these waivers is not economic development. My friends, please advise members of the planning commission to wave these waivers goodbye.

JIM VILLANI

Youngstown