In a scathing new study, dollar discount stores like Dollar Tree and Dollar General are accused of being harmful to the local environment.

Titled the Dollar Store Invasion, which was released by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), the study shows how dollar establishments (more than 34,000 in the U.S.) are levying a heavy toll on local communities, especially those of race. The negative impact is so great that at least 75 cities and towns have successfully blocked new store projects since 2019, and the ISLR is calling for more anti-trust regulation.

Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson sat down with one of the co-authors of the report, ISLR Senior Researcher Kennedy Smith, and dove deeper into these accusations in the latest episode of the SN Off the Shelf podcast. Have a listen.

Have a pitch for the podcast? Contact SN Executive Editor Chloe Riley at chloe.riley@informa.com, or reach out and say hi on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening.