Reasons to Read

In the first part of our five-part Discount Decades series, uncover the demographic, financial, and economic forces set to continue fueling US discount and value retail.

Subsequent reports in the Discount Decades series will examine the performance of, and prospects for, discount retailers in these sectors: apparel and footwear; cross-border e-commerce platforms; dollar stores (and similar formats); and grocery.

Discover answers to these and other questions:

• Where do discount formats rank among America’s 25 largest retailers, and how do certain consumer groups drive outsized reach for these banners?
• How is financial strain migrating across age groups, to previously secure consumer cohorts?
• How has value-seeking behavior spread across generations, even as services gain share of discretionary spending?
• What structural demographic and supply-side forces should sustain discount growth, and why do recent format failures show that success isn’t guaranteed?

Companies mentioned in this report include: The TJX Companies, Dollar General, eBay, Aldi, Temu, Ross Stores, Walmart (including Sam’s Club), Amazon (including Amazon Haul), Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Five Below, Burlington Stores, Save A Lot, Grocery Outlet, Lidl, Trader Joe’s, Shein, AliExpress, Primark, DSW, Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, Costco, The Home Depot, Kroger, CVS Health, Walgreens, Target, Lowe’s, Albertsons, Publix, Apple, Ahold Delhaize, Seven & i Holdings, H-E-B, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Best Buy, Meijer, Whole Foods Market, Kohl’s, Macy’s, 99 Cents Only Stores, Big Lots, Boohoo, Debenhams Group, and Action.

Data in this report include: US retailer market-share rankings; discount-shopping rates by race/ethnicity; US population growth by ethnicity; student loan debt trends by borrower age; homeownership rates by age group; household income distribution by income class; consumer survey data on saving behavior and generational spending preferences; the split of discretionary spending between goods and services; and US CPI inflation trends.

Related research:

• Market Navigator: Inside the $1 Trillion US Value Retail Market
• US Fashion Resale: Value, Vintage and Luxury Drive Momentum
• The 2023 edition of Discount Decades