Chances are, you know where your closest dollar store or discount retailer is located. These shops are a no-brainer if you need party favors that you won't feel guilty tossing, festive holiday decorations, or even affordable groceries. But sometimes these stores do shut down, leaving loyal customers high and dry, and one of the biggest names—Dollar Tree—is among the chains that just announced closures. Read on to find out about the latest discount retailers closing locations.
READ THIS NEXT: Grocery Stores, Including Sam's Club, Are Closing Locations, Starting Now.
The Salvation Army is shutting a thrift store down.
ShutterstockThe Salvation Army is actually closing a thrift store ahead of Dollar Tree, axing a location on April 21, CBS-affiliate KFDM reported. The store is holding a final sale starting this Thursday, April 20, before closing for good the following day.
“Over the last five years, revenue from Thrift Store sales has declined," Major Kenneth Fagan told KFDM. "As overhead now exceeds revenue from sales, The Salvation Army cannot continue to operate the Thrift Store. This has not been an easy decision to make. We appreciate and thank our loyal customers for their patronage over the years and ask them to support us for our final sales event on Thursday and Friday, April 20th and 21st.”
The decision was voted on by the Salvation Army board of directors, per KFDM, and Fagan confirmed that all thrift store employees are being moved to other positions within the organization.
A thrift store in Hawaii closed last week.
Margarita Young / ShutterstockThis isn't an isolated closure, as the Salvation Army just shut down another location this past Saturday. The Hilo Sally Shop, a Salvation Army thrift store in Hilo, Hawaii, had its final day in business on April 15, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
The outlet reported that the Salvation Army is shifting its focus to "social services outreach," as opposed to its retail operations. Funds are being redistributed to programs like the new Malama 'Ohana Kitchen Trailer, which provides food to those in need, and the food pantry, which serves those in East Hawaii.
“Because of the scope of our services in Hawaii County, we regularly look at our programs to make sure we’re using our resources efficiently and making the maximum use of all the resources we have,” Sam LeMar, Hawaii Island coordinator and corps officer, told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. “We’re so appreciative of the many years of support from the Hilo community, including customers, donors, our landlord, our dedicated employees.”
LeMar further stressed that the thrift store closure doesn't mean the Salvation Army as a whole is departing. "We want everyone to know that the Salvation Army is not going away," LeMar told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
The store's five employees were given severance pay and will receive assistance in finding new positions, the outlet reported.
Best Life reached out to the Salvation Army for comment on the closures, and will update the story upon hearing back.
READ THIS NEXT: Target Is Closing Multiple Locations, Starting May 13.
Staten Island is losing a Dollar Tree store.
ShutterstockDollar Tree is closing stores, too, with a location in Staten Island, New York, the first to go at the end of April. Closure plans were confirmed by a sign posted outside of the store, which is located at the Greenridge Plaza shopping center, SILive.com reported.
If you're near the area and looking to grab some last-minute items, bear in mind that as of April 10, the store was already low on inventory. A picture included in the SILive.com article shows a nearly empty aisle with yellow caution tape draped across.
Another Dollar Tree is closing in Wyoming.
ShutterstockShoppers in Laramie, Wyoming, are also losing a Dollar Tree, but they'll have a bit more time to shop deals, Best Life previously reported.
The Laramie store located at 4037 Grand Ave B is scheduled to close for good on Monday, May 8, with its final day open to customers on Sunday, May 7, according to LaramieLive.com.
An unnamed employee confirmed the closure to the outlet and added that a new Dollar Tree store is supposedly in the works for the Laramie area.
Best Life reached out to Dollar Tree for more information on the closures and any potential new stores, but has yet to hear back.
Local establishments aren't safe either.
ShutterstockBargain hunters are really out of luck this spring, as even independently owned operations are closing up shop. According to SWARK Today, 2nd Chance Flea Market in Hope, Arkansas, is also on the chopping block.
For over five years, the flea market has offered spots for different booths, selling everything from home décor to DVDs. But the business—which is one of many flea markets and antiques shops in the area—has been slowly shutting down, the flea market's owner, Matthew Turner, told SWARK Today.
“It was a business decision, and we are closing to move on to other things," Turner said. "We will be open on Saturdays for the next couple of months liquidating our warehouse stock."
