Discount retailers continue to outperform the broader retail market, though the strength is now concentrated in a few names, and rising superstore traffic signals more competition for the same shoppers. At the same time, the sector’s core low-income customer base is contracting as SNAP policy changes take effect, and gross margin gains remain led mainly by Dollar Tree rather than the group as a whole. As competition grows and that core customer base softens, profitability is becoming as important as topline growth for discount retailers for the remainder of the year.
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