GettyIf you ever needed an example of how physical store retailing doesn’t quite fit into some preconceived notion, you need look no further than two companies moving in two very different directions. With Fred’s and Ollie’s you have both ends of the spectrum. Ollie’s has a true outlet formula, to the extent that most off-price and dollar store competitors look like Neiman’s by comparison. Fred’s has veered more towards a conventional dollar store format but it doesn’t have the instant brand identification of stores with the word “dollar” in their names. It’s entirely possible that while trying to combine a super drug store with a dollar store, Fred’s has ended up being not particularly good at either compared to pure plays.

Source: Forbes April 15, 2019 23:15 UTC