Article submitted by Danny Watts,  Sales and Leasing Agent at Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate

Written by Tanya Mannes [Feb 27, 2012 / UTSandiego.com ]

As dollar stores have upgraded, consumers don’t feel embarrassed to be seen at one.
“Some people might have thought that there was a stigma attached to shopping at dollar stores,” Waterman said, “but when they saw their friends shopping at them and realized the potential savings, they were more likely to frequent these stores.”Lopez, who blogs about saving money at drugstoredivas.net, said she found Earthbound Farm organic salad, Philadelphia Cooking Creme and Farmer John ham, all for 99 cents each, on recent trips.
“People know me – I’ll go anywhere for a deal,” she said.

The big question is whether middle-class customers will keep shopping there once the economy improves.
“I’ve got a feeling that dollar stores are going to have some staying power,” said consumer-behavior expert Bernhard Schroeder, director of the Entrepreneurial Management Center at San Diego State University. He said consumers who feel “burned by the recession” will still seek bargains and may find they enjoy the dollar-store shopping experience. “I don’t think we necessarily come out of a recession and immediately run back to caviar and chocolates.”IBISWorld projects that the dollar-store industry will continue growing at an average of 2.6 percent a year for the next five years.

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Danny Watts, a commercial real estate sales and leasing specialist with Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, is a graduate of Louisiana State University (LSU). He has over 20 years experience in commercial real estate brokerage and appraisal. His areas of expertise include commercial and industrial brokerage and leasing; multi-family brokerage; lease negotiations; tenant build outs; market analysis and insight; and feasibility and valuation analysis. Danny is a member of the Commercial Investment Division (CID) of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®, a board member of the Perkins Road Historic Merchants District Association, and has served as a vice president for Literacy Works of Baton Rouge.

Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate is a member of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce (BRAC); the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce; the Baton Rouge Better Business Bureau; the Louisiana Commercial Data Base (LACDB); and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Several agents, on an individual basis, are members of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® (SIOR), the Certified Commercial Investment Member Institute (CCIM); the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR); and the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS® Commercial Investment Division (CID).