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Dollar Tree buys Family Dollar to lead segment

NEW YORK - The fight for penny pinchers is intensifying. Dollar Tree Inc. said Monday that it is buying rival discounter Family Dollar Stores Inc. for $8.5 billion, significantly broadening its reach as it looks to fend off Wal-Mart, which has been stepping up its courtship of lower-income customers.

A trader works at the post that handles Family Dollar on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
A trader works at the post that handles Family Dollar on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.Read moreRICHARD DREW / AP

NEW YORK - The fight for penny pinchers is intensifying.

Dollar Tree Inc. said Monday that it is buying rival discounter Family Dollar Stores Inc. for $8.5 billion, significantly broadening its reach as it looks to fend off Wal-Mart, which has been stepping up its courtship of lower-income customers.

The deal makes Dollar Tree the biggest player in the dollar-store segment, with its more than 13,000 combined locations eclipsing Dollar General Corp., which has about 11,300.

Dollar stores grew during the recession as people across income groups searched for cheaper options. To attract a broader array of customers, they also expanded their offerings to include more groceries and brand-name products, instead of just the party favors and other knickknacks people often associated with them.

More recently, however, sales at dollar stores have been suffering because the lower-income customers who go to them are facing persistent job instability and slow wage growth in the aftermath of the recession. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. also have been opening smaller store formats to directly compete with dollar stores. During its current fiscal year, Wal-Mart plans to open 270 to 300 smaller outlets designed to cater to shoppers looking for more convenience.

The deal also gives Dollar Tree more flexibility.

Dollar Tree is true to its name, with everything in its stores costing just a buck. The fixed pricing has helped attract more customers and boosted sales, but it also puts the company in a tough spot as inflation pushes up its costs and pressures profit margins. Family Dollar is far more flexible in its pricing, which allows it to sell a greater variety of items, including Kraft cheese and Tide laundry soap, at various price points.

Still, Family Dollar, which has more than 8,000 locations, has been shuttering stores and cutting prices in hopes of boosting its financial performance. Last month, investor Carl Icahn urged the company to put itself up for sale. Icahn has built up a stake in the company of more than 9 percent, according to regulatory filings. Based on his purchase price at the time, he stands to make nearly $200 million from the deal.

In a statement, Icahn said that he was "extremely pleased" with Dollar Tree's plans, but that he still thinks there are "a handful of potential buyers who could realize greater synergies" with Family Dollar.

The companies did not say whether any Dollar Tree or Family Dollar stores would be closed. Dollar Tree, which has about 5,000 locations, will continue to operate under the existing Dollar Tree, Deals, and Dollar Tree Canada store banners. It will keep the Family Dollar brand as well, with chairman and CEO Howard Levine reporting to Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser.