Content about United States dollar

WASHINGTON — AAA forecasts 91.9 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the 2011-2012 year-end holiday travel season, a 1.4% increase over the 90.7 million people who traveled one year ago, the travel organization announced earlier this week. This year’s expected year-end holiday travel volume is the second-highest in the past decade and represents 30% of the total U.S. population.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General results showed that low-end consumers have some spending power and a taste for its brand of discount retail.

Sales increased 11.2% to $3.58 billion at the company’s 9,641 stores, while same-store sales increased 5.9% and net income increased 25% to $181 million, excluding nonrecurring charges related to the early repayment of debt. On that same basis, earnings per share increased to 52 cents, four cents better than analysts expected and nearly 24% higher than the prior-year profit of 42 cents.

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Profit grew by nearly 10% to $123.2 million and sales advanced 8.3% to nearly $2.3 billion as Family Dollar remained on a consistent growth trajectory during its second quarter, ended Feb. 27.

Earnings per share for the period increased 21% to 98 cents, compared with 81 cents in the prior-year's second quarter.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Retailers operating outside of the dollar channel are beginning to experience some night terrors. Because the fear is, what if American consumers learn from this bargain-hunting experience once the economy recovers? What if they decide quality and convenience in a dollar store today is comparable with other channels, and that the only real point of difference is the price point?