Dollar General Makes $9.7 Billion Bid For Family Dollar

Published August 18, 2014 at 1:35 PM EDT

A Family Dollar store is seen on July 28, 2014, in Hallandale, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Today, Dollar General said it wants to buy Family Dollar in an all-cash deal worth $9.7 billion. That proposal tops an earlier bid from another dollar store, Dollar Tree, for the same company last month.

NPR’s Marilyn Geewax talks to Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson about what the deal means in the larger context of the American economy, and why there’s so much competition for the dollar store.

Guest

Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR. She tweets @geewaxnpr.

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