Dollar Tree Value Stock - Dividend - Research Selection

We are a leading operator of discount variety stores. We believe the convenience and value we offer are key factors in growing our base of loyal customers. At January 28, 2017, we operated 14,334 discount variety retail stores. Our stores operate under the names of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada. On July 6, 2015, we completed our purchase of Family Dollar Stores, Inc. and its more than 8,200 stores. This transformational transaction created the largest discount retailer (by store count) in North America. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar banners have complementary business models. Everything is $1.00 at Dollar Tree while Family Dollar is a neighborhood variety store offering merchandise largely for $10 or less. Also, on October 13, 2015, we announced our plans to convert all Deals and Dollar Tree Deals stores to one of our two primary banners, Dollar Tree or Family Dollar. On November 1, 2015, we completed the transaction pursuant to which we divested 330 Family Dollar stores, 325 of which were open at the time of the divestiture, to Dollar Express LLC, a portfolio company of Sycamore Partners, in order to satisfy a condition as required by the Federal Trade Commission in connection with our purchase of Family Dollar. We operate in two reporting business segments: Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. Our Dollar Tree segment is the leading operator of discount variety stores offering merchandise at the fixed price point of $1.00. The Dollar Tree segment includes 6,360 stores operating under the Dollar Tree and Dollar Tree Canada brands, 11 distribution centers in the United States and two in Canada and a Store Support Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. Our stores range from predominantly 8,000 - 10,000 selling square feet. In our Dollar Tree stores in the United States, we sell all items for $1.00 or less and in our Dollar Tree Canada stores, we sell all items for $1.25(CAD) or less. Our revenue and assets in Canada are not material. We strive to exceed our customers' expectations of the variety and quality of products that they can purchase for $1.00 by offering items that we believe typically sell for higher prices elsewhere. We buy approximately 57% to 59% of our merchandise domestically and import the remaining 41% to 43%. Our domestic purchases include basic, seasonal, home, closeouts and promotional merchandise. We believe our mix of imported and domestic merchandise affords our buyers flexibility that allows them to consistently exceed our customer's expectations. In addition, direct relationships with manufacturers permit us to select from a broad range of products and customize packaging, product sizes and package quantities that meet our customers' needs. All Dollar Tree stores in the United States accept cash, checks, debit cards and credit cards. We added freezers and coolers to certain stores and increased the amount of consumable merchandise carried by those stores. We believe this initiative helps drive additional transactions and allows us to appeal to a broader demographic mix. We added freezers and coolers to 500 additional stores in 2016. As of January 28, 2017, we have freezers and coolers in approximately 4,785 of our Dollar Tree stores. We plan to install them in 400 additional stores by the end of fiscal 2017. Along with the rollout of freezers and coolers, we have increased the number of stores accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and food stamps (under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”)) to approximately 6,055 stores as of January 28, 2017. At any point in time, we carry approximately 7,200 items in our stores and as of the end of 2016 approximately 35% of our items are automatically replenished. The remaining items are pushed to the stores and a portion can be reordered by our store managers on a weekly basis. Through automatic replenishment and our store managers’ ability to order product, each store manager is able to satisfy the demands of their particular customer base. We maintain a balanced selection of products within traditional variety store categories. We offer a wide selection of everyday basic products and we supplement these basic, everyday items with seasonal, closeout and promotional merchandise. We attempt to keep certain basic consumable merchandise in our stores continuously to establish our stores as a destination and increase traffic in our stores. Closeout and promotional merchandise is purchased opportunistically and represents less than 10% of our purchases. The merchandise mix in our Dollar Tree stores consists of: •consumable merchandise, which includes candy and food, health and beauty care, and everyday consumables such as household paper and chemicals, and in select stores, frozen and refrigerated food; variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, stationery, party goods, greeting cards, softlines, and other items; and seasonal goods, which includes, among others, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas merchandise. Our Family Dollar segment operates general merchandise discount retail stores providing customers with a selection of competitively-priced merchandise in convenient neighborhood stores. The Family Dollar segment consists of our operations under the Family Dollar brand, 11 distribution centers and a Store Support Center in Matthews, North Carolina. Our stores range from predominantly 6,000 - 8,000 selling square feet. In our 7,974 Family Dollar stores, we sell merchandise at prices that generally range from $1.00 to $10.00. Our Family Dollar stores provide customers with a quality, high-value assortment of basic necessities and seasonal merchandise. We offer competitively-priced national brands from leading manufacturers alongside name brand equivalent-value lower-priced private labels. We purchase merchandise from a wide variety of suppliers and generally have not experienced difficulty in obtaining adequate quantities of merchandise. In fiscal 2016, we purchased approximately 15% of our merchandise through our relationship with McLane Company, Inc., which distributes consumable merchandise from multiple manufacturers. In addition, approximately 16% of our merchandise is imported directly. While the number of items in a given store can vary based on the store’s size, geographic location, merchandising initiatives and other factors, our typical store generally carries approximately 7,100 basic items alongside items that are ever-changing and seasonally-relevant throughout the year. The merchandise mix in our Family Dollar stores consists of: consumable merchandise, which includes food, tobacco, health and beauty aids, household chemicals, paper products, hardware and automotive supplies, diapers, batteries, and pet food and supplies; home products, which includes housewares, home décor, giftware, and domestics, including blankets, sheets and towels; apparel and accessories merchandise, which includes clothing, fashion accessories and shoes; and seasonal and electronics merchandise, which includes Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas merchandise, personal electronics, including pre-paid cellular phones and services, stationery and school supplies, and toys. Source: www.sec.gov