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Nothing Ear (a) Wireless Noise-Canceling Earbuds, $59 (was $79) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

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Why do shoppers love it?

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Related: Amazon is selling $39 wireless earbuds with up to 43 hours of battery life

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Details to know

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Colors: Choose from white, black, or yellow.

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In January 2025, Commerce Department regulators finalized a rule targeting Chinese technology in American cars, and lidar sensors were sitting right in front of them. They chose to carve lidar out.

The final rule from the Bureau of Industry and Security explicitly excluded lidar from its restrictions, even while acknowledging the sensors posed a national security risk, according to the Federal Register notice. Regulators called it a lower priority than the wireless hardware they were targeting and left the door open to revisit it later.

That later appears to be now. Idaho National Laboratory, a Department of Energy facility, is quietly testing whether Chinese lidar sensors could be hacked, disabled en masse, or used to funnel data back to China if adopted widely on American roads, according to TechCrunch, which first reported the review.

Any finding, positive or negative, could reshape which lidar suppliers automakers are willing to be seen buying from.

A spokesperson told TechCrunch in June and again in July that the project was not something the lab could discuss with reporters.

The review is being funded by an unnamed company or group of companies in the electric and autonomous vehicle industry, TechCrunch said, and it is unfolding as lawmakers draft multiple bills aimed at restricting Chinese lidar nationwide.

Two risks explain the urgency around Chinese lidar

Innoviz CEO Omer Keilaf, whose Israeli company competes directly with Chinese lidar makers, described two distinct threats to TechCrunch.

One is a mass shutdown: sensors disabled in bulk, standing vehicles already in motion. The other is quieter, involving compressed sensor data funneled out through a cellular chip.

Keilaf said he had not heard of the Idaho review before TechCrunch asked him about it. A cybersecurity assessment serious enough to draw private funding has apparently run for months without reaching the executives who build competing sensors for a living.

A 2025 federal rule restricting Chinese vehicle tech explicitly excluded lidar sensors, a gap a new Idaho National Laboratory review may now be testing.karelnoppe / Getty Images

Automakers’ silence is a strategy, not an accident

Rivian, General Motors, Ford, Kodiak, Lucid, Nuro, and Uber all told TechCrunch they had no knowledge of the review.

Nvidia, Zoox, and Aurora did not respond to questions about it at all.

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That is a wide swath of autonomous vehicle industry professing ignorance of a study that directly concerns hardware many of them already use or plan to use.

Rivian’s own public record shows why staying quiet might be the safer posture. In May, CEO RJ Scaringe told Reuters the company was weighing building its own lidar sensors domestically, potentially through a joint venture using Chinese technology, because “all the real choices are coming out of China” at the price point automakers need.

A month of whiplash, then a policy vacuum

Rivian’s chief financial officer, Claire McDonough, walked that back weeks later, calling the in-house lidar reports “an erroneous headline” and saying the company has no plans today to bring the work in-house, in remarks at a UBS investor conference.

That reversal shows how fast the ground shifts under any automaker that admits reliance on Chinese sensors.

Washington’s own rules explain the caution. Section 164 of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act already bars the Pentagon from operating or procuring Chinese-made lidar, naming Hesai (HSAI) directly, according to congressional commitee documents.

A newer bill from Senators Ted Budd and Tammy Baldwin would extend similar restrictions to Department of Transportation contracts, according to the bill text.

Neither law touches the vehicle a consumer buys at a dealership. Hesai remains on the Pentagon’s list of alleged Chinese military-linked suppliers and is fighting that designation in court, a case still unresolved, the Associated Press reported.

Hesai’s Nasdaq-listed shares have traded well below their 52-week high of $30.85 for months, closing the week at $19.10, offering evidence that investors were pricing in regulatory risk before this review surfaced.

Every rule written so far carves a hole around exactly the vehicles ordinary drivers buy. Idaho’s review may be the evidence that finally closes it, whether or not the automakers staying silent are ready for the answer.

Related: Automakers are quietly changing what’s in your engine

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation hits 400 weeks on the Billboard 200 — a first for the legendary pop-rock band.

After battling a shoulder injury for much of training camp, Mansoor Delane started and played the entire first quarter (or three defensive series) against Tampa Bay.

The department store model isn’t dying. Instead, it is quietly reshaping itself. While headlines typically highlight massive retail contractions, including Macy’s closing 80 stores and Saks Global’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy, some of the legacy chains are executing strategic footprint adjustments instead of a full retreat.

Few retailers illustrate this survival shift better than Nordstrom. The legacy luxury retailer’s story is doubly challenging as it is not only a department store chain, but a mall retailer as well.  As such it has to deal with the following trials: 

The shrinking mall: Projections from Capital One Shopping suggest up to 87% of traditional shopping malls could close over the next decade.

Digital competition: IBISWorld data highlights accelerating market share loss from department stores to e-commerce rivals.

Cautious consumers: Shoppers are planning to further pull back spending across most discretionary categories, according to recent surveys from McKinsey & Company. 

To adapt and survive Nordstrom decided to make some major moves, including closures, layoffs, but also targeted investments. 

Nordstrom closes another store in 2026, lays off 101 employees 

Nordstrom recently confirmed the closure of its ultra-deep-discount clearance outlet store:

Nordstrom Last Chance at Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois will close for good in September, a statement from the company confirmed to NBC Chicago.

According to a WARN Act notice posted by Nordstrom on August 7, 101 employees will lose their jobs effective October 5, 2026, as part of the Nordstrom Last Chance closure. 

In a statement, the retailer said that the decision to close was “a result of successful efforts” to adjust inventory management, reducing the need for the Yorktown Center store. 

Nordstrom’s previous closures in 2026 and 2025 

 Earlier this year, I reported on previous Nordstrom full-line store closures including: 

Nordstrom full-line store, Christiana Mall, Delaware, closed on April 30, 2026. 

Nordstrom full-line store at Galleria Dallas Mall in Texas closed for good on May 16, 2026. 

These closures followed up on the January 2026 closure of a Nordstrom Rack store in Portland, Oregon, and several closures in 2025, including: 

Saint Louis Galleria Nordstrom store in St. Louis, Missouri, closed on August 24, 2025.

Nordstrom store in Santa Monica, California, closed on August 26, 2025, reported Fox Business. 

More importantly, these closures were revealed after the Nordstrom family reacquired the company in a partnership with Mexican retail giant El Puerto de Liverpool, in a $6.25 billion deal. The move was huge, as it marks the company’s return to private ownership for the first time in 55 years, writes The Detroit News. 

Nordstrom closes another store in 2026, lays off 101 employees. slobo / Getty Images

Nordstrom’s closures are part of the company’s focus on off-price retail 

In its final public earnings report for the fourth quarter of 2024, Nordstrom posted a 3.7% decline in net sales for Nordstrom stores and a 1.2% increase for Nordstrom Rack. 

Nordstrom full-line stores have around a decade longer tradition than its rack division. Nordstrom’s story commenced in 1901 with a single shoe store. In the 1960s Nordstrom expanded into clothing and became a full-line luxury department store. 

The first Nordstrom Rack, however, opened in the basement of the Downtown Seattle Nordstrom store as a clearance center, according to the company’s official history. Its original purpose was to clear out unsold inventory and end-of-season overstock from full-line department stores. 

When the 2008 economic downturn caused consumers to seek out bargain prices, corporate leadership seized the opportunity by aggressively expanding stores, doubling Rack’s revenue within four years, according to the Robin Report. 

“Off-price sales nearly doubled again by 2016, reaching $4.5 billion, and the segment’s sales topped out at $5.2 billion in fiscal 2018. By that year, Nordstrom’s off-price business contributed fully a third of the company’s revenue,” wrote the Robin Report’s Adam Levine-Weinberg. 

At a time of significant industry challenges, and shifting consumer behavior, Nordstrom is once again betting on its off-price division. The retailer confirmed its plans to open 23 Rack locations in 2026, after opening 23 in 2025 and 22 in 2024. 

Furthermore, the retailer has been heavily investing in and upgrading its online presence, which, according to experts, is one of the key moves to survive in the current environment. 

Related: Popular shoe retailer closing dozens of stores after a costly mistake

Can digital sales and Nordstrom Rack keep the retailer afloat? 

Betting on its off-price division has many potential benefits: 

Cheaper locations: Nordstrom Rack stores are typically located in open-air strip malls, meaning they are cheaper to operate. 

Lower overhead than multi-level department stores. 

Drive customer acquisition: Nordstrom Rack stores serves as a powerful force attracting new customers, according to CEO Erik Nordstrom.

“Rack stores continue to be a growth engine for our company as they are our largest source of new customer acquisition, accounting for over 40%. Growing our store count also supports long-term customer retention. In fact, roughly a quarter of retained Rack customers migrate to the Nordstrom banner within four years,” Nordstrom said during the fourth-quarter of 2024 earnings call. 

However, retail analysts warn that relying too heavily on off-price growth comes with significant risks.

While off-price rivals like TJ Maxx and Ross thrive on sheer value, Nordstrom’s reputation was built on high-touch service, prestige brands, and luxury experiences. Expanding low-margin Rack stores while closing full-line flagships risks cannibalizing the parent brand’s luxury identity and alienating key high-spending clientele, according to GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders. 

“It can be problematic with that cannibalization, but I think it’s fair game for department stores to become involved in the off-price sector, because it is a growing part of the market — and it’s also a channel through which they can clear out their own excess inventory. So it does make sense in some ways, but you have to execute very, very carefully,” Saunders told Retail Dive. 

Saunders further stressed that Nordstrom Rack is ”a very distinct proposition. It’s very different from mainstream stores.”

Moreover, IBIS World suggests that department stores like “Macy’s and Nordstrom will continue to benefit from strong brand recognition, particularly as older customers become more comfortable with online shopping. Investments in online platforms will pay off for retailers, helping department stores become more competitive in a challenging business landscape.” 

Over the recent year, Nordstrom has also been investing in converting its major distribution centers into automated, technology-driven “omnichannel centers.” Its e-commerce business accounts for 36% of total annual sales in 2024, according to the official report.  

Related: Fast-food chain quietly exits an entire state after 50 years

While it’s still early in its turnaround efforts, Target has begun shifting the narrative away from its recent controversies and back toward its actual stores.

That’s evident from the headlines on recent major stories covering its second-quarter earnings.

“A new look and fresh merch are winning customers back at Target as sales rebound,” reported the Associated Press.

Reuters took a similar, business-first approach. “Target lifts annual forecasts again as Fiddelke’s turnaround takes root,” the news agency shared.

That’s a change from the narrative that surrounded the chain’s recent struggles.

Target has recovered from more than a year of weak comparable sales. It started off 2025 with a 3.8% decline, but recorded a 5.6% jump in the first quarter of this year. The second-quarter gain followed a 1.9% drop during the same three months last year.

Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester, while happy with the progress, made it clear that the chain still has one major hurdle to clear.

Target admits a merchandise problem

Sylvester was candid that some areas take longer than others to fix.

“In some categories, we’re pleased with our progress, and we’re seeing meaningful momentum. In others, including home and apparel, our performance is not where it needs to be, and the work will continue into 2027 and beyond,” she said during the second-quarter earnings call.

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CEO Michael Fiddelke made it clear that while he sees the problem, he also believes Target has taken the steps to address it.

“Those are longer lead time businesses, and so change doesn’t come as quickly there as it might in a category like Food & Beverage. As we embarked on the year, we said home would be a multiyear journey,” he said.

The changes, he noted, have already begun.

“It will take some time. And where we’re making the beginnings of change, we’re seeing the green shoots of a good guest response,” he added.

Target has remodeled some of its stores.Shutterstock

Analysts see Target moving in the right direction

“While management highlighted positive guest response where changes have been made, Home and Apparel, two important high-margin categories, remain works in progress, and management was clear that both categories will require additional work extending into 2027 and beyond,” TD Cowen analysts said in a note shared with Retail Dive.

Roth’s Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst Bill Kirk said in a note that Home and Apparel, which both saw slower growth than in the same quarter last year, are key because they’re “ironically the two areas that once differentiated Target’s assortment,” added Retail Dive.

ALSO READ: Popular men’s fashion retail chain files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino thinks Fiddelke and Target have made good progress when it comes to the chain’s turnaround.

“Target spent two years getting dragged over culture-war noise. They flipped the script by dropping the fluff and focusing on why people actually walk into their stores every week: groceries and essentials,” he told TheStreet.

The chain, he noted, has improved in many areas.

“Foot traffic is back, food sales are up, and same-day fulfillment is carrying the load. They stopped trying to be a fancy department store alternative and started acting like a reliable everyday hub,” he added.

A quick look at Target’s second-quarter results

Target pushed the idea that it has made changes to the core of its store as part of a plan to focus on meeting customers’ daily needs, it shared in a press release.

“We transformed nearly half of our center-store grocery experience, adding more space for fresh, snacks, bakery and emerging categories. Post-transition, snack sales were up 15% year-over-year,” according to Target.

Net sales in all six core merchandising categories grew versus a year ago, with double-digit growth in Fun101 and high single-digit growth in Food & Beverage and Beauty.

Store comp sales were up 2.7%, and digital comp sales grew 8.7%, driven by more than 25% growth in same-day delivery.

Non-merchandise sales grew more than 20%, reflecting continued strength in Roundel, Target Circle 360, and Target Plus.

Toys, which the chain calls “Fun101,” were a major driver for Target.

“Within Fun101, Lego, plush, and Heyday electronics led the way with double-digit comps. At the end of Q2, we completely reinvented the shopping experience to cement our position as a destination for busy families in key areas like toys, gadgets, and pop culture,” the chain added.

Related: Kroger has a customer problem that may be its own fault

Jim Cramer has a reputation for caution when a stock has already run hard. This time, he is telling investors to ignore that instinct entirely, arguing that the usual rules of chip investing may no longer apply.

On a recent Mad Money segment, Cramer argued that some of the market’s biggest winners this year still have room to climb, even after gains that would normally make him nervous about chasing a rally this late.

Cramer says these four memory chip stocks are indispensable

Cramer named four memory and storage chip makers he calls “indispensable” right now: Micron, SanDisk, Seagate, and Western Digital. “While I acknowledge that I am not early, I do not think I am late,” he told viewers, according to CNBC. The numbers behind that call are striking. August 18, SanDisk has surged 653% in 2026, Seagate has climbed 261%, Micron has gained 254%, and Western Digital has risen 211%. Figures that would normally make a value-conscious investor wary of chasing further upside.

Cramer tied the rally directly to comments from Elon Musk. “Musk is right: Memory has become the bottleneck,” Cramer said, referencing Musk’s remarks on SpaceX’s second-quarter earnings call about memory supply constraining AI data center buildouts, Yahoo Finance reported.

More Micron:

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Cramer’s Charitable Trust, the portfolio behind CNBC’s Investing Club, recently opened a new position in Micron during a pullback tied to a selloff among South Korean semiconductor stocks. Cramer called Micron his top pick of the group, and he plans to visit the company’s Idaho research facility to interview CEO Sanjay Mehrotra.

Why Micron and other memory stocks keep climbing

The bull case rests on a genuine shift in the market structure. Memory chips have historically been a boom-and-bust business, since high upfront manufacturing costs push producers to keep making memory chips even after prices fall. Eventually flooding the market and crushing margins.

AI data centers appear to be breaking that old pattern, at least for now. Micron’s HBM and DRAM memory capacity is sold out through 2027. And AI data centers are projected to now consume roughly 70% of global memory chip production, according to TheStreet report, which also noted that Micron has committed $22 billion in advance cash deposits under customer agreement just to secure future supply –– underscoring how aggressively major customers are locking in future memory supply.

Billionaire investor George Soros has taken notice. His fund increased its Micron stake nearly eightfold in the second quarter, another sign that some major investors still see room for the memory trade to run on Cramer’s broader case for the stock, which noted Micron shares reclaimed the $1,000 mark on August 17 for the first time since July.

Not everyone agrees the old cycle is truly gone, though. Micron remains fundamentally a cyclical business, and its stock has already shown it can drop in a matter of days on nothing more than fears that the AI-driven memory boom could be peaking. Wall Street analysts remain split on how much further the rally can run, with New Street’s Pierre Ferragu recently issuing a dramatically higher price target on Micron, arguing investors are still underestimating how structurally different this memory cycle looks compared to prior ones.

Not everyone agrees the old cycle is truly gone, though. Micron remains fundamentally a cyclical business.Michael/Getty Images

The AI bubble risk investors can’t ignore

The bigger question hanging over this entire trade is how it gets funded. AI companies are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into data center construction, and a growing share of that spending comes from borrowed money rather than free cash flow.

Nvidia illustrates the scale involved. The company announced financing partnerships with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR on August 10, aiming to mobilize more than $500 billion in third-party capital for AI infrastructure, with Nvidia agreeing to backstop a portion of the cost itself, according to CNBC. The arrangement effectively treats Nvidia’s chips as a new kind of investable asset, similar to how Wall Street has historically financed toll roads or commercial real estate.

That kind of leverage has already made some investors nervous. TheStreet reported famed short seller Michael Burry published a note in July predicting the AI trade would “die a death by a thousand cuts.” Several AI-linked stocks have begun underperforming the broader S&P 500 as investors question whether infrastructure spending will pay off fast enough. Bank of America has pushed back on that pessimism directly, arguing the recent selloff in memory names is a buying opportunity rather than a warning sign.

Public opposition is adding another layer of risk to the broader AI infrastructure story. A Gallup poll conducted in March 2026 found that 71% of Americans opposed having an AI data center built near them. That’s more than the level of opposition ever recorded against local nuclear power plants, as reported by Gallup.

What should investors watch next?

That backlash has already reached Washington. Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced federal legislation in March aiming to pause new data center construction, and warned that unchecked AI infrastructure growth threatens jobs and the environment. Multiple state legislatures have introduced similar measures of their own this year, even though most remain pending rather than enacted.

If politicians or communities succeed in slowing data center construction, or if the market simply stops rewarding new AI infrastructure spending, memory chip manufacturers could quickly find themselves back in familiar territory, overproducing chips into a market that no longer needs them at current prices.

For now, Cramer’s case rests on demand outrunning supply and manufacturers showing new capital discipline through share buybacks rather than reckless expansion. Investors weighing that bet should watch data center construction data, state and federal legislation, and quarterly capex commitments from hyperscalers just as closely as they watch memory chip earnings themselves, since any one of those threads could shift the calculus quickly.

Related: Jim Cramer sends strong verdict on where the market is headed

When Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management puts capital to work, Wall Street pays attention.

The billionaire investor’s firm just disclosed a brand new stake in one of the biggest names in payments. And the size of the bet is hard to ignore.

Regulatory filings show Pershing Square initiated multiple positions in companies across the financial segment. Let’s dive deeper. 

Bill Ackman goes big on Visa stock

Pershing Square’s latest 13F filing, covering holdings as of June 29, 2026, shows a fresh position in Visa Inc.

The fund now owns 3.27 million shares of Visa (V) worth roughly $1.12 billion, accounting for 5.4% of the hedge fund’s portfolio. 

It places Visa stock among Pershing Square’s larger holdings, just behind names like Uber, Brookfield Corp, Microsoft, and Amazon in overall portfolio weight.

Visa wasn’t the only new addition.

The same filing shows Pershing Square also opened a position in Mastercard, buying 2.12 million shares worth about $1.09 billion, or 5.26% of the portfolio.

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The fund also started a position in S&P Global, a company that plays a major role in credit ratings and financial data, worth roughly $1.06 billion.

All three positions show up as completely new in the filing. 

Ackman built exposure across the broader financial infrastructure space in the same quarter, putting more than $3 billion combined into Visa, Mastercard, and S&P Global.

For a fund known for concentrated, high-conviction bets, opening three related positions at once suggests a deliberate view on where payments and financial data businesses are headed. 

Visa’s business is firing on all cylinders

The timing lines up with a strong stretch for Visa.

In the company’s fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings call on July 28, CEO Ryan McInerney said net revenue rose 14% year over year to $11.6 billion, with earnings per share up 11%, both ahead of expectations.

Quarterly payments volume grew 10% year over year in constant dollars to cross $4 trillion for the first time in company history, while processed transactions grew 10% to $72 billion.

Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh pointed to strength across the board. 

U.S. payment volume grew 10% year over year, a pace not seen since 2019 outside of the pandemic recovery bounce. 

Cross-border volume, excluding transactions within Europe, grew 12%.

The company bought back $4.9 billion in stock during the quarter and paid out $1.3 billion in dividends. 

Visa diversifies its revenue base

Visa’s value-added services segment, which includes fraud prevention, data analytics and consulting, grew revenue 34% in constant dollars during the quarter, Suh said.

That segment now makes up close to a third of Visa’s total revenue. 

Speaking at the Bernstein 42nd Annual Strategic Decisions Conference in May, McInerney said these businesses have consistently grown more than 20% year over year for several years running.

Ackman’s investment also lines up with Visa’s push into new technology. 

Related: Visa hands banks an edge against their rivals with AI tool

On the July earnings call, McInerney detailed a partnership with OpenAI to support secure payments within AI-driven, or agentic, commerce, along with a similar arrangement with Meta covering Facebook and Instagram.

McInerney told the Bernstein audience in May that he sees agentic commerce as a major growth driver ahead, comparing it to earlier shifts toward online and mobile shopping. 

He argued that Visa credentials, backed by fraud protection and dispute resolution, are better suited for an AI-driven shopping world than newer alternatives like stablecoins.

Visa is also building out its stablecoin infrastructure, launching the Visa Stablecoin Platform this quarter and joining a new venture called Open Standard, which plans to issue a dollar-backed stablecoin called Open USD. 

“Technology and commerce are evolving faster than ever,” McInerney stated during the earnings call. “As the leading hyperscaler of payments globally, Visa is at the center of this transformation, bringing trust to whatever form commerce takes next.”

Visa CEO Ryan McInerney is focused on revenue diversification.Bloomberg/Getty Images

Is Visa stock undervalued right now?

For a hedge fund built on long-term, high-conviction ideas, opening three related positions in payments and financial data companies in a single quarter sends a clear signal. 

Pershing Square appears to be betting that the infrastructure behind digital payments, backed by resilient consumer spending and new AI-driven commerce, still has plenty of room to run.

Given consensus estimates compiled by Tikr.com:

Analysts forecast Visa to increase revenue from $40 billion in fiscal 2025 to $67.6 billion in fiscal 2030. 

In this period, free cash flow is projected to expand from $21.6 billion to $39 billion. 

If Visa stock trades at 20x forward FCF, below its five-year average of 24.6x, it could return 15% over the next three years. 

I assumed a lower FCF multiple because Visa is projected to grow FCF at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5% over the next five years, below the 17.5% growth rate over the last five years. 

Out of the 28 analysts covering Visa stock, 26 recommend “Buy,” and two recommend “Hold.” The average Visa stock price target is $422, above the current price of $371. 

Related: Billionaire Bill Ackman doubles down on these stocks in Q2

Beyoncé’s new single “Morning Dew (Donk)” rises into the top 10 on multiple Billboard charts as the singer reaches career milestones on several tallies.

Millions of Americans count on dollar stores to stretch tight household budgets, but AARP warns that some of the most common items on those shelves aren’t worth the savings. 

From personal care products laced with harmful chemicals to electronics that lack basic safety certifications, certain bargain buys can cost you more in health risks than they ever saved at checkout.

Dollar Tree paid $559,250 in a January 2026 settlement after New York Attorney General Letitia James found the chain kept selling lead-tainted children’s applesauce pouches days after a nationwide recall.

Here are the 10 dollar store categories AARP flags and what the running cost looks like when you add up the health risks, recalls, and replacements.

The dollar store categories AARP says to avoid

AARP’s list spans household staples, groceries, and personal care. Several categories are also flagged in recent regulatory actions and independent lab testing, which shifts the math from “value shopping” to “risk shopping.”

Skincare

AARP’s report flags personal care products as a category to avoid at dollar stores, citing chemical safety concerns. 

The Campaign for Healthier Solutions backed that warning with specifics: its May 2025 study found formaldehyde-releasing agents in baby lotion sold at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, among nearly 50 flagged products, ConsumerAffairs reported.

Formaldehyde is classified as a known human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program.

For a shopper saving a few dollars per bottle, the downstream cost is measured in what regular exposure to a flagged ingredient could mean over years.

Groceries

“Buying food products at the dollar store is a mixed bag,” Ricca noted in the AARP report. “Some products may be close to their expiration date or past their peak freshness.” A larger concern, though, is recalled food remaining on shelves.

Dollar Tree received direct notification on October 29, 2023, that WanaBana-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches had been recalled over dangerous lead levels, the New York attorney general’s office confirmed. 

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The retailer failed to immediately block sales, and hundreds of contaminated pouches were sold to New York families after the recall began. 

Dollar General voluntarily recalled three lots of Clover Valley instant coffee across 48 states in August 2025 after a customer reported glass fragments in the product, according to an FDA notice.

Electronics

Phone chargers, extension cords, and headphones carry lower prices but shorter lifespans. “Items like phone chargers and headphones may come at a minimal cost, but they often don’t last as long as higher-quality alternatives,” Ricca said in the AARP report.

A May 2025 Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS) study found that kids’ headphones sold at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar contained solder with 22,000 parts per million of lead, along with PVC cable insulation and plasticizers, E&E News reported.

Buying a $1.25 charger three times a year runs to $3.75. It also runs to whatever damage a faulty charger does to the device it’s plugged into.

Plastic food containers

Unknown-brand plastic containers may not withstand a microwave or dishwasher, and chemical leaching adds another layer of concern.

“If it’s a random brand you’re not familiar with, I would tend to avoid that,” said Trae Bodge, a shopping strategist at TrueTrae.com, in the AARP report.

The May 2025 CHS study found bisphenol S (BPS) in receipts from Dollar Tree and Dollar General and PVC in multiple product categories, both of which raise chemical-migration concerns in food-contact plastics.

Batteries

Common batteries sold at dollar stores deplete faster than name-brand options, which leads to more frequent replacement purchases. 

Elisabella Ricca, personal finance and consumer analyst at TopCashback.com said that cheap batteries often underperform and wear out faster than trusted brands.

You may think you’re getting a bargain buying batteries at the dollar store, but they don’t always provide the same performance or longevity as name-brand batteries do

Batteries are a running expense, not a one-time buy. Households that replace them three times more often at a dollar store end up spending more over a year than shoppers who paid slightly more upfront for name-brand alkalines.

Candy

Dollar store candy bags are smaller than they appear, and the per-unit price often loses to bulk alternatives. 

“Dollar stores typically carry small bags, so it’s actually not a good deal,” noted Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings adviser in Bakersfield, California, in the AARP report. 

Warehouse clubs or post-holiday clearance sales at big-box retailers tend to deliver better volume for the same spend, Woroch added.

Makeup

Generic cosmetics are more likely to contain low-quality or potentially hazardous ingredients, and they lack the testing accountability that established brands maintain, Ricca said in the AARP report.

Affordable alternatives from brands such as E.l.f., Nyx, and Wet N Wild at drugstores offer similar price points with more rigorous product testing, Ricca added.

Pet food and treats

Shoppers should beware of poor-quality ingredients in dollar store pet food, Woroch cautioned in the AARP report. Warehouse clubs such as Costco, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club carry name-brand pet food in bulk at lower per-unit prices, she noted.

For pet owners, the running cost isn’t just the food it’s the vet bill that follows.

Picture frames

Those bargain-bin frames seem perfect for displaying grandkids’ photos on a budget, but Woroch cautions that they’re prone to breaking.

“You’re better off grabbing a nice frame from a discounter like HomeGoods or Marshalls, where you can get quality frames for $5 to $12 each that last,” Woroch said. 

Toys

Cheap toys break more easily and can leave behind small pieces that create choking hazards for young children, Woroch cautioned. 

The May 2025 CHS study found PVC in nearly two dozen children’s toys and lead in electronic items such as light-up bracelets, candy pails, and plastic roses sold at dollar stores, ConsumerAffairs reported.

Waiting for holiday sales or browsing secondhand marketplaces can reduce both the cost and the risk, Woroch suggested in the AARP report.

AARP says these 10 dollar-store categories may not be worth the savings, from batteries and groceries to makeup, toys, and skincare.FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty Images

What the sticker price doesn’t show

The dollar store discount holds for some categories. It falls apart on food, skincare, toys, and plastics, where the documented record shows chemical contamination and delayed recall compliance. For a household counting on every dollar to stretch, the shelf price is only half the calculation.

The recall delay, the state penalty, and the CHS study each point to the same gap between the sticker price and the full cost of what ends up in the cart.

Related: AARP issues urgent call on Medicare drug costs