Dollar Tree is buying rival discounter Family Dollar 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 current leader Goodlettsville-based Dollar General Corp., which has about 11,300.
Analysts had hinted for months that Dollar General might make