Some retailers – discounters, mostly – are actually opening new stores

U.S. consumers began to shift their shopping habits in favor of discount stores during the recession, and that trend apparently has legs. As mainline department stores and mall-based apparel stores continue to trim store counts, other retailers — mostly representing the discount segment — will open a total of more than 2,100 stores in 2018, according to a Business Insider analysis. The top three dollar store chains — Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar — have said they will collectively open over 1,500 stores this year.