Recession where? Dollar stores have already returned to year-over-year visitor growth during the week of Aug. 3, according to a study by consumer tracker Placer.ai. Industry observers expect continued demand for the thrift stores as shoppers tighten their budgets.

Beginning the week of Aug. 3, visits to Dollar General increased to 22% compared to the same week last year and Family Dollar also noted a 5% increase in visits. The Five Below retail chain finally crept from negative year-over-year figures to a nearly 2% increase during the week of Aug. 3. Similarly, Dollar Tree outperformed the first week of August 2019 by almost 1%.

While an impressive rebound many retail sectors can't currently claim, Dollar General was the clear leader, Placer.ai wrote. Dollar General was noted by Placer.ai as a "rising retail giant" as monthly visits also grew 17% in July 2020 compared to July 2019. July's figure continued a gradual increase in year-over-year visits after a 14% and 13% growth in June and May respectively. Family Dollar, which was acquired by Dollar Tree in 2015, also reported an increase in monthly visitors, albeit only a 0.4% increase.