So what Dollar Tree reported a respectable 7% growth in same-store sales, a metric that controls for store openings and closures to provide a more clear picture of location-level performance. Buying trends show that people are favoring essentials as they feel pressure from inflation and a slowing economy, and these tend to be lower margins for Dollar Tree. Yield tends to create more demand and reduce volatility, so Dollar Tree might lack that support, unlike many of its defensive peers in the consumer staples sector.