Just in time for Memorial Day cookouts, backyard barbecues, and the annual realization that your kitchen tongs somehow vanished into another dimension, Dollar General is launching a new kitchenware line that wants to prove budget-friendly doesn’t have to look budget-friendly.
The discount retailer announced the launch of Simmer & Stir, a new private-label kitchen collection featuring nearly 30 cooking tools and accessories designed to look surprisingly upscale — a vaguely Pinterest-core aesthetic — while still staying firmly within Dollar General territory price-wise.
The collection officially will hit around 16,000 stores nationwide on May 11, just ahead of peak grilling-and-hosting season, and includes everything from measuring cups and mixing bowls to whisks, tongs, spatulas, turners, and serving tools. Most items fall somewhere between $2 and $3.50, while nothing in the collection costs more than $12.
Luxe-for-Less
This might be the latest sign that retailers are finally realizing consumers are tired of choosing between “cheap” and “cute.” People still want affordable kitchen basics — especially with grocery prices costs continuing to climb — but they also don’t necessarily want their kitchens looking like a forgotten college dorm kitchenette circa 2012.
“With Simmer & Stir, we’re making it possible for customers to refresh their kitchens with tools that look great, perform beautifully and fit their budget,” said Natalie McConnell, Dollar General’s vice president and division merchandise manager of apparel, holiday and home.
The new line also continues Dollar General’s recent push toward more elevated-looking home products, including collaborations with Dolly Parton and Holly Williams.
Because apparently even dollar stores know we’re all trying to romanticize our lives a little now — preferably with matching measuring spoons and aesthetically pleasing tongs.
