The two largest chains of dollar stores in the country posted higher sales and profits in their latest quarter, a sign that consumers are flocking to discount retailers as rapid inflation eats into their budgets.Tellingly, both companies said on Thursday that higher-income shoppers were visiting their stores more frequently. The dollar-store business model — to attract consumers in rural areas and neighborhoods with fewer shopping options by offering prices that are lower than at local retailers — is designed to work even when its customers are hurting financially, as many are with inflation running stubbornly high.In the past year, the majority of new customers at Dollar Tree had an annual household income of at least $80,000, Mike Witynski, the chain’s chief executive, said on a call wi …
