GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- Dollar General Corp. in mid-August opened its 13,000th dollar store, located in Birmingham, Ala.
With 13,000 stores in 43 states, Dollar General is among the largest discount retailers in the United States. Its rival, Dollar Tree, has approximately 13,600 stores after it recently acquired Family Dollar. In the convenience-store channel, Irving Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. has approximately 8,400 stores in the United States, and Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has approximately 7,900 (if it acquires San Antonio-based c-store retailer CST Brands Inc., it will have approximately 9,900 stores in the United States).
“This morning’s grand opening celebration commemorates a major milestone for Dollar General and reflects our unwavering commitment and dedication to provide convenience and everyday low prices to the communities we serve,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “We look to deliver the Dollar General business model to communities across the country.”
The Birmingham dollar store is one of 900 new stores the company said it plans to open in 2016.
Dollar General also has announced construction of five new stores in southeastern North Dakota, and it plans to identify additional areas for new-store growth in the state. It expects to open these stores in spring 2017, and when completed, expands the company’s presence to 44 states. It expanded into Maine, Rhode Island and Oregon in March 2015.
In North Dakota, stores are under construction in Oakes, Ellendale, Hankinson, Hillsboro and Gwinner.
These five stores will offer customers the traditional Dollar General store format, with an approximately 9,100-square-foot building with a 7,400-square-foot sales floor. The stores’ layout provides a customer-friendly format with fast checkout, as seasonal products are displayed in the center of the stores, departments are easily recognizable with visible signage and coolers are conveniently located at the front of the stores.
The company prices more than 80% of its merchandise at $5 or less, it said. In addition to customer convenience, Dollar General typically takes demographics, competitive analyses and traffic patterns, among other factors, into consideration when determining new store locations.
Dollar General offers products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations. Dollar General also is making a major leap into fuel retailing with the purchase of 41 former Walmart Express stores. The discount retailer intends to operate the fueling stations at 37 of these locations.
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