embracing a growing rural market, dollar general ready for big 2018 store expansion

In an era when many of the country’s leading retailers have been announcing store closings, the Dollar General Corporation is getting ready to build some 900 new outlets this year.
 
In recent days, the retailer has seen the beginning of construction on three new stores in Georgia, Kansas, and Pennsylvania, followed by the news late last year that it is building a new 1 million square foot distribution center in Longview, Texas.
 
That facility marks the 17th distribution center designed to serve Dollar General’s expanding network, which today is just a little over 14,300 stories.
 
Although a Dollar General spokesperson declined to say where the new stores for 2018 are planned, one of the announced strategies for the chain is to become an even larger presence in rural communities than it already is.
 
Dollar General Chief Executive Officer Todd Vascos recently commented that the corporation’s building strategy means that around 75 percent of the country’s population is now within 5 miles of a Dollar General.
 
On top of the new outlets, Dollar General also plans on remodeling at least 1,000 of its already up-and-running stores.

By Garry Boulard