Dollar General
From Free net encyclopedia
Dollar General (Template:Nyse) is a chain of limited-selection consumable retail stores operating in 30 U.S. states. Founded in 1955 by Cal Turner in Scottsville, Kentucky, its headquarters are now located in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville. The chain operates more than 8,000 stores. The stores are typically in small shopping plazas or strip malls in local neighborhoods; however, in recent years, the chain has started constructing more stand-alone stores, typically in areas not served by another general-merchandise retailer.
Dollar General offers both first-quality and lesser-quality merchandise — including off-brand goods and closeouts of name-brand items — in the same store, often on the same shelf.
Although it has the word "dollar" in the name, Dollar General is not a dollar store in the strict sense of the phrase, because it has goods that are priced at more (or less) than a dollar. However, goods are usually sold at set price points of 10¢, 25¢, 33¢, 50¢, $1, $1.50, $2.00, $2.50, $3.00, $4.00, $5.00, $6.00, $8.00, $10, $12, $15, and $20. Most items are $1 or less.
Dollar General typically serves communities that are too small to attract a Wal-Mart, as well as inner cities. It competes in the dollar store format with national chains Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, regional chains such as Fred's in the southeast, and numerous independently owned stores. More recently, its move toward multiple stores in suburban areas is an effort to give customers the low prices they might find at Wal-Mart or K-Mart, but without the hassle of shopping in supercenters. Indeed, some of its newer stores are within sight of Wal-Mart Supercenter locations.
Since the turn of the century, Dollar General has experimented with stores that carry a greater selection of grocery items, including a handful of grocery-only stores. These stores (similar to the Wal-Mart Supercenter, but much smaller) operate under the name "Dollar General Market".