Small Town America vs. Big Box Stores

Yet over the last five years, Dollar General has opened over 3,500 new locations, including more than 100 in New York, nearly 200 in Ohio, and 300 in Texas. This expansion has brought the total number of Dollar General stores to over 18,000, solidifying its position as the largest retailer in the U.S. by store count. Looking ahead, the company plans to further grow its network, aiming for more than 51,000 outlets in the coming years. Some argue that the rapid expansion is simply the chain fulfilling fast-growing demand. When Dollar General first arrives and shoppers choose it over the homegrown alternative, this is no different than the market expressing its preferences. As the saying goes: “evolve or die.” That’s what one hardware store in New Orleans, Louisiana did to remain competitive with the growing number of big box retailers in the vicinity. “We feed off of what they don’t do, they can’t do,” the owner of Mike’s Hardware & Supply explained. Part of that looks like emphasizing ... Read full article.