In a few days Dollar General will open its 10,000th store, and it will be a Dollar General Market, which resembles a “price-impact grocery store,” according to company officials. The store will open in California, where the company’s Market format is expected to see significant growth.
During a conference call to discuss fourth quarter results, executives said the company ended 2011 with 69 Dollar General Markets. As for the quarter, Dollar General’s net income totaled $293 million, up over 31% from the same period one year ago. Sales rose 20% to about $4.2 billion.
Produce Retailer’s Pamela Riemenschneider recently visited a Dollar General Market in Florida and came away pleasantly surprised. She said the store was easily double the footprint of a standard Dollar General and featured a bright green, “fresh” design. The produce department featured bagged apples, onions, potatoes, bananas, mangoes, several types of tomatoes and a 10-foot refrigerator packed with six types of bagged lettuce and salad, and many varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Currently there are no Dollar General Markets in PA, NJ or DE.