Dollar General Corporation has been in business since 1939. It is a discount variety store that sells name brand and generic merchandise. Their headquarters is in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Dollar General can usually be found in mid-size to small communities in strip malls and shopping plazas. They are usually located in residential neighborhoods where there is no room for bigger stores. The average store is only about 7,200 square feet: making the stores small and convenient for shoppers.

The company is the biggest ‘small-box’ retailer with discount prices. With over 9,800 stores in 38 states, their buying power allows them to keep prices under those of the competition. Each store has only 10,000 to 12,000 SKUs (stock keeping units) for the products in inventory. Although sold at a discount, they are one of the largest retailers of some of the top quality brands made in America.

Dollar General Corporation operates 9,867 stores, located in 38 states through the Midwest, South, Northern and Eastern parts of the country, including the eastern seaboard. The number of stores per state is listed below. States without Dollar General stores are not listed.

Location and Number of Stores Per State

Alabama

538

 Nebraska

79
Arizona

63

 Nevada

5
Arkansas

285

 New Hampshire

1
Colorado

28

 New Jersey

56
Connecticut

2

 New Mexico

53
Delaware

30

 New York

255
Florida

549

 North Carolina

556
Georgia

563

 Ohio

527
Illinois

367

 Oklahoma

308
Indiana

378

 Pennsylvania

428
Iowa

175

 South Carolina

400
Kansas

181

 South Dakota

11
Kentucky

378

 Tennessee

517
Louisiana

401

 Texas

1108
Maryland

74

 Utah

8
Michigan

283

 Vermont

15
Minnesota

16

 Virginia

275
Mississippi

333

 West Virginia

163
Missouri

361

 Wisconsin

97

In 2007, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Company (KKR) and other investment partners bought all of Dollar General’s stock and took the company private. In 2009 Dollar General was again taken public and is found on the NYSE as DG.

The acronym DG is also used by Dollar General as a brand of inexpensive household merchandise sold at the stores under the private labels DG Home, DG Baby, DG Health, and DG Body. Although named Dollar General, the stores are not dollar stores. The stores offer generic, name brand, and off-brand products. They also offer closeouts at the stores, often at the same time and same shelf.

In March of 2010, the company announced that it was to receive the exclusive rights to distribute Rexall brand products. Rexall brand supplements and vitamins were already being offered in Dollar General stores, but the full line arrived in the Fall of that year.

Dollar General is involved in programs for helping to encourage children and adults to read. It has helped thousands of people take those first steps toward becoming literate, earning a diploma and becoming proficient in English.

As of fiscal year end January 2010 (the most recent data available), total sales at Dollar General was $11.8 billion. The portion of consumables (groceries) was 70% of that at $8.3 billion. As of 2010, the chain has been rated number 14 among the top 50 grocery retailers, with a 1.6% share of the consumables market.

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