Dollar General was founded in Scottsville, Kentucky, as a family company, by J.L. Turner. The company is now based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The first store was opened in 1946 (by 1955 there were already 35 of them). The main business idea of the company, adopted in 1955, was that no product in the store would cost more than one dollar. The idea became a success, and as a result, all other stores owned by J.L. Turner & Son Inc. followed the strategy. The company was previously known as J.L. Turner & Son Inc. and changed its name to Dollar General Corporation in 1968.
Dollar General sells all kinds of products, from dairy products, meat products, dry foods, frozen foods, snacks and beer, clothing, detergents, home decor, health and beauty products to pet supplies, toys, tobacco products and seasonal products. The key difference from other stores is the extremely low prices. The company has 4 main segments of goods: consumables – 78%; seasonal goods – 11.7%; home products – 5.8%; clothing – 4.5%.
Dollar General operates more than 17,000 stores in the continental United States. As for today, the prices in the Dollar General stores vary from 0.50 to 60 US dollars. Dollar General has grown into one of the most profitable companies in the United States, with annual revenue of approximately $33 billion in 2021. Interesting fact: Dollar General is a long-term sponsor of auto racing.
As of 2021, Dollar General operates more than 17,000 stores in 43 US states with approximately 143,000 employees. The company currently only has stores in the USA, but plans an international expansion to Mexico with 10 locations. The hours of operation of Dollar General stores vary based upon location. Typically, stores across all the states operate from 8 AM till 9 PM. For exact information regarding business hours and other business details, please select your location from the list above.
