$ Store is # 1

The discount store with the bright yellow sign is tucked away in an old strip mall between the homeless shelter and the mobile home park in my neighborhood. Often times I drove past it in order to locate the items on my list at an oversized super center that advertized low price savings. One day I didn’t feel like driving so far or battling the crowds scanning all the shelves so I ducked into the Dollar General.

I was amazed to see that they had most of the things I needed in both brand name and generic selections. Both were priced considerably less than I was used to shelling out at the local grocery market and comparable if not cheaper than what I paid at the super center. They didn’t have everything I needed, like dog food or produce but they have a lot. Now I always stop by the Dollar General for dry goods as well as cleaning supplies and the latest “As Seen on TV” phenomenon.

I’m not the only one who’s noticed the better bargains being offered at discount and dollar stores. Statistics show more and more consumers are choosing the convenience and cost of the mega mart alternative especially when it comes to needing supplies between big trips. With December numbers in, Dollar General declared a 68% rise in quarterly profits over the previous year. Family Dollar’s 23% rise equates to $358 million for the fiscal year that ended in August. Dollar Tree netted $234.8 million from February to the end of October 2010, which is a 149% increase over the same time span from four years ago.

The economy has helped drive customers to the dollar stores and the companies that own them responded. Aside from the super cheap prices and stocking up on products people actually use instead of a lot of made-in-China tchotchke they reorganized the sales floors and upgraded the lighting.

Now their efforts are paying off in profits and people. Dollar General recently announced it is growing to the tune of hiring 6,000 new employees for a total of 15,000 associates added since 2009. 625 new stores will be opening across the country and 550 will be remodeled or relocated. For the first time locations will be available in Connecticut, Nevada and New Hampshire.


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By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Nexxt. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.