Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General is hoping to grasp a larger share of the grocery business.
A Wall Street Journal story describes the retailer’s experiment to expand its Dollar General Market store concept, which offers fresh food and refrigerated products. The company plans to open 40 Market stores within the next year. A typical Dollar General Market is 16,000 s.f., or about double the size of a standard dollar store.
Although profit margins on groceries are slim, an expanded food selection draws in more customers.
Turning the discount chain into a true one-stop-shop won’t happen overnight, as the Journal reports: “They are a good opportunity for growth where they fit,” Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s CEO, said. “But we’re trying to be analytical and thoughtful, eating the elephant one bite at a time instead of swallowing the whole thing.”