I don't know how long this been going on or if it's occurring in other areas, but I've noticed here in Kentucky Dollar General have really expanded with new stores, especially in really small communities. I just find it odd to see since I'm use to seeing Dollar General as a store you find in strip malls.
I'm sure HB Elkins would know. He knows many things Kentucky.
Dollar stores in general have been growing much faster than other retailers due to their lower overhead, smaller footprints, and relative popularity. But they're also helping fuel food deserts (as most don't have fresh produce or even healthy packaged options), drive more inequality, and are generally a blight on neighborhoods.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-20/when-the-closest-grocery-store-is-a-dollar-store
Been noticing Dollar General in particular marching closer and closer to the Seattle area, having first appeared in rural Washington a few years ago. Would much rather have more conventional grocers out in the countryside.
(Also, in terms of dollar stores I'd much rather have something more fun like Daiso)
Dollar stores are controversial in New England (no surprise there). That doesn't mean they're unpopular, esp. in an age of rising costs and inflation.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiMp8qF7s_4AhVvkYkEHapfBTc4ChAWegQIBBAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.consumerreports.org%2Fdollar-stores%2Fthe-truth-about-those-dollar-stores%2F&usg=AOvVaw1H_z3qrYyTYmFVcEJUdh75
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-dollar-stores-became-magnets-for-crime-and-killing
Dollar General has been expanding into very rural areas throughout the South for about a decade now.
Same thing in Michigan. There are over 600 DG's in the state and they keep popping up everywhere in very remote areas in an area where you'd otherwise not expect to find one. It seems like every small town has one.
https://youtu.be/DIqC5y1zm-4
To be fair, a lot of them seem to pop up where there was no local competition, other than a gas station. The stores are chaoticly organized but sometimes you can find some decent deals.
Lots in small towns in Colorado too. Stopped at one in Meeker earlier this year and it was busy for such a small town.
Absolutely. Just got one in Severance. Now we have two convenience stores.
They tend to pop up in more rural communities that aren't large enough to support a big box retailer.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on June 28, 2022, 10:26:39 AM
They tend to pop up in more rural communities that aren't large enough to support a big box retailer.
Nor even a junior box retailer.
Some even have gas pumps.
Quote from: XamotCGC on June 28, 2022, 12:54:52 AM
I don't know how long this been going on or if it's occurring in other areas, but I've noticed here in Kentucky Dollar General have really expanded with new stores, especially in really small communities. I just find it odd to see since I'm use to seeing Dollar General as a store you find in strip malls.
They are doing that in Southern Indiana as well.
Dollar General is expanding at a faster pace than Family Dollar. They have been appearing in rural communities that are crossroads hamlets, near "major" (relatively speaking) traffic generators, or as supplemental locations to places that already have one.
Estill County now has five. There has always been one just west of the Irvine city limits, dating back to the chain's infancy. In recent years new locations have been built in the city of Ravenna, near the intersection of KY 82 and KY 89 at Hargett (locally known as Harg) in the northwestern part of the county, on KY 52 west near KY 1353/KY 3325, and most recently, a grocery store that closed down was repurposed as a Dollar General Marketplace (offering fresh produce).
In Perry County, one was built near the Coalfields Industrial Park off KY 15 in the northern part of the county. It captures workers at the businesses located in the industrial park. One in Wolfe County was built not far from a Lion Apparel factory. Makes it easy for someone headed home to run in and grab something.
If you use their digital coupons and selectively shop, you can find better values than Walmart sometimes.
Family Dollar has not been expanding quite as aggressively, but they too are extending their reach outside incorporated areas/county seats and building locations in rural communities.
Being used to seeing a plethora of Dollar General locations in rural communities, and with most incorporated towns having both a DG and a FD, I was really surprised at how few there were out west when I went last year. Finding a Family Dollar in Dillon, Mont., was a blessing. A community that size in Kentucky, with a college, would have a number of chain stores and probably even a Walmart.
Dollar General was founded in Kentucky but is now headquartered in Tennessee.
Yes to the point, they are finding it hard to get ANY employees in some locations. They are closing some stores simply because they cannot staff them MINIMALLY (1 person per shift.)
They closed the store in my TINY hometown (population 500) and the community came up and helped the new hires re-organize the store. IE for free. They fired the previous store lead because she kept the store open and incurred overtime.
Are they the ones with the giant distribution center at an old air base turned industrial park in Oklahoma? It was one of those dollar chains, I remember seeing.
Or is it 'Dollars General'... :hmmm:
I think I had it figured out that the average for a Michigan county is 7 Dollar General's per county. There is only 1 Dollar General in Keweenaw County which is the least populated county in the state in a very remote area and it's near the county line, after that there is one in Calumet and one in Lake Linden.
I was trying to figure out if there was a county in Michigan without a Dollar General but Michigan counties are big enough in area that I don't think that there is one.
Dollar General planned to build two stores on Lake Superior's North Shore, in Silver Bay and in Grand Marais. The Grand Marais plan was extremely controversial and eventually chased out by the city attempting to protect the touristy, kitschy feel, although turning DG away was not entirely without controversy as some of the permanent residents expressed it may have been good for the locals. The Silver Bay store never came to fruition either, although their economy depends less on tourism and the town's political views are not nearly as far to the left as Grand Marais's are, so I'm not sure why that one didn't happen.
Quote from: bwana39 on June 28, 2022, 01:12:36 PM
Yes to the point, they are finding it hard to get ANY employees in some locations. They are closing some stores simply because they cannot staff them MINIMALLY (1 person per shift.)
They closed the store in my TINY hometown (population 500) and the community came up and helped the new hires re-organize the store. IE for free. They fired the previous store lead because she kept the store open and incurred overtime.
I had filled in for a couple of days for my job in the Salt Lake City area earlier this year. There was one DG in particular which was located halfway between Downtown and the SLC Airport and next to an elementary school.
They had 2-3 employees working there when I came by at 230PM to service the store, yet they had a big sign on the door saying their store closed daily at *3PM* until further notice. I finished my tasks and high-tailed out of there just as they locked up at 3pm.
3PM?? Next to an elementary school??? In a large town???
La Porte (where I live) has FOUR Dollar Generals in a town of ~20k population.
In the past 10 years, 3 Dollar Generals have popped up within 10 minutes of me, including 2 in my town. Those are in addition to the two Dollar Trees in town, but we do have a Walmart and Target. Dollar General was pretty much nonexistent northeast of PA in 2010.
That started in my area (outer DFW) years ago. They built stores in small towns and on busier roads miles outside of bigger towns or between towns. The stores aren't very big and seem intended to draw customers from a small area. Near me, a larger town has two Dollar Generals and two Family Dollars, in addition to larger supermarkets, and a town 15 miles away has a Dollar General and one of those small-time higher-priced grocery stores, and they put a Dollar General on a rural road in between the two towns. The land is probably cheaper there. They're hoping the people who live in that area will go to the nearby store instead of driving several miles farther to go to Walmart or another low-price supermarket. I've seen them on the edge of a small town (sub-500 population), in a town that's so small it doesn't really have a middle or edge, and on a rural road between a small town and a very small town. The strategy seems to be to use a smaller footprint and higher density to gain a semi-captive market. You can't do all your shopping there, but it's a good place to make supplementary purchases near home.
This inspired several jokes. One tells us that when you see a small hill or pile of dirt while driving through the country, that's a Dollar General egg getting ready to hatch.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on June 28, 2022, 06:02:56 PM
Dollar General planned to build two stores on Lake Superior's North Shore, in Silver Bay and in Grand Marais. The Grand Marais plan was extremely controversial and eventually chased out by the city attempting to protect the touristy, kitschy feel, although turning DG away was not entirely without controversy as some of the permanent residents expressed it may have been good for the locals. The Silver Bay store never came to fruition either, although their economy depends less on tourism and the town's political views are not nearly as far to the left as Grand Marais's are, so I'm not sure why that one didn't happen.
In Texas and Oklahoma. The Dollar Generals have enhanced the marketability of AirBnB's and VRBO's. It seems to help the tourist market more than hinder it due to them being downscale. The point being there are places to buy supplies. It used to be you might to drive 30 miles to get a forgotten or used up item,
Dollar General has added a ton of stores in more rural parts of Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the past decade. Even in some not-rural areas (like the west end of Dracut, MA) that aren't served by similar retail. To this day, I've never been in one, not for any bad reason just never felt or had the need to check one out.
I hate them.
- They are the supposed to be the answer for customers that like to shop at Walmart yet can not afford to or otherwise just do not drive to Walmart.
- And also the answer for people travelling on highways where nothing else is around.
- A substitute of Kmart.
Perhaps it would not be so bad if some of these new Dollar Generals are Dollar General Markets.
Quote from: KCRoadFan on June 28, 2022, 01:06:03 AM
I'm sure HB Elkins would know. He knows many things Kentucky.
I have been pronouncing it as "H. Belkins" the all this time.
Another big attraction is that you can duck in and buy sundries without driving to Wally World and fighting the crowds. I wouldn't go there for fresh foods, though.
Their business model is interesting. Minimal HR costs, filling a needed niche.
The last job my wife's mother worked at was Dollar General. She started having heart problems. Dollar General was giving her the runaround about her insurance, so she never got to see the doctor. She ended up dying. My wife holds Dollar General responsible for her death, so we have a strict policy never to shop there.
Quote from: Road Hog on July 03, 2022, 02:32:30 PM
Another big attraction is that you can duck in and buy sundries without driving to Wally World and fighting the crowds. I wouldn't go there for fresh foods, though.
Their business model is interesting. Minimal HR costs, filling a needed niche.
Does anyone aside from my wife actually enjoy shopping at Wal-Mart?
What's there to enjoy about Walmart? You get crammed into a concrete and metal warehouse with a bunch of other people, navigating aisles that are so narrow you can barely get two carts past each other, looking for things that are constantly being rearranged so you can't find anything, all while the overhead security cameras ching at you incessantly.
The only good thing about Walmart used to be that they were 24 hours, so at least you could go at 2am when nobody else was there, but since the pandemic they actually close, so they're 100% useless now.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 03, 2022, 04:19:26 PM
What's there to enjoy about Walmart? You get crammed into a concrete and metal warehouse with a bunch of other people, navigating aisles that are so narrow you can barely get two carts past each other, looking for things that are constantly being rearranged so you can't find anything, all while the overhead security cameras ching at you incessantly.
The only good thing about Walmart used to be that they were 24 hours, so at least you could go at 2am when nobody else was there, but since the pandemic they actually close, so they're 100% useless now.
Wow. Walmarts suck even worse where you're at. I don't enjoy Walmarts, but they do vary in quality. There are two in my area. One has a smaller selection and narrow aisles. The other's aisles are fine.
Neither has chinging cameras.
Quote from: Rothman on July 03, 2022, 04:27:15 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 03, 2022, 04:19:26 PM
What's there to enjoy about Walmart? You get crammed into a concrete and metal warehouse with a bunch of other people, navigating aisles that are so narrow you can barely get two carts past each other, looking for things that are constantly being rearranged so you can't find anything, all while the overhead security cameras ching at you incessantly.
The only good thing about Walmart used to be that they were 24 hours, so at least you could go at 2am when nobody else was there, but since the pandemic they actually close, so they're 100% useless now.
Wow. Walmarts suck even worse where you're at. I don't enjoy Walmarts, but they do vary in quality. There are two in my area. One has a smaller selection and narrow aisles. The other's aisles are fine.
Neither has chinging cameras.
The local stores have all the security theater beeping and booping cameras too. The local Wal-Marts are big on one-way corrals and demanding receipts for even the most insignificant of purchase. My refusal to show my receipt for a 20oz Mountain Dew at the Kings Canyon Wal-Mart is something my wife will likely never forgive me for.
The Jackson, Ky. Walmart (a smaller WM dating back to 1985, not a supercenter) has the chinging overhead cameras but only in the health and beauty aisles. Do they really have that much of an issue with people shoplifting shampoo or toothpaste?
Quote from: hbelkins on July 03, 2022, 05:27:30 PM
The Jackson, Ky. Walmart (a smaller WM dating back to 1985, not a supercenter) has the chinging overhead cameras but only in the health and beauty aisles. Do they really have that much of an issue with people shoplifting shampoo or toothpaste?
Yes, generally most Walmart LP managers I've met usually say they expect 200 plus shoplift apprehensions a year. That number is just what they catch, figure there is a 10-1 ratio for what they miss.
There was one time I was looking around the health and beauty aisles for some thing that my wife sent me for that I'd never heard of, so I didn't know exactly where it was. After having been chinged at by the same half-dozen cameras about 50 times, I finally was so pissed off I left the store without buying anything, went home, and ordered it on Amazon.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 03, 2022, 04:16:36 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on July 03, 2022, 02:32:30 PM
Another big attraction is that you can duck in and buy sundries without driving to Wally World and fighting the crowds. I wouldn't go there for fresh foods, though.
Their business model is interesting. Minimal HR costs, filling a needed niche.
Does anyone aside from my wife actually enjoy shopping at Wal-Mart?
My sister-in-law loves it. It is like a day at the mall circa 1990. I used to work there and on my day off, i would stay away.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 03, 2022, 05:27:30 PM
The Jackson, Ky. Walmart (a smaller WM dating back to 1985, not a supercenter) has the chinging overhead cameras but only in the health and beauty aisles. Do they really have that much of an issue with people shoplifting shampoo or toothpaste?
The most commonly shoplifted item in Wal-Mart is in the HBA department. No, it isn't shampoo, toothpaste , or even adult diapers (note humor.) It is condoms and pregnancy tests. They tend to take them out of the boxes and ditch the boxes in the shelves. The running joke was / is we (the Associates) hope the shoplifter still needed the condoms.
Quote from: bwana39 on July 04, 2022, 11:07:45 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 03, 2022, 05:27:30 PM
The Jackson, Ky. Walmart (a smaller WM dating back to 1985, not a supercenter) has the chinging overhead cameras but only in the health and beauty aisles. Do they really have that much of an issue with people shoplifting shampoo or toothpaste?
The most commonly shoplifted item in Wal-Mart is in the HBA department. No, it isn't shampoo, toothpaste , or even adult diapers (note humor.) It is condoms and pregnancy tests. They tend to take them out of the boxes and ditch the boxes in the shelves. The running joke was / is we (the Associates) hope the shoplifter needed the condoms.
I can confirm this working in one from 1996-2001, you would find TONS of empty packages of each of those all around the store. That dept. in general has one of Walmart's higher shrink rates.
I can also confirm my hometown location has the overhead dinging cameras all over the place. When I worked there (pre-Supercentre conversion) those theatrics were missing, though having the women's fitting room associate (who took all outside calls) page "security cameras A and B now scanning" every hour was almost as ridiculous. Actually, now thinking of it, it was much more ridiculous. I guess any era of Walmart has something dumb going on at it.
Quote from: SectorZ on July 04, 2022, 06:17:00 PM
having the women's fitting room associate (who took all outside calls) page "security cameras A and B now scanning" every hour was almost as ridiculous. Actually, now thinking of it, it was much more ridiculous.
Pffft. "Security cameras A and B now scanning" implies that the rest of the time, security cameras A and B
aren't scanning. Just steal shit then.
Am I really the only one who doesn't really have much of an issue with shopping at Walmart? I don't give a shit about whether there are one-way gates at the store entrances or whether there are security cameras above me. If someone wants to see my receipt, whatever. It takes like 5 seconds of my time.
Sure, their huge size does make it kind of difficult to find stuff on occasion if it's an unfamiliar location, but I find their lower prices worth it.
Quote from: US 89 on July 04, 2022, 07:59:24 PM
Am I really the only one who doesn't really have much of an issue with shopping at Walmart? I don't give a shit about whether there are one-way gates at the store entrances or whether there are security cameras above me. If someone wants to see my receipt, whatever. It takes like 5 seconds of my time.
Sure, their huge size does make it kind of difficult to find stuff on occasion if it's an unfamiliar location, but I find their lower prices worth it.
The issue with Walmart is with their business practices and how they treat their employees, not the customer experience inside the store.
Stand-alone stores have been Dollar General's approach for some time now. They're convenient for small towns without big-box prospects.
Quote from: US 89 on July 04, 2022, 07:59:24 PM
Am I really the only one who doesn't really have much of an issue with shopping at Walmart? I don't give a shit about whether there are one-way gates at the store entrances or whether there are security cameras above me. If someone wants to see my receipt, whatever. It takes like 5 seconds of my time.
Sure, their huge size does make it kind of difficult to find stuff on occasion if it's an unfamiliar location, but I find their lower prices worth it.
I mean, is it a deal-killer? No, not necessarily, especially if they have something I need right away or which is impractical to order online (heavy, fragile, perishable, etc.). But the shopping experience is so much better at the local Crest grocery store, and the prices are more or less the same (some things are cheaper there, some are cheaper at Walmart, so it evens out), that I would rather just avoid it altogether and use Amazon whenever I need something Crest doesn't have.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 04, 2022, 08:50:22 PM
Quote from: US 89 on July 04, 2022, 07:59:24 PM
Am I really the only one who doesn't really have much of an issue with shopping at Walmart? I don't give a shit about whether there are one-way gates at the store entrances or whether there are security cameras above me. If someone wants to see my receipt, whatever. It takes like 5 seconds of my time.
Sure, their huge size does make it kind of difficult to find stuff on occasion if it's an unfamiliar location, but I find their lower prices worth it.
I mean, is it a deal-killer? No, not necessarily, especially if they have something I need right away or which is impractical to order online (heavy, fragile, perishable, etc.). But the shopping experience is so much better at the local Crest grocery store, and the prices are more or less the same (some things are cheaper there, some are cheaper at Walmart, so it evens out), that I would rather just avoid it altogether and use Amazon whenever I need something Crest doesn't have.
On a professional level as someone who has worked in Loss Prevention for 20 years it's hard to shop at Walmart. They do basically all the wrong things for theft deterrence and try to sell through their inventory shrink. It's hard for me to walk through a store and not see things I've been trained to see as being bad for two decades. Granted it generally works out for Walmart, all the same why would I subject myself to having to shop within their security theater hell scape if I didn't have to?
Walmart is making money hand over fist. I'm sure they have budgeted for the annual amounts of shoplifted products just like how the spend $$$ on frequent remodels of their stores. I have a 4 year-old Walmart Neighborhood Market around the corner from me that has gone through no less than 3 "remodels". That's 3 remodels more than what the dinosaur Sears and Kmarts have done in the last 50 years!!!
Walmart really capitalized on their nationwide growth during their "Made In The USA" campaign era. Once in place, they quietly opened up their inventory to overseas exports. THAT'S my beef about WALLY World.
Quote from: thenetwork on July 04, 2022, 10:42:49 PM
Walmart is making money hand over fist. I'm sure they have budgeted for the annual amounts of shoplifted products just like how the spend $$$ on frequent remodels of their stores. I have a 4 year-old Walmart Neighborhood Market around the corner from me that has gone through no less than 3 "remodels". That's 3 remodels more than what the dinosaur Sears and Kmarts have done in the last 50 years!!!
Walmart really capitalized on their nationwide growth during their "Made In The USA" campaign era. Once in place, they quietly opened up their inventory to overseas exports. THAT'S my beef about WALLY World.
Yes, on a Profit and Loss Statement it usually is designated as a Shrink Reserve. Considering the Inventory Shrink dollar amount is divided by Net Sales to get a Shrink Percent it is easy to hide a bad shrink result with high sales. Where retailers get exposed is when Net Sales fall below forecast expectations. I'm far more impressed when a store can operationally obtain a low Shrink Percent result and remain profitable with lower Net Sales.
Regarding Sears, they had over $10,000,000,000 in cash reserves before the last big recession. They chose to try to own most of their properties outright rather than reinvest into store remodels. It bit them in the butt, but really get them into a death spiral was getting into bed with Kmart and Eddie Lampert.
The question in my mind is, how long can Walmart sustain it's current model before pushing customers away? They found a way to adapt to online competition, but really the Walmart model remains low cost and lowest common denominator customer experience/service. At some point just like Sears before them, someone will come around who can offer what Walmart does and not have it come off as the ghetto-police state.
Walmart's the only gig in town for a whole lot of people. They're never going to lose significant numbers of customers.
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:01:46 PM
Walmart's the only gig in town for a whole lot of people. They're never going to lose significant numbers of customers.
People did say similar things about Sears. If one thing is true about corporate America, it's that nothing is forever.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2022, 11:02:54 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:01:46 PM
Walmart's the only gig in town for a whole lot of people. They're never going to lose significant numbers of customers.
People did say similar things about Sears. If one thing is true about corporate America, it's that nothing is forever.
Walmart's customer base is different than Sears. They have a lock on the lower classes.
Stop giving me hope to the contrary. Of course, they'll probably be replaced by something even worse for our society.
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:04:50 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2022, 11:02:54 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:01:46 PM
Walmart's the only gig in town for a whole lot of people. They're never going to lose significant numbers of customers.
People did say similar things about Sears. If one thing is true about corporate America, it's that nothing is forever.
Walmart's customer base is different than Sears. They have a lock on the lower classes.
Stop giving me hope to the contrary. Of course, they'll probably be replaced by something even worse for our society.
To your point, that's the hook that Walmart caters to the lower income demographics. It's not as though the lower income brackets tend to have much choice than Walmart when it comes to a big box store. The other big box retailers don't want to compete because they know it will take big sales numbers to make it profitable. At present moment it's only smaller retailers like Dollar General who tend to find niches to exploit where Walmart doesn't have much of a presence. It might not coming any time soon, but someone will inevitably find a way to exploit Walmart's niche. I would be curious to see how Walmart would react if it suddenly had legitimate competition for their customer base.
In the Great Lakes region I think Meijer is a better store than Walmart. And in areas of Michigan Meijer dominates Walmart and does a better job. They have a much better grocery department as Meijer is a grocery store first and then a department store where Walmart is a department store that knew nothing about the grocery business like Meijer did. If I have a choice between the two I pick Meijer every single time but if I have to settle for a Walmart that's ok too. And I feel like I'm supporting the economy of my home state by shopping at Meijer as well.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 04, 2022, 11:11:01 PM
In the Great Lakes region I think Meijer is a better store than Walmart. And in areas of Michigan Meijer dominates Walmart and does a better job. They have a much better grocery department as Meijer is a grocery store first and then a department store where Walmart is a department store that knew nothing about the grocery business like Meijer did. If I have a choice between the two I pick Meijer every single time but if I have to settle for a Walmart that's ok too. And I feel like I'm supporting the economy of my home state by shopping at Meijer as well.
Meijer always struck me as a less abrasive super Walmart. They definitely had more of a middle income draw in Michigan than Walmart did.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2022, 11:16:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 04, 2022, 11:11:01 PM
In the Great Lakes region I think Meijer is a better store than Walmart. And in areas of Michigan Meijer dominates Walmart and does a better job. They have a much better grocery department as Meijer is a grocery store first and then a department store where Walmart is a department store that knew nothing about the grocery business like Meijer did. If I have a choice between the two I pick Meijer every single time but if I have to settle for a Walmart that's ok too. And I feel like I'm supporting the economy of my home state by shopping at Meijer as well.
Meijer always struck me as a less abrasive super Walmart. They definitely had more of a middle income draw in Michigan than Walmart did.
They indeed became well established in Michigan. I think about half their locations are in the state and they have locations in the U.P. now too.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 04, 2022, 11:28:05 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2022, 11:16:57 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 04, 2022, 11:11:01 PM
In the Great Lakes region I think Meijer is a better store than Walmart. And in areas of Michigan Meijer dominates Walmart and does a better job. They have a much better grocery department as Meijer is a grocery store first and then a department store where Walmart is a department store that knew nothing about the grocery business like Meijer did. If I have a choice between the two I pick Meijer every single time but if I have to settle for a Walmart that's ok too. And I feel like I'm supporting the economy of my home state by shopping at Meijer as well.
Meijer always struck me as a less abrasive super Walmart. They definitely had more of a middle income draw in Michigan than Walmart did.
They indeed became well established in Michigan. I think about half their locations are in the state and they have locations in the U.P. now too.
I prefer Meijer as well. I will drive 15 minutes to go to the local Meijer rather than drive 5 minutes to the nearby Walmart. I've been so disappointed that Meijer bought land to put a store in my town, but after five plus years has never turned the first shovel of dirt, and I'm expecting that they never will now. They would sure take business from my neighborhood Super Walmart.
Even in locations where Walmart has a presence, new DGs have been opening. I think this is to draw the "avoid the crowds" shoppers. It's easier to stop at a DG after work, run in and get a couple of items that you need, and run out, than it is to go to Walmart and navigate the parking lot and traverse a bigger store for a handful of things that may be far-flung.
I have been using WM's online ordering with great frequency lately. It helps save me a trip to find out that the item I need is out of stock.
Quote from: US 89 on July 04, 2022, 07:59:24 PM
Am I really the only one who doesn't really have much of an issue with shopping at Walmart? I don't give a shit about whether there are one-way gates at the store entrances or whether there are security cameras above me. If someone wants to see my receipt, whatever. It takes like 5 seconds of my time.
Sure, their huge size does make it kind of difficult to find stuff on occasion if it's an unfamiliar location, but I find their lower prices worth it.
For me it depends a lot on the location. I used to live in Meridian, and the location nearest to me (on Overland next to Roaring Springs) was not too bad. Parking lot wasn't bad, easy to get in and out, not too crowded, and was always clean and well stocked. The one on Ten Mile and McMillan is even better. I shopped at Walmart a lot when I lived there.
But now I live in Boise, and the only Supercenter in Boise proper (and the only Walmart convenient to my house), near Overland/Cole, is a zoo. The parking lot sucks, traffic in the area sucks since it's next to Lowes, Costco, a movie theater, and a bunch of other stuff. It's always busy, and you're more likely to run into empty or disorganized shelves. Though that's gotten better recently, it was pretty bad during peak Covid. I much prefer shopping at Albertsons or Fred Meyer (they're also closer to be fair). Even if it means paying a bit more.
And if I want to save money, I can drive the other direction and go to Winco, which is also a more pleasant experience than Walmart IMO, and is even cheaper for most items. For general merch, Target is also an option, but the traffic and crowd situation there is just as bad as Walmart. Wish they would open another one.
I've got three Walmarts in my area that range from decent to house of horrors, from furthest and closest to I-5. Definitely prefer to take my business elsewhere, but there are times where it's handy and more affordable.
I normally go for Costco (decent employee treatment and good service, but crowded), Winco (employee-owned and open 24/7, but selection can be lacking), or Fred Meyer (unionized but pricey) before dipping into my second-tier stores for non-food goods.
I don't want to get too deep into Walmart stuff, but they've made strides in employee pay and work conditions over the last 20 years or so. The new management is more attuned to middle-of-the-road social stances. The money of progressive thinkers is the same color as the money of full-blown thumpers.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 04, 2022, 09:03:12 PM
On a professional level as someone who has worked in Loss Prevention for 20 years it's hard to shop at Walmart. They do basically all the wrong things for theft deterrence and try to sell through their inventory shrink. It's hard for me to walk through a store and not see things I've been trained to see as being bad for two decades. Granted it generally works out for Walmart, all the same why would I subject myself to having to shop within their security theater hell scape if I didn't have to?
I've never noticed any particular elements of Walmart's theft deterrence except for those relatively new gates at the entrance to the store. What are the sorts of things that you, as a professional, have noticed?
Quote from: Road Hog on July 08, 2022, 06:37:12 PM
I don't want to get too deep into Walmart stuff, but they've made strides in employee pay and work conditions over the last 20 years or so. The new management is more attuned to middle-of-the-road social stances. The money of progressive thinkers is the same color as the money of full-blown thumpers.
The time I went to a Walmart for the first time after a well-publicized company-wide pay increase was shocking. I've never had so many Walmart employees trying to be helpful.
Of course, with inflation that pay rise has basically eroded, so they went back to situation normal since then. But it's kind of remarkable how much nicer people are when you actually pay them to be.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on July 08, 2022, 06:40:37 PM
I've never noticed any particular elements of Walmart's theft deterrence except for those relatively new gates at the entrance to the store. What are the sorts of things that you, as a professional, have noticed?
The Walmart by me had removed those gates.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 08, 2022, 07:17:42 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on July 08, 2022, 06:37:12 PM
I don't want to get too deep into Walmart stuff, but they've made strides in employee pay and work conditions over the last 20 years or so. The new management is more attuned to middle-of-the-road social stances. The money of progressive thinkers is the same color as the money of full-blown thumpers.
The time I went to a Walmart for the first time after a well-publicized company-wide pay increase was shocking. I've never had so many Walmart employees trying to be helpful.
Of course, with inflation that pay rise has basically eroded, so they went back to situation normal since then. But it's kind of remarkable how much nicer people are when you actually pay them to be.
Job security also increases morale. Businesses are more likely to keep employees rather than making them feel like they're next to be fired for little slip-ups or budget cuts. Employees then feel more confident and not worry about where their next few paychecks might come from.
On the other hand, sometimes that desperation leads to a few lower-quality applicants, so the yin and yang of employment continues...
Of course, at my last employer, longer-term employees had a target on their back, since they had X years of annual raises and it would be cheaper to replace them with a brand-new employee who would only earn base pay. So the more experienced employees would get in trouble for every little thing that the newer employees were allowed to get away with. (I once got in trouble for using the coin counter too many times.)
Yeah the Dollar Generals always used to be in the strip malls, often right next to a Family Dollar in fact. However, in the last 15 years I started noticing DG opening new stand alone locations and vacating the strip malls.
In the last five years the remote location DGs are popping up here every few miles. My town has around 7 locations now, whereas 10 years ago I think we had one. I can go about 3 miles from my house in either direction and there is a DG. To me they are kind of convenient, but I don't find the pricing to be all that amazing.
Family Dollar on the other hand has not been expanding much at all. They are still in the strip malls here and have only opened one new stand alone location in my area within the past 10 years or so.
Quote from: Big John on July 08, 2022, 08:08:10 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on July 08, 2022, 06:40:37 PM
I've never noticed any particular elements of Walmart's theft deterrence except for those relatively new gates at the entrance to the store. What are the sorts of things that you, as a professional, have noticed?
The Walmart by me had removed those gates.
I'd bet enough money that a very unhappy fire chief was responsible for that. They are not fans of things that slow egress out of a building and/or slow theirs into one.
My local Walmarts have removed the gates as well.
^^ Speaking of the fire chief, a Dollar General near me recently reopened after being shut down by a fire marshal for nearly 2 weeks. While the store was closed, a sign was stuck on the door that said "Closed for maintenance". It wasn't until I called the other day and asked if they had reopened yet that I was told that a fire marshal came in, shut them down, and told them they had a certain amount of days to get their shit together or the store would close for good. I suspect a customer finally got fed up and reported it.
The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't happen a hell of a lot sooner. The store was constantly cluttered, and half the aisles were blocked with packed carts (why use a stock room when you can just use the floor?). The manager, who was hired not that long ago, doesn't give a shit, just like her numerous predecessors (I've lost count), so she'll probably be shown the door soon, if she hasn't already.
Quote from: LM117 on August 21, 2022, 07:49:09 AM
^^ Speaking of the fire chief, a Dollar General near me recently reopened after being shut down by a fire marshal for nearly 2 weeks. While the store was closed, a sign was stuck on the door that said "Closed for maintenance". It wasn't until I called the other day and asked if they had reopened yet that I was told that a fire marshal came in, shut them down, and told them they had a certain amount of days to get their shit together or the store would close for good. I suspect a customer finally got fed up and reported it.
The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't happen a hell of a lot sooner. The store was constantly cluttered, and half the aisles were blocked with packed carts (why use a stock room when you can just use the floor?). The manager, who was hired not that long ago, doesn't give a shit, just like her numerous predecessors (I've lost count), so she'll probably be shown the door soon, if she hasn't already.
Packed carts on the floor are a staple of most all Dollar Generals.
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:04:50 PMOf course, they'll probably be replaced by something even worse for our society.
Like Amazon. Or...Super Dollar Generals.
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 23, 2022, 10:17:56 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 04, 2022, 11:04:50 PMOf course, they'll probably be replaced by something even worse for our society.
Like Amazon. Or...Super Dollar Generals.
Dollar Archdukes?
In coastal towns, they should be Dollar Admirals instead.
I just assumed it was "General" as in "General Store," not the military rank.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 26, 2022, 05:10:55 PM
In coastal towns, they should be Dollar Admirals instead.
Dollar POTUS sounds great.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 26, 2022, 05:10:55 PM
In coastal towns, they should be Dollar Admirals instead.
The USMC has generals.
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 26, 2022, 05:20:17 PM
I just assumed it was "General" as in "General Store," not the military rank.
That was the thought behind my joke.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 27, 2022, 12:17:59 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 26, 2022, 05:20:17 PM
I just assumed it was "General" as in "General Store," not the military rank.
That was the thought behind my joke.
Oh, I was also responding to the earlier post wondering if was "Dollar Generals" or "Dollars General."
There are a number of folks around here who call it "General Dollar" and have for years. Of course, since DG's home base was originally Kentucky, we've had DG stores in many of our small towns for decades.
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 29, 2022, 02:49:00 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 27, 2022, 12:17:59 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on August 26, 2022, 05:20:17 PM
I just assumed it was "General" as in "General Store," not the military rank.
That was the thought behind my joke.
Oh, I was also responding to the earlier post wondering if was "Dollar Generals" or "Dollars General."
Well, then never mind. :-D
Quote from: LM117 on August 21, 2022, 07:49:09 AM
^^ Speaking of the fire chief, a Dollar General near me recently reopened after being shut down by a fire marshal for nearly 2 weeks. While the store was closed, a sign was stuck on the door that said "Closed for maintenance". It wasn't until I called the other day and asked if they had reopened yet that I was told that a fire marshal came in, shut them down, and told them they had a certain amount of days to get their shit together or the store would close for good. I suspect a customer finally got fed up and reported it.
The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't happen a hell of a lot sooner. The store was constantly cluttered, and half the aisles were blocked with packed carts (why use a stock room when you can just use the floor?). The manager, who was hired not that long ago, doesn't give a shit, just like her numerous predecessors (I've lost count), so she'll probably be shown the door soon, if she hasn't already.
Apparently, several other DG stores in the county here also got the fire marshal's attention over the past year.
https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_6acbb0da-6b43-11ed-b9af-5b0a2addbaed.html (https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_6acbb0da-6b43-11ed-b9af-5b0a2addbaed.html)
ScrapeHero claims that there are 18,774 locations in 47 states.
(https://www.scrapehero.com/store/wp-content/uploads/maps/Dollar_General_USA.png)
The first WA location opened in 2020 and now there's dozens of them that I've seen in small towns. They're starting to creep towards the Seattle metro area as well.
Quote from: Bruce on January 07, 2023, 05:02:48 PM
ScrapeHero claims that there are 18,774 locations in 47 states.
(https://www.scrapehero.com/store/wp-content/uploads/maps/Dollar_General_USA.png)
The first WA location opened in 2020 and now there's dozens of them that I've seen in small towns. They're starting to creep towards the Seattle metro area as well.
Yeah no doubt I've seen them all over Michigan, all over Ohio, all over Indiana, all the way to Florida.
I work in St. Charles so I'm in that area all the time. They built a Dollar General there probably 5 years or so ago, now they demolished the car wash across the street to build a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree. How many dollar stores does a town need? St. Charles isn't very big.
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 08, 2023, 06:27:23 AM
I work in St. Charles so I'm in that area all the time. They built a Dollar General there probably 5 years or so ago, now they demolished the car wash across the street to build a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree. How many dollar stores does a town need? St. Charles isn't very big.
I noticed so far that where there's a Family Dollar and DG in close proximity to each other, DG seems to do the most business.
In Pikeville NC, back in the mid-2000's, Family Dollar built a store in town to compete with the DG that was already there. It didn't last that long. AutoZone has since moved into the building. You question how many dollar stores does a small town need. Hell, I question how many DG stores are needed within a small radius. Fremont is only 3 miles north of Pikeville along US-117, and there's a DG there, too.
Quote from: LM117 on January 08, 2023, 07:52:11 AM
Quote from: Flint1979 on January 08, 2023, 06:27:23 AM
I work in St. Charles so I'm in that area all the time. They built a Dollar General there probably 5 years or so ago, now they demolished the car wash across the street to build a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree. How many dollar stores does a town need? St. Charles isn't very big.
I noticed so far that where there's a Family Dollar and DG in close proximity to each other, DG seems to do the most business.
In Pikeville NC, back in the mid-2000's, Family Dollar built a store in town to compete with the DG that was already there. It didn't last that long. AutoZone has since moved into the building. You question how many dollar stores does a small town need. Hell, I question how many DG stores are needed within a small radius. Fremont is only 3 miles north of Pikeville along US-117, and there's a DG there, too.
They just built a new DG south of Saginaw on M-13 which is about 6 miles north of another DG that has been there for a few years. Then they went ahead and built one on Lincoln Road just south of M-57. Lincoln turns into Durand Road in Shiawassee County so it's a decently traveled road but if you passed it on M-57 you wouldn't even know the DG was there. It's behind a gas station and the township hall.
You can see where the DG is at in this view but the building and GSV don't show up since the GSV is from 2008.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.1750484,-83.9895449,18.17z
There are a total of 10 Dollar General stores within a 15 mile radius of Onondaga, MI, the closest ones being 6 and 7 miles away. In theory, more than adequately covered. But, they're putting in a Dollar General in Onondaga.
Mind you, the only other notable businesses in Onondaga are a gas station/c-store and two taverns, one of which has actual food. The property on Dollar General is locating used to be a grain elevator that went defunct over 20 years ago after the railroad line was canned 40 years ago.
Google hasn't bothered to street view the area since 2009. But here's the general location: https://goo.gl/maps/ZBHxMtokLaPDxwAb9
Quote from: JREwing78 on January 08, 2023, 10:51:01 AM
There are a total of 10 Dollar General stores within a 15 mile radius of Onondaga, MI, the closest ones being 6 and 7 miles away. In theory, more than adequately covered. But, they're putting in a Dollar General in Onondaga.
Mind you, the only other notable businesses in Onondaga are a gas station/c-store and two taverns, one of which has actual food. The property on Dollar General is locating used to be a grain elevator that went defunct over 20 years ago after the railroad line was canned 40 years ago.
Google hasn't bothered to street view the area since 2009. But here's the general location: https://goo.gl/maps/ZBHxMtokLaPDxwAb9
I see one in Leslie, one in Eaton Rapids and one in Springport.
We've got a running joke in Saginaw that the hotel that burned down Saturday night is going to become a Dollar General. There's a Dollar General less than a quarter of a mile away from it.
I have seen some isolated DGs, but for a ridiculously isolated instance, search for the DG in Braithwaite, LA on Google Maps.
They dropped a store that could be anywhere in America on unspoiled paradise.
I heard that Dollar General opens at least three new stores every day.
Quote from: LM117 on January 07, 2023, 02:36:43 PM
Quote from: LM117 on August 21, 2022, 07:49:09 AM
^^ Speaking of the fire chief, a Dollar General near me recently reopened after being shut down by a fire marshal for nearly 2 weeks. While the store was closed, a sign was stuck on the door that said "Closed for maintenance". It wasn't until I called the other day and asked if they had reopened yet that I was told that a fire marshal came in, shut them down, and told them they had a certain amount of days to get their shit together or the store would close for good. I suspect a customer finally got fed up and reported it.
The only thing that surprised me was that it didn't happen a hell of a lot sooner. The store was constantly cluttered, and half the aisles were blocked with packed carts (why use a stock room when you can just use the floor?). The manager, who was hired not that long ago, doesn't give a shit, just like her numerous predecessors (I've lost count), so she'll probably be shown the door soon, if she hasn't already.
Apparently, several other DG stores in the county here also got the fire marshal's attention over the past year.
https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_6acbb0da-6b43-11ed-b9af-5b0a2addbaed.html (https://www.chathamstartribune.com/news/article_6acbb0da-6b43-11ed-b9af-5b0a2addbaed.html)
My job takes me to many regional DG's most are in smaller towns, not in large suburbia locations. The one thing that surprises me about them is that most of the time, the employee that runs the register is either the only employee in the store and/or the manager.
I can.see why aisles are restricted with dollies or piles of shipped product to be unboxed and shelved. It seems like if you mention the DG Employee of the Week or Month, it's not because of how well they did, but how LONG they lasted before they quit.
When I do occasions visit a Family Dollar or Dollar Tree in the same areas, I tend to see AT LEAST 2-3 employees in the store at any given time (may or may not include a manager). That usually explains why I don't see as many "obstacles" in those chains.
Quote from: Urban Prairie Schooner on January 10, 2023, 09:25:57 PM
I have seen some isolated DGs, but for a ridiculously isolated instance, search for the DG in Braithwaite, LA on Google Maps.
They dropped a store that could be anywhere in America on unspoiled paradise.
At least that one's on a state highway. East of Noble, OK there's one in the middle of BFE at the intersection of two random county roads.
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1313607,-97.26512,3a,75y,34.91h,86.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6qBPyg6mYdu1XaZo59T7oQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
That begs the question, who can find the most isolated in the middle of nowhere Dollar General? I'm talking about where there is nothing for miles.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 03, 2022, 05:27:30 PM
The Jackson, Ky. Walmart (a smaller WM dating back to 1985, not a supercenter) has the chinging overhead cameras but only in the health and beauty aisles. Do they really have that much of an issue with people shoplifting shampoo or toothpaste?
Around NYC, all of that is locked up in pretty much any store.
I had to buy a blood pressure monitor at Walgreens today, and I was surprised they weren't locked up. They're small and expensive, but I guess they're hard to fence.
Quote from: abefroman329 on January 16, 2023, 10:21:34 PM
I had to buy a blood pressure monitor at Walgreens today, and I was surprised they weren't locked up. They're small and expensive, but I guess they're hard to fence.
Thinking about it...
Blood pressure monitors are not consumable. Many of those who need one already have one; and it may take years before they need a replacement (and probably a specific replacement as there is enough time to develop personal preferences).
Consumabes should have a much better chance to find a buyer.
This kind of reminds me of a Lewis Black joke about Starbucks, except here I will substitute Dollar General in paraphrasing.
These two older gentlemen, who are easily forgetful, step out of a Dollar General, look around, see a Dollar General across the street and say, "Hey look! A Dollar General! Let's go in!"
I am wondering what most of our members prefer, the yellow brand (Dollar General), the red brand (Family Dollar), or the green brand (Dollar Tree). My preference has been Dollar Tree, although I do go into Dollar Generals sometimes.
Of the three, Dollar Tree is the only one I've ever intentionally chosen to go into. Every time I end up at Dollar General, it's because either someone else dragged me there, or because I literally had no other option. There's one within walking distance of my house but I've never been inside it.
Even so, I only visit Dollar Tree when I'm looking some really cheap solution to some off the wall thing (like, say, I need a cheap thing to make something else out of, or I need, like, a bowl that's sturdy but that I won't care if it gets ruined). That's only once or twice a year or so.
Canada has their own variety of dollar stores (Dollar Tree[maple leaf mark], Dollarama, Great Canadian Dollar Store, Your Dollar Store with More) that can be pretty decent. The "Great Canadian Dollar Store" is more of a loose association of franchises judging by how different the products are in various towns. They all start at $1.50 CAD, though, so soon they'll have to rename themselves to Loonie bins.
Our Dollar Tree here in Covington has had their prices go to $1.25 about six months ago. My wife and I joke that we are going to the "Dollar 25 Tree". :D
Quote from: amroad17 on January 18, 2023, 02:04:19 AM
Our Dollar Tree here in Covington has had their prices go to $1.25 about six months ago. My wife and I joke that we are going to the "Dollar 25 Tree". :D
They did that nationwide.
Quote from: Big John on January 18, 2023, 02:55:05 AM
Quote from: amroad17 on January 18, 2023, 02:04:19 AM
Our Dollar Tree here in Covington has had their prices go to $1.25 about six months ago. My wife and I joke that we are going to the "Dollar 25 Tree". :D
They did that nationwide.
I figured that. I couldn't see one unit out of 15,000+ units raising their prices. It is still a good deal.
Quote from: amroad17 on January 18, 2023, 02:04:19 AM
Our Dollar Tree here in Covington has had their prices go to $1.25 about six months ago. My wife and I joke that we are going to the "Dollar 25 Tree". :D
Quasquidollar Tree
Quote from: Bruce on January 17, 2023, 10:21:38 PM
Canada has their own variety of dollar stores (Dollar Tree[maple leaf mark], Dollarama, Great Canadian Dollar Store, Your Dollar Store with More) that can be pretty decent. The "Great Canadian Dollar Store" is more of a loose association of franchises judging by how different the products are in various towns. They all start at $1.50 CAD, though, so soon they'll have to rename themselves to Loonie bins.
Old books mention 10 cent stores....
Quote from: 1 on January 18, 2023, 07:06:52 AM
Quote from: amroad17 on January 18, 2023, 02:04:19 AM
Our Dollar Tree here in Covington has had their prices go to $1.25 about six months ago. My wife and I joke that we are going to the "Dollar 25 Tree". :D
Quasquidollar Tree
Dollafiddy Tree
Quote from: kalvado on January 18, 2023, 07:26:01 AM
Old books mention 10 cent stores....
Old people remember shopping in dime stores. Sometimes even called 5 and dimes.
(I resemble that remark)
My grandfather owned a Ben Franklin five-and-dime for over fifty years. You don't have to be that old to remember them... :D
^^ and Woolworth was in the same category
Quote from: Rothman on January 18, 2023, 05:29:03 PM
My grandfather owned a Ben Franklin five-and-dime for over fifty years. You don't have to be that old to remember them... :D
I remember where the one was that we shopped at, around the corner from my great aunt's apartment:
https://goo.gl/maps/9WUWDvPeLQMAJ4Fo8
Quote from: Big John on January 18, 2023, 05:53:19 PM
^^ and Woolworth was in the same category
You don't have to be old to remember Woolworths either. You just have to have been in the southern hemisphere if you're not.
^^^
But you do need to be much older to remember "Woolworth's 5 and 10 Cent" store and "Kresge's 5¢ and 10¢" store. I remember only one of those Woolworth's, but all of the Kresge's had moved up the ladder (and that Woolworth's moved up when I was very small). "Ben Franklin 5-10 Store" rode it out many more years, and we still had one in Hurricane, West Virginia into the late 1970s. Eventually, those guys moved up the ladder as well (such as the "Ben Franklin 5¢-10¢ And Up" stores).
Quote from: Dirt Roads on January 18, 2023, 08:33:04 PM
^^^
But you do need to be much older to remember "Woolworth's 5 and 10 Cent" store and "Kresge's 5¢ and 10¢" store. I remember only one of those Woolworth's, but all of the Kresge's had moved up the ladder (and that Woolworth's moved up when I was very small). "Ben Franklin 5-10 Store" rode it out many more years, and we still had one in Hurricane, West Virginia into the late 1970s. Eventually, those guys moved up the ladder as well (such as the "Ben Franklin 5¢-10¢ And Up" stores).
My grandfather's had "5-10" signage up until it closed in the 1990s.
I remember both Woolworth's and Kresge's. The Kresge's that was by me turned into a McCrory's.
The Dollar General in Litchfield moved from a strip mall (off old US 66 at the west side of town) to the old Family Video (just off downtown). I've shopped there much more frequently as it is now much closer to me (and most of the town's population) and makes it practical to run in for one or two items rather than going all the way to Walmart.
Dollar General has taken over a lot of old Family Video locations.
SM-G996U
Quote from: ibthebigd on January 22, 2023, 08:42:26 PM
Dollar General has taken over a lot of old Family Video locations.
SM-G996U
Yep like this one about a mile and a half from my house. In fact I was in there one time not too long after it opened as a Dollar General and there was a lady in the store complaining to the employees there about their delivery truck being in the way, sitting there running and the people working there told her there was nothing they could do about it, call corporate.
Anyway this is the store, https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4431912,-83.975365,3a,25.1y,47.65h,90.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svOmcvQNEqkApeic4C1o3gA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
This GSV shows what the lady was complaining about, I'm assuming she lives in the house here. She wasn't complaining about the pickup truck with the trailer, she was complaining about a Dollar General semi truck. https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4431912,-83.975365,3a,50y,106.23h,89.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svOmcvQNEqkApeic4C1o3gA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
There's a DG in Bentonia, MS (population 319), about 25 north of Jackson on US 49. It's practically in the middle of nowhere. There's a DG store eight miles down the road in Flora, as well as a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree combo.
Has anyone been to Dollar General Market? It's been some time since I've been in it, but there's one in Canton, MS. It's a "swankier" version and they have a small grocery section, which is why the word "market" appears in the name.
J. J. Newberry's is the first store that comes to mind when I think of Five and Dime stores.
Speaking of DGs in the middle of nowhere, there's this one (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.2336924,-116.4398429,439m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en) a few miles north of Yucca Valley. That's despite this DG in Yucca Valley (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.118528,-116.4529254,371m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en) and this one in nearby Joshua Tree (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1354649,-116.3091877,219m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en).
DGs in my area have the shoddiest carts. They look like a junior high Shop class welded the metal together on the carts ‐‐ some of those carts are literally coming apart.
They definitely go cheaper than what Kmart did in their final years. At least the plastic Kmart carts were durable.