Dollar General Shuttered 27 Stores, Opened 9 in January

Dollar General stores are often one of the only places people living in a food desert can get fresh fruits and vegetables. However, the discount store is reducing its footprint in the United States, with 27 stores recently shuttering.

Taste of Country reports that in January 2025, Dollar General closed 27 sites and opened nine. The fact that the popular discount store was thriving in 2024 adds to the shock of its closures so far in 2025. It opened 72 outlets and closed just five last year.

According to Todd Vasos, the company’s CEO, much of the slowdown is “driven by higher new-store occupancy cost as well as higher operating cost.”

Dollar General may be off to a slow start in January 2025. However, according to Entrepreneur.com, in fiscal 2025, the discount retailer expects to establish 575 new shops in the United States and up to 15 in Mexico, complete 2,000 full remodels, and relocate 45 stores.

Dollar General Had Strong Q3 Earnings

In December 2024, the discount retailer released its Q3 earnings report, showing it was going strong.

Dollar General’s revenue during the third quarter, which concluded on Nov. 2, was $10.18 billion. The sum was up from $9.69 billion in the third quarter of 2023 and somewhat more than the $10.14 billion projected by Wall Street. Earnings per share came in at 89 cents, below expectations of 94 cents.

Dollar General expects an increase in annual net sales of 4.8% to 5.1% this fiscal year, which is roughly in line with analysts’ expectations of 4.7% to 5.3%. Annual earnings per share will likely range between $5.50 and $5.90.

According to Vasos, the company was effective in reaching its core consumers and meeting same-store sales targets for the quarter. Vasos complimented the company’s Back to Basics effort with increasing efficiency and providing a better shop experience for customers.

“Looking ahead, we are excited about our robust real estate plans for 2025,” stated Vasos in the earnings report. “We believe our balance of new store growth and a significantly increased number of projects impacting our mature store base will further solidify Dollar General as an essential partner to communities in rural America, while strengthening our foundation to drive long-term sustainable growth and shareholder value.”