Photos: Walmart; Dollar General
Dollar General isn’t always just about opening new stores. In some cases, it’s about closing existing stores to move into better digs in the same market. Such is the case with the news released this week that Dollar General is relocating 40 locations to sites that previously housed Walmart Express stores.
The nation’s largest dollar store chain also purchased one other store in a new market that also used to be a Walmart Express. Dollar General expects to be up and operating its new locations by October.
The new stores will make use of Dollar General’s DG16 layout, which features an expanded selection of fresh meat and produce. The company will also operate gas stations at 37 of the new locations. The stores became available when Walmart decided to discontinue its Express concept, closing all 102 of the locations it was operating in the U.S.
"Dollar General is excited to add these locations to our existing store base. We look forward to the opportunity to better serve our customers in these communities by continuing to provide the convenience and value they expect from Dollar General," said Todd Vasos, the chain’s CEO, in a statement.
In March, Dollar General said it planned to open 900 new stores during the current fiscal year while remodeling 875 others. Next year, it plans to add another 1,000 to bring the chain’s count to more than 14,000 locations total.