but it's 15 miles to the nearest Dollar General.

I've never been in a Dollar General. I've seen them and there's probably one within 10 miles of me.

I'm assuming it's the 7-Eleven of hardware stores.

FWIW There's a Home Depot I can walk to 2 1/2 miles from me.

Cheers~

About 30 to mine. I hate those stores. They always pop up like mushrooms in smaller/poorer towns like they prey on the poor folks while making billions. I suppose it's good business but it just doesn't seem right. And they're an eyesore.

They just opened one 20 miles from our house in MI. My wife was hoping for something good. The new Tractor Supply next to the Dollar General didn’t count either.

Sooner or later, a Dollar General takes root in every tiny Yooper town.

quote:

Originally posted by slyguy:
I've never been in a Dollar General. I've seen them and there's probably one within 10 miles of me.

I'm assuming it's the 7-Eleven of hardware stores.

It's not a hardware store...

More like a tiny Walmart/Target. Or a large gas station convenience store without the gas pumps. Or perhaps like a Walgreens/CVS but without the emphasis on medication and first aid supplies.

Basically a general store, as the name implies.

A couple aisles of food and snacks. A couple aisles of drinks and beer. A couple aisles of household items and cleaning supplies. A couple aisles of toiletries and paper goods. And a couple aisles of random stuff like holiday decorations and pet supplies.

Some of the larger ones will have a partial grocery store inside nowadays, with some limited options for things like dairy, produce, meat, etc.

Their business model is that they primarily build them in rural areas that are "deserts". That is, no other stores directly nearby and X miles to the nearest grocery store, Walmart. Target, etc. They make their money by filling in these gaps without direct competition, and selling to folks who don't want to travel all the way to the "real store" for just one or two items, or to folks who do not have transportation to travel to the "real store".

But unlike things like convenience stores or bodegas, who typically charge a big markup for the convenience factor, Dollar General's prices aren't predatory and are actually generally in line with their bigger competitors further down the road. So it's kind of a good thing for the rural area. Or at least a handy option, provided what you need is a basic item that the small DG store would carry.

So the OP's point is that since Dollar Generals are mainly built out in the boonies, and the nearest one to him is that far away, he's really out there.

^^^^^^

I’m 2 & 1/2 miles from the nearest DG in a very rural section of the county. Last time I was in it was during the toilet paper shortage during the CoVid mask-up. Don’t really need to hit it for supplies, but what there was pretty much described above.

The only time I use the one "near" me is their FedEx drop off.

My objection to the place (at least this one) is twofold: 1) It's a freakin' mess with partially unpacked stock blocking the aisles and piss-poor lighting and 2) EVERYTHING is scented. The level of perfume in that place comes close to triggering my gag reflex.

Don't mind any of the stores or that it is 20 minutes away.

What bothers me is they'll usually staff one kid on the register and most of the time he/she will have to be there and run the store alone.

54 years ago I was out in the country.
Now Domino's delivers here.
I am sad

quote:

Dollar General

2 new Dollar Generals near me in south Nashville/Nolensville/Williamson County. Both are in high per capita income areas. Of course Dollar General headquarters are in suburban Nashville.

I look at the Dollar General stores as ‘small town Walmart. I have nothing against them, fill a need.

My mom lives in a small town, not much else close, she goes there.

I think I’ve got you beat, it’s at lest 2,000 miles to the nearest one for me.

10 miles here currently.
BUT
Against the wishes of 400 petitioners,
They just broke ground a mile away
up on the two lane state highway.


.

I've never been in one, there are mixed
feelings about their presence.

We are less than 1/2 mile from a DG. I live at least 11 miles from the nearest town and 7 miles from the nearest convenience store. There has been a noticeable increase in traffic on our road since it opened a few years back.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
About 30 to mine. I hate those stores. They always pop up like mushrooms in smaller/poorer towns like they prey on the poor folks while making billions. I suppose it's good business but it just doesn't seem right. And they're an eyesore.

Agreed. It's like a really shitty version of Walmart, and that's saying something.

We have one about 5 miles in any direction. We responded to an alarm at one one night and found an open door. Made entry to clear the building and it looked like the place had been ransacked. Stuff all over the floor, shelves half empty and in disarray, etc. We called the manager in to check video and make a report, and when she got there she was like, "No, this is just how it is."

They're a predatory business that runs out local retailers (the few that still exist) and caters to the convenience store demographic. I don't shop there.

75 miles to the nearest Walmart but I have 3 Dollar Generals and one Family Dollar within a mile of my hut.

I've got 3 Dollar Generals closer than the nearest grocery store, and I'm not very far out.

That said, they're great for what they are. If I just need something small, I can hit the DG and be back home in 10 minutes, rather than the 45 minutes to an hour I would be gone if I went all the way into town. If I need a lot it's worthwhile to go in to the grocery store, but if all I need is one or two essentials DG is wonderful. There's really no telling how much time and money having a DG right down the street has saved me over the years.

I used to shop DG quite often, because they were cheaper on some staples (especially paper products) than a lot of stores, including Walmart. But now, ever since Covid, coupled with the DG building boom, the prices aren't any better, and often times more expensive.

The bigger issue, pricing aside, at my local DG is lack of employees and lack of product. Sometimes when we go, there is only one employee working, boxes of products are in all the aisles, and plenty of empty spaces on shelves. I used to buy a certain brand of vitamin supplement at DG, but I haven't seen it at my local DG in quite some time, and the spot is still there on the shelf.

There are two "dollar and a quarter" stores near me as I call them now. The only place I can still find foam coffee cups to use at work that aren't some insane crazy expensive special vegan fake styrofoam crap.