storewanderer wrote: ↑July 22nd, 2023, 12:06 am
Some day we are bound to see the store fleet at Dollar General culled.
That already happened (at least in this area) a number of years ago.
They had opened a bunch of stores, then closed the majority of them. Since, they have opened others, some in areas where they weren't the first time, but at least one that is just down the street a couple blocks from one they had closed (though the original was in a strip plaza, the current one is a freestanding building, but not one they built, an old car dealership where someone else uses the rear that was repairs and they have the showroom/offices section).
What was the profile of the stores that closed? Were any of them the typical metal building freestanding out in the middle of fields in a spot that looks questionable if it can even support a store?
Or were they all strip mall type stores that went into existing spaces in more urban/suburb type locations?
My experience is that the older DG locations were usually in close proximity to or often right next to Family Dollar in strip malls. All of the ones around here stared moving into the metal freestanding buildings around 10-15 years ago. This is when some started popping up in the much smaller towns that didn’t have more than a gas station as well.
I think some of this had to do with rental agreements, especially in shopping centers that were small and anchored by a grocery store that was leasing smaller spaces out. Because some of these agreements specified that DG, Family Dollar or whoever leased these spaces could not sell grocery items.
So way back when DG or Family Dollar started to sell any sort of grocery items, even non refrigerated (canned, cereals, soda, etc) they moved out of these into their own building. Others were probably just too small to add additional selection.
Then about 5 or 6 years ago they started going wild and building multiple locations in areas, especially in rural but heavily populated parts of town. This model seems to work for them as people can get what they need in the way home from work or without going into town.
I still see a lot of pictures of very old looking DG stores in somewhat dilapidated standalone buildings that appeared to have been something else before DG took over and apparently haven’t even had signage updates in decades. So such locations apparently exist. Maybe these are the locations they’re looking to get rid of.
Out in OK I have gone into Dollar General units before that were clearly something else before and did not put in new flooring, or in some cases even new checkouts.
Family Dollar must be more successful back east than it has been out west. Out west, Family Dollar is a total failure. I don't even know how or why they stay open. When Dollar General competes directly with them, Dollar General seems to have 4 times the traffic and larger transactions.
I can see why they'd try to get out of spots where they cannot sell food, especially Dollar General. Dollar General is so focused on consumables.
BillyGr wrote: ↑July 30th, 2023, 11:06 am
What was the profile of the stores that closed? Were any of them the typical metal building freestanding out in the middle of fields in a spot that looks questionable if it can even support a store?
Or were they all strip mall type stores that went into existing spaces in more urban/suburb type locations?
The ones I can think of were in plaza settings. Though they also kept some that were not freestanding, such as one that was a small strip that had been a local grocery store years earlier.
There was also a time between those closings and when newer stores opened (such as the one I described in the old car dealership), so those areas didn't have access to one for a time.
storewanderer wrote: ↑July 30th, 2023, 10:28 pm
Family Dollar must be more successful back east than it has been out west. Out west, Family Dollar is a total failure. I don't even know how or why they stay open. When Dollar General competes directly with them, Dollar General seems to have 4 times the traffic and larger transactions.
Hard to say on that in this area of NY. There are still a couple Family Dollar spots, but others were converted to Dollar Tree, even in spots where other Dollar Tree stores already existed and it would have seemed to make more sense to leave the Family Dollar brand (such as one in a city area that was near an Aldi that just recently closed, where residents are complaining of a lack of access to groceries - since Family Dollar could offer more of that category due to the variety of prices). There are two other Dollar Tree stores in the same region (all different towns but they are adjoining) and no other Family Dollar or Dollar General.
There was even one (which I didn't know of until it was in the news last week) where they converted the Family Dollar to Dollar Tree and then closed.
Definitely a freestanding, reasonably newer building (maybe 10-12 years old at most) and in a town that I don't think has Dollar General (but then again, I didn't realize they had opened this Family Dollar turned Dollar Tree either), and a town that also has only one small grocery store (an old Grand Union now run by Tops) and one pharmacy chain store (now Walgreens bought from Rite Aid).
