If You Shop at Dollar General, Prepare for This Major Closure, as of July 18
It could affect you if you're used to getting your groceries at the dollar store chain.
Dollar General shoppers know where to go to score the best deals. These stores are chock-full of daily necessities, meaning you can stop in for a full shopping trip or just grab what you need and go. Another big plus is the sheer number of Dollar General locations. In fact, the retailer estimates that for 75 percent of the U.S. population, a Dollar General is never more than five miles away. Many of us have become accustomed to the convenience that these locations offer, so it's never fun when our local store closes. With that in mind, you'll want to know about the next major Dollar General closure, which happens July 18. Read on to find out what location is on the chopping block.
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Dollar General has actually announced plans to expand its store count, not decrease it.
Dollar General is working to increase its store count nationwide, as reported by Forbes, with plans to open another 1,110 new stores in 2022. The retailer has plans to increase access for rural populations, where residents often need to travel pretty far to get to their "local" grocery stores, the outlet reported.
But with an increased number of stores, Dollar General is also looking inward, and that means there are plans set in motion for existing locations. On a May 26 earnings call, Jeff Owen, chief operating officer for Dollar General, confirmed plans to pilot self-checkout as the only way to purchase items. Self-checkout currently exists as an option at 8,000 Dollar Generals, but it will be the sole option at roughly 200 locations in 2022, Owen said. The company did not confirm which stores would be part of the test run—but one location set to be closed on July 18 isn't likely to be on the list.
A Dollar General Market will be closing for good.
As reported by the Mansfield News Journal, the Dollar General Market located in the West Park Shopping Center in Mansfield, Ohio, will be closing its doors on July 18. The store windows display signage confirming the closing, along with the classic phrase "everything must go."
The outlet reached out to Dollar General for additional details about the closing, with the media department acknowledging receipt of the email. The corporate media office for Dollar General did not respond to phone or email requests for comment, the outlet said.
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This location is a bit different from the typical Dollar General.
The Mansfield location is a Dollar General Market, which differs from a typical Dollar General store. According to the retailer's website, the markets also have meat products and produce available for purchase, in addition to the same brands and essentials you otherwise head to Dollar General for.
Markets are generally double the size of standard Dollar General stores, according to RetailWire, averaging around 16,000 square feet. Regular Dollar General stores average around 7,400 square feet, Insider reported. The markets were introduced in a 2011 advertisement, which is currently on Dollar General's YouTube page. In the ad, a voiceover states that these locations "make quick shopping trips quicker."
Dollar General Markets often have pOpshelf locations within the store, which were introduced in 2020. As part of the "store-within-store" concept, pOpshelf locations offer seasonal items, beauty products, home décor, and arts and crafts, with a majority of items priced under $5, according to a July 2021 press release from Dollar General. However, a pOpshelf location does not appear to have been present at the Mansfield location, per a search on Dollar General's website.
The Mansfield market is located in a "dilapidated" mall.
According to the News Journal, the Dollar General Market was one of the few businesses attracting customers to the West Park Shopping Center. The shopping center was reportedly in such disrepair in July 2019 that the owners—West Mansfield Realty LLC, c/o Namdar Realty Group, based out of New York—were given 30 days to fix its safety issues before being condemned. Safety issues were related to store canopies, electrical signs, and exposed wiring, among other concerns, the News Journal said. The building escaped being condemned, but the city of Mansfield did bill the owners for repairs and cleanup at the rear of the property, Marc Milliron, city codes and permits manager, told the outlet.
Today, the center still appears "dilapidated," the News Journal said. The outlet also reported on the issue in 2020 when two-thirds of the stores in the mall were empty and had windows painted black. The mall has been in operation since its opening in 1952 and was described in archived News Journal articles as "the first suburban shopping center to be built in this area."
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