Dollar General runs small discount stores that sell everyday basics and household items. It says it is the largest US discount retailer by number of stores, with 20,959 stores in 48 US states and Mexico as of February 27, 2026. The greatest concentration is in the southern, southwestern, midwestern and eastern states. Many of its stores serve small towns with few other places to shop. It sells mostly at everyday low prices, typically $10 or less.
Consumables, such as paper and cleaning products and packaged food, are its largest merchandise category. It also sells seasonal items, home products and apparel. It sells national brands from major manufacturers and its own private brands, often at lower prices. Its customers are a broad base of shoppers who want basic everyday and household needs. It competes with other discount retailers, and with convenience, drug, grocery, online and mass merchant retailers.
Dollar General started in 1939 as a wholesale business and opened its first store in 1955. It opened its first Mi Súper Dollar General stores in Mexico in 2023. It also began a small-store concept called pOpshelf in 2020, which sells mostly non-consumables, but paused opening new ones in 2025 while it reviews that concept's strategy. It adds home delivery through digital tools.