Dollar General is a  Bad Actor Profiting Off Reputation 

Dollar General, with over 19,600 stores across the U.S., predominantly serves low-income, rural, and underserved urban communities. Here’s a comprehensive overview of its customer demographics, store locations, and community impact:

 Customer Demographics 

• Dollar General has 3x the footprint of Target + Walmart COMBINED
• Income & Household Profile: The typical Dollar General shopper is an older worker with a high school education, residing in a two-person household in a rural area, and earning less than $40,000 annually.
• Racial Demographics: While the majority of customers are white, Dollar General is notably popular among Black consumers. In focus groups, 68% of Black or African American participants viewed the store as providing an inclusive shopping experience.
• Customer Satisfaction: African American/Black customers reported a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score of 52%, higher than the overall average, indicating a relatively positive perception among Black shoppers.

Store Locations & Community Presence 

• Rural Dominance: Approximately 80% of Dollar General stores are situated in towns with populations under 20,000, highlighting a strategic focus on rural areas.
• 75% of the United States lives within a 5-mile radius of a Dollar General
• Urban Footprint: While primarily rural, Dollar General also operates in low-income urban neighborhoods. However, their urban presence is less pronounced compared to competitors like Family Dollar.
• Geographic Distribution: States like Texas, Georgia, and Ohio have the highest concentration of stores, reflecting a strategy to maximize reach in both rural and underserved urban communities.

Community Impact & Criticisms 

• Economic Displacement: The introduction of Dollar General stores in rural areas has been linked to a significant increase in the closure of local grocery stores, with rural communities experiencing a threefold higher likelihood of such closures compared to urban areas. 
• Food Deserts: By often replacing full-service grocers with limited fresh food offerings, Dollar General has been criticized for contributing to the proliferation of food deserts, particularly in low-income and minority communities.
• Labor Practices: The company has faced scrutiny over labor conditions, including low wages and safety violations, leading to its inclusion in OSHA’s severe violator enforcement program.

The Myths and the Truths:

• Myth: Dollar General provides economic development.
  Truth: It often replaces local businesses with low-wage, part-time jobs and contributes to long-term economic stagnation.
• Myth: Dollar General helps solve food insecurity.
  Truth: It offers processed, high-cost items without nutritional value, making communities more vulnerable.
• Myth: Dollar General is affordable for the poor.
  Truth: Many products are priced higher per unit than at traditional stores, making poverty more expensive.
• Myth: Dollar General is a passive retailer.
  Truth: The company actively lobbies to expand and block zoning reforms that might curb their unchecked growth.
• Myth: Dollar General gives back to the communities it serves.
  Truth: It has no comprehensive DEI strategy and minimal philanthropic presence in Black communities.
• Myth: Dollar General is just another small store.
  Truth: It has 3x the footprint of Target and Walmart combined and contributes to economic and nutritional decline.
• Myth: Dollar General jobs are a step up.
  Truth: The company has high turnover, poor safety, and few advancement opportunities.
• Myth: Dollar stores are apolitical.
  Truth: Dollar General actively lobbies against community protections and contributes to zoning that enables their unchecked growth.

What We Believe

This is not about canceling.
It is about clarifying.
This is not about division.
It is about direction.
This is not about resistance alone.
It is about renewal.

Every dollar we spend is a declaration of what we value.
Every purchase is a proclamation of what we believe.

We believe that economic justice is spiritual work.
And we are called to it.