Summary and Last Post

November 29, 2010

Dollar General Corporation to Webcast Third Quarter 2010 Financial Results on December 6 and Investor Meeting on December 15

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG) plans to report financial results for its third quarter ended October 29, 2010, on Monday morning, December 6, 2010. In connection with the announcement, Rick Dreiling, chairman and chief executive officer, and David Tehle, chief financial officer, will host a conference call on Monday, December 6, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. CST/10:00 a.m. EST.
If you wish to participate, please call (866) 710-0179 at least 10 minutes before the conference call is scheduled to begin. The pass code for the conference call is "Dollar General." The call will also be webcast live at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dollargeneral.com&esheet=6527018&lan=en-US&anchor=www.dollargeneral.com&index=1&md5=ac85cc7585b6c62cfd54bef15676d37b under "Investor Information, Conference Calls and Investor Events." A replay of the conference call will be available through Monday, December 20, 2010, and will be accessible online or by calling (334) 323-7226. The pass code for the replay is 56137100.
Investor Meeting on December 15
The Company will hold a meeting with the investment community in New York City at 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. The Company expects to discuss its various growth initiatives and to allow time for questions at the meeting.
A webcast of this meeting can be accessed live at approximately 11:00 a.m. CST/12:00 p.m. EST at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dollargeneral.com&esheet=6527018&lan=en-US&anchor=www.dollargeneral.com&index=2&md5=905434a0ed2134443456877125959235 under "Investor Information, Conference Calls and Investor Events." A replay of the webcast will be available at the same address through Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
About Dollar General Corporation
Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 70 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!(R) by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations. With more than 9,200 stores in 35 states, Dollar General has more retail locations than any retailer in America. In addition to high quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, Unilever, Kellogg's, General Mills, Nabisco, Hanes, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola. Learn more about Dollar General at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dollargeneral.com%2F&esheet=6527018&lan=en-US&anchor=www.dollargeneral.com&index=3&md5=895aa466d1442846c91b5ac78bd9f9d7

Going Up

Tuesday Nov 23 Dollar General Corp. Shares in Dollar General Corp. rallied as much as 4.1% this afternoon to touch an intraday- and new 52-week high of $32.23 after fellow discount retailer, Dollar Tree, reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings this morning

Overall Dollar General Experience

Having chosen this company to blog about I have found out many interesting things I did not know.  I am a shopper at these stores and have found that the convenience, quality, and price have kept me coming back.  It is convenient to just stop in and the workers are always friendly and helpful.  Parking is easy, there are no large lines, and you find really good deals.  Compared to having to go to Walmart I was so excited that they keep popping up everywhere.  I think that this is a stock to consider purchasing I see them doing very well in the future.  I also think that their employees are a happy bunch of people.  They pay well and have benefits and they have that small time family atmosphere.  Obviously there management and their strategic plan are working and they really do see that their human resources is a large asset.

Stock Update

Company	Exchange	Symbol	Last price		Quote change	Market cap
Dollar General Corp.	NYSE	DG	30.96		+0.88 (2.93%)	10.56B

Dollar General Culture

Dollar General maintains that there culture is designed for people entering the workforce for the first time, Dollar General stores provide an ideal foundation of basic work skills along with competitive wages and benefits. Experienced workers are drawn to the opportunity to grow with one of the fastest-growing retailers in America. Celebrating excellence is a hallmark of Dollar General's culture, whether you work in a store, a distribution center or at the store support center.  Since their founders only enjoyed a third grade education it was imperative for them to attack this problem.  They promise to serve their communities by promoting a spirit of involvement, and carry Dollar General's mission to serve deep into the communities they call home. Through their charitable outreach, they strive for a real and lasting impact on individuals and their families.
Literacy is the foundation for improving the quality of life for many Americans. Nationwide, more than 40 million adults can't read well enough to fill out a job application or read a book to their children. Dollar General today helps thousands of individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency.  In summary it really seems that Dollar General Cares their value and mission statements and their actions seem to all support what they promote their culture to be.  Their culture appears to be strong and healthy and also adaptive.  They demonstrate this by continually opening stores in very rural areas and providing jobs and services where the competitor has not gone with local, loyal employees.  Everytime I am in their stores their sales people and management have always interacted cheerfully and been very helpful.

Thanksgiving Campaign for St Judes

Nov 19, 2010

Dollar General Offers Customers the Chance to Support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® During the Thanks and Giving® Campaign

Shoppers can help save children’s lives by contributing to St. Jude at Dollar General

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (BUSINESS WIRE), November 19, 2010 - This holiday season, Dollar General (NYSE: DG) again joins St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for the Thanks and Giving campaign by asking customers to “give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.”
The St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign launches at Dollar General on November 19 and runs through December 12. Customers who shop at Dollar General during this time will have the opportunity to donate $1 or more to the Thanks and Giving campaign at check-out.
“Dollar General is proud to partner with St. Jude to offer our customers the opportunity to save children’s lives through the Thanks and Giving campaign,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “Each dollar donated to Thanks and Giving will help a child in need of lifesaving medical treatment. Together, we can help St. Jude bring hope to more children.”
Thanks and Giving is an annual tradition that raises funds and awareness for St. Jude, one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases. Dollar General has been involved in the Thanks and Giving campaign for five years.
“I am so happy that Dollar General is once again a part of the Thanks and Giving family this year,” said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “We are so grateful for their ongoing support. Dollar General and their customers’ commitment to St. Jude will help make a difference in the lives of so many children and their moms and dads.”
In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, as well as named the nation’s No. 1 children’s cancer hospital for 2010-2011 by U.S. News & World Report.
At St. Jude, no child is ever turned away because of a family’s inability to pay. St. Jude also covers the costs of travel, food, and lodging for each patient and a family member.
Since it opened its doors in 1962, St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent to 80 percent overall. In fact, the survival rate for the most common form of childhood cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, has risen from just 4 percent in 1962 to 94 percent today thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude.
To find the Dollar General store nearest you, visit www.dollargeneral.com.

Dollar General Scandals

I could find no recent scandal information linked with Dollar General, which is a good thing, but they had their fair share of scandals in 2001 and 2002 when Dollar General Chairman and Chief Executive Cal Turner Jr. was awarded a $800,000 cash bonus but had reported wrong accouting information. Even though he apologized the damage had been done.  See below.

WSJ looks at Turner's handling of Dollar General's accounting scandal

Cal Turner Jr.’s apology earlier this week for a $199 million restatement of Dollar General Corp.’s (DG) earnings was at odds with

By David A. Fox

01-17-2002 12:00 AM — Cal Turner Jr.’s apology earlier this week for a $199 million restatement of Dollar General Corp.’s (DG) earnings was at odds with other corporations’ recent treatment of accounting scandals, The Wall Street Journal noted in an article Thursday. It is in contrast with Enron Corp.’s reluctant treatment of its financial scandal and with former Sunbeam CEO Al Dunlap’s agreement to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit.
It also quoted New York psychologist Mort Feinberg as saying that Turner shouldered “an emormous amount of pain” during the nine-month ordeal, particularly when his honesty was being questioned. Feinberg, who runs BFS Psychological Associates, counsels businesses executives on how to deal with various stresses. Described as a 15-year friend and close adviser to Turner, Feinberg organized a book club for Dollar General executives, according to a Doubleday webpage devoted to workplace book groups.
The Journal article also pointed out that some observers were supportive of Turner’s efforts to improve financial reporting at the Goodlettsville-based retailer; however, others criticized the inclusion of John Holland on the Dollar General audit committee that supervises the reports. He was CEO of Fruit of the Loom in 2000, a year in which the clothing maker sold $53.5 million of goods to Dollar General.

Do I see a pattern here!

Dollar General to Sponsor Kyle Busch in Five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Races in 2011

It seems that all large corporations want to be involved these days in NASCAR.  Dollar General is no different.  The most recent news release is below.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. - (Business Wire) Dollar General will go truck racing with Kyle Busch and Kyle Busch Motorsports in five NASCAR® Camping World Truck Series races in 2011. Busch's No. 18 Toyota Tundra will be sporting the Dollar General yellow and black at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, Nashville Superspeedway on April 22, Kentucky Speedway on July 7, Chicagoland Speedway on September 16 and Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18.
“Dollar General is excited to partner with Kyle and Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2011,” said Rick Dreiling, chairman and CEO of Dollar General. “We enjoyed being the sponsor for Kyle's first win with Kyle Busch Motorsports at Nashville Superspeedway in 2010, and we look forward to seeing him in victory lane in 2011.”
Dollar General and Busch have had recent successes together on the track. Most recently, Busch had a win for Dollar General and his new team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, at Nashville Superspeedway in April 2010 in his No. 18 Toyota Tundra. Additionally, Busch drove the Braun Racing No. 32 Dollar General Toyota Camry to victory lane in May 2008 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Las Vegas native has more than 80 wins in NASCAR's top three divisions, including three Nationwide Series races that were sponsored by Dollar General.
“We're extremely happy that Dollar General has decided to partner with Kyle Busch Motorsports for five races in 2011,” said Busch, who has 21 career victories in the Camping World Truck Series. “They sponsored our Tundra for our first win at their home track in Nashville, Tenn., which was a special day in my racing career. We're going to do everything we can to put them in victory lane again next year, starting with Daytona.”
Busch's No. 18 Toyota is competing for the 2010 Camping World Truck Series owner's title. It is second in the championship standings, 39 points behind the first-place No. 30 truck of Germain Racing.

Major Retailer Outsources Entire EDW to the Cloud

Dollar General Corp. replaces Oracle and HP with 1010data’s hosted analytics/data warehousing service

Information Management Online, October 8, 2009

Julie Langenkamp

October 8, 2009 - 1010data has signed a multi-year contract with Dollar General to host the retailer’s enterprise data warehouse and provide the front-end analytical tools and related support for their entire enterprise. This solution is being delivered via 1010data’s namesake service, an analytics and reporting platform as a software as a service model in the cloud. With this contract, Dollar General becomes the first major retailer to adopt this model.

Dollar General, the largest discount retailer in the United States by number of stores, currently generates more than 5 billion records of data annually and has accumulated over 70 billion records of historical and operational data. Rapidly growing data volumes have exhausted the capabilities of the company’s existing data warehouse infrastructure. 

Under the agreement, Dollar General will use 1010data’s hosted solution for all data warehousing needs for its operations, including more than 8,500 stores, nine distribution centers and a corporate office in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. 

”Our solution provides Dollar General with a place where their most detailed source data is hosted for all users to access with permission over the Internet,” said Jim Mattecheck, VP of the retail solutions group for 1010data in a statement. 

Mattecheck also stated that Dollar General’s decision to be the first major retailer to embrace an outsourcing strategy for its EDW signals a fundamental shift in how retailers are thinking about the value of their data and the business opportunities provided with insight on demand.

This announcement signals a shift outside of the retail space as well. One year ago, independent industry analyst Lou Agosta wrote that it was difficult to imagine anyone moving an existing multiterabyte data warehouse to the cloud, but he admits times are changing. “It is a special pleasure to have to eat one’s words since that is where one is able to learn and grow personally and professionally,” Agosta told Information Management. He believes that the client, vendor and analyst communities are all going to learn a lot from 1010data/Dollar General undertaking. 

While Agosta offers encouragement for such an undertaking into new realms of outsourcing, Saas and cloud computing, he also offers words of caution for companies considering such a model.

“Critical success factors in transforming the press release into a successful implementation include a rigorous yet flexible service level agreement (SLA) between the client and the vendor; upstream, low latency data integration to identify which consumer regions are buying what products and when and where are they doing so; a usable front end that delivers the ‘ah-ha! moment’ synthesized in the background; and some serious bandwidth, i.e., pipes, so that the network functions as a whole. The front end is for show; data integration is for dough.” 

When asked about trepidation regarding data warehousing in the cloud, Greg Munves, 1010data VP, told Information Management that 1010data has been implementing large data warehouse projects in the cloud successfully for the last nine years.  

“The competitive landscape of the current economy and the need to reduce costs now make data warehousing in the cloud more attractive than ever,” said Munves. He further stated that the company has proven the technology is available - and even optimal - to handle enterprise data warehousing in the cloud.

Military Recruiting

At Dollar General, they salute your
commitment to serve our nation.

Just as you served our country in the military, you can serve others
everyday with a career at Dollar General.

Your military experience prepared you well for challenging
leadership roles, working together in teams and being a self-
starter. Dollar General appreciates your experiences
and offer many career opportunities for you to apply your skills.
In the armed forces, you demonstrate integrity, accountability
and discipline on a daily basis. Because Dollar General shares these values,
Dollar General is the perfect place for you to start or expand your
civilian career. If you are an active duty member, veteran or family
member, you will find Dollar General is the company that aligns with
your values and commitment to Serving Others. Dollar General is looking for
people just like YOU!

I did find that they utilize careerbuilder.com to recruit. 

GMA to Honor Dollar General, Kroger and CVS in Inaugural Retailer Awards Program

November 3, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today announced Dollar General Corporation (NYSE: DG), The Kroger Company (NYSE: KR) and CVS/pharmacy (NYSE: CVS) as the winners of its inaugural Retail Honors awards. The companies were selected as winners by their manufacturer trading partners and will be honored in three distinct categories: Retailer of the Year (Dollar General), Most Innovative Retailer (CVS/pharmacy) and Most Collaborative Retailer (Kroger).

"On behalf of our members, GMA is pleased to recognize those retail partners that have gone above and beyond to help create growth, customer loyalty and innovation in the marketplace," said Denny Belcastro, GMA executive vice president of industry affairs and member services. "Trading partner collaboration has never been more important given the current economic climate and these companies are leading the way by developing collective solutions that drive efficiency and growth."

The Retail Honors program was established this year to provide an opportunity for GMA member companies to recognize their trading partners for sustained excellence in performance, collaboration and innovation. The panel of Retail Honors judges, composed of manufacturer and sales agency executives from the GMA Sales Committee and the Industry Development and Advisory Committee, carefully considered the number of nominations, award criteria rankings and written comment submissions in determining winners in each category.

The 2010 Retailer of the Year award-winner, Dollar General Corporation, impressed judges with its ability to deliver top and bottom line growth, execution of in-store merchandising plans, strong shopper loyalty and high employee morale. These factors, combined with Dollar General's already strong reputation as a trusted and respected trading partner, earned the company Retailer of the Year honors.

Way to go Dollar General!

Dollar General Gets Ready for Christmas

Dollar General Corp. (DG)

NYSE

After-Hours Snapshot:

10/27/2010 04:24 PM EDT

27.72

Dollar General Makes Holiday Planning Easy

Plan and Shop for the holidays now at Dollar General

Dollar General is making it easy for shoppers to get a head-start on preparing for the holidays. Dollar General stores are now brimming with holiday goodies, gifts, home décor and a variety of merchandise to make the holidays bright.
"Customers will be excited about the assortment of merchandise filling our shelves this holiday season," said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General's chairman and CEO. "We believe customers will enjoy shopping with us throughout the holidays for everything on their list. And, by getting an early start to the season, we hope to make it easier for customers to plan ahead and manage their holiday budget."
Dollar General's team of holiday experts has been working year-round to bring customers the best merchandise at the greatest value this holiday season. Customers will find the gifts, holiday décor, gift wrap and ingredients they need, all in one location at Dollar General. The discount retailer is making the holidays simple and affordable for everyone. Here are a few examples of what shoppers will find at Dollar General for the holidays.
Home for the Holidays
Get ready for the holidays with Dollar General's wide assortment of home décor, Christmas tree decorations and lighting. Find Christmas ornaments for every style of tree, starting at $1. Choose from a variety of ornaments including traditional, inspirational, retro toys, as well as Dollar General's exclusive ornament collections, Through the Woods and Sweet Treats.
Deck the halls with stockings for only $2 - $3 or build a holiday village with a variety of lighted Christmas Village pieces for only $5 each. And, don't forget lights for brightening banisters, mantels, decorative wreaths and the Christmas tree. Dollar General offers an assortment of lights, starting at $1.50.
Toys for Less
Dollar General is the place to fill kids' wish lists without breaking the bank. More than 350 toys are priced at $5 or less. Some favorites this year include Batman^(R) character figures, Barbie^(R) mini-pet sets, Disney Princess^(R) art set, Hot Wheels^(R) truck, Cars^(R) tire match game and handheld LCD games. Shoppers will find an expanded holiday toy section featuring toys for children of all ages, including art, games, puzzles, activity sets, plush animals, licensed toys and much more.
Gifts for Everyone
Give family and friends gifts that they won't only love, but will use frequently. Jeans are always popular, and Dollar General's revamped bobbie brooks^(R) jeans for women and Open Trails^(R) jeans for men will quickly become favorites. bobbie brooks^(R) jeans start at only $12 and Open Trails^(R) jeans start at only $10. Dollar General also offers a wide selection of jewelry and accessories, starting at $3.
Give the gift of warmth and comfort with Dollar General's line of slippers, which start at $3, and pajamas, starting at $10. Sleepwear and slippers are available for men, women and kids.
Bake something special
Find all the ingredients needed for holiday baking and cooking at Dollar General. The discount retailer has expanded its food aisles to help shoppers save time and money on cooking and baking. Shoppers will save even more this holiday season by trying Clover Valley, Dollar General's high-quality, private brand of food and beverages.
They all start earlier and earlier every year but your dollar really does further at this store than others.  Especially for younger children.  Parents would be smart to shop at Dollar General for those babies and toddlers for Christmas and for less money get a lot more for Santa.

Very Interesting

I just discovered an article that got my attention written by Lynn Cowan at Dow Jones and published in the Wall Street Journal.  Titled "Investors Flock to Dollar General, Rue 21.  I had never seen any article that lumped these two together and since I have been working with Brittni and she was blogging Rue 21 it only sparked more interest.  The comparison is strange and said that both companies are plays on nervous consumers, producing strong sales growth throughout the worst of the recession as shoppers shifted their spending to discount stores.  Take a look.  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703683804574532551434723442.html

Outsourcing

Major Retailer Outsources Entire EDW to the Cloud

Dollar General Corp. replaces Oracle and HP with 1010data’s hosted analytics/data warehousing service

Information Management Online, October 8, 2009

Julie Langenkamp

October 8, 2009 - 1010data has signed a multi-year contract with Dollar General to host the retailer’s enterprise data warehouse and provide the front-end analytical tools and related support for their entire enterprise. This solution is being delivered via 1010data’s namesake service, an analytics and reporting platform as a software as a service model in the cloud. With this contract, Dollar General becomes the first major retailer to adopt this model.

Dollar General, the largest discount retailer in the United States by number of stores, currently generates more than 5 billion records of data annually and has accumulated over 70 billion records of historical and operational data. Rapidly growing data volumes have exhausted the capabilities of the company’s existing data warehouse infrastructure. 

Under the agreement, Dollar General will use 1010data’s hosted solution for all data warehousing needs for its operations, including more than 8,500 stores, nine distribution centers and a corporate office in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. 

”Our solution provides Dollar General with a place where their most detailed source data is hosted for all users to access with permission over the Internet,” said Jim Mattecheck, VP of the retail solutions group for 1010data in a statement. 

Mattecheck also stated that Dollar General’s decision to be the first major retailer to embrace an outsourcing strategy for its EDW signals a fundamental shift in how retailers are thinking about the value of their data and the business opportunities provided with insight on demand.

This announcement signals a shift outside of the retail space as well. One year ago, independent industry analyst Lou Agosta wrote that it was difficult to imagine anyone moving an existing multiterabyte data warehouse to the cloud, but he admits times are changing. “It is a special pleasure to have to eat one’s words since that is where one is able to learn and grow personally and professionally,” Agosta told Information Management. He believes that the client, vendor and analyst communities are all going to learn a lot from 1010data/Dollar General undertaking. 

While Agosta offers encouragement for such an undertaking into new realms of outsourcing, Saas and cloud computing, he also offers words of caution for companies considering such a model.

“Critical success factors in transforming the press release into a successful implementation include a rigorous yet flexible service level agreement (SLA) between the client and the vendor; upstream, low latency data integration to identify which consumer regions are buying what products and when and where are they doing so; a usable front end that delivers the ‘ah-ha! moment’ synthesized in the background; and some serious bandwidth, i.e., pipes, so that the network functions as a whole. The front end is for show; data integration is for dough.” 

When asked about trepidation regarding data warehousing in the cloud, Greg Munves, 1010data VP, told Information Management that 1010data has been implementing large data warehouse projects in the cloud successfully for the last nine years.  

“The competitive landscape of the current economy and the need to reduce costs now make data warehousing in the cloud more attractive than ever,” said Munves. He further stated that the company has proven the technology is available - and even optimal - to handle enterprise data warehousing in the cloud.

Generic Strategies

As I read the text it was actually harder than I thought to pick out what strategy I thought my company had chosen to follow.  In the end, I decided that they may cross the descriptions a little but they definitely are a low cost provider.  The text also warned against not selecting a well spelled out strategy and losing to your competitors because of that.  Dollar General's strategy as a low cost provider is combined with locations in rural communities that their target marget can get in and out of a lot faster than the overcrowed and very busy Walmart.  The design of the stores is well laid out and you know you are stopping in for the just the basic staples and you know exactly where it is.  There are two checkout lines!  This is the best idea ever in my opinion.  Especially since you go to Walmart who have 20 with only 2 open.  In checking new stories on my company I found another great diversification move that the company is making.

Dollar General revamps bobbie brooks clothing line 

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn.
Dollar General Corp. says it is revamping its bobbie brooks women's clothing line.
The fall line, which arrives in stores this month, features new fabrics, colors and looks for the popular brand that Dollar General took over exclusively in 2005. All of the clothing items sell for under $16.
The move is part of a larger effort by the discounter to widen its array of items as more shoppers turn to discount stores for their basics from food to household goods and clothing.
Dollar General shares rose 10 cents to $28.25 in afternoon trading.

Performing Better Than Expected

When Dollar General was founded in 1939 as J.L. Turner & Son, a wholesale business in Scottsville, KY, Dollar General in 2007 was a $9.2 billion revenues company and the largest competitor in the dollar store segment, with more than 8,000 stores.  In 2007 affiliates of the private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., L.P. acquired Dollar General and turned it into a private company.  In 2010, however, Forbes reports that  the Low -Price Retail chain beat the predicted estimates and hikes full yeat forecast. It appears that the company is holding its own when faced with the competition and the external environment.

The company earned $141.2 million in the second quarter, or $0.41 per share, compared to $93.6 million, or $0.29 per share, in the same quarter last year.

Sales rose nearly 11%, to $3.2 billion.

Results beat analyst expectations, and Dollar General ( DG - news - people ) hiked its full-year forecast. It is now looking for earnings in a range of $1.68 to $1.74, compared to its prior forecast of $1.62 to $1.69 per share. Dollar-store rival Dollar Tree ( DLTR - news - people ) hiked its guidance earlier in the month as well. Other competitors include Family Dollar ( FDO - news - people ) and 99 Cent Only Store ( NDN - news - people ).

SWOT

Dollar General is the largest discount retailer in the United States by number of stores with over 8,700 neighborhood stores in 35 states. So location is definitely a strength for them.  Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day! by offering quality private and national branded items that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at everyday low prices in convenient neighborhood stores. Dollar General is among the largest retailers of top-quality products made by America's most trusted manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Unilever, Kellogg's, General Mills, Nabisco, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.  Carrying primarily household trusted name brands in their stores is another strengths and cutting prices.  I personally do not  believe that their advertising is strong enough, as they grow they need to probably take this into consideration.  They are taking advantages of all opportunities in growth as stores are popping up all over the place.  As the economy continues to struggle this could be a weakness.

Slogan & Mission Statement

Dollar General SloganA slogan is a short, memorable catch phrase, tagline or motto used to to identify a product or company in advertisements. The advertising slogan, or business slogan most associated with Dollar General, is:

"Save Time, Save Money, Everyday."

Dollar General Mission Statement and/or Vision Statement
Mission Statements and Vision Statements are written for customers and employees of corporations. A Mission Statement can be defined as a sentence or short paragraph written by a company or business which reflects its core purpose, identity, values and principle business aims. The definition for a Vision Statement is a sentence or short paragraph providing a broad, aspirational image of the future.

Dollar General Mission Statement:

Serving Others

For Customers…A Better Life
For Investors…A Superior Return
For Employees…Respect and Opportunity
 

Dollar General store gets approval to sell beer, wine

Kimberly Gray Special to the Reporter-News

Abilene Reporter-News

Posted September 13, 2010 at 10:30 p.m.

Abilene consumers now can buy beer and wine in a store not generally associated with liquor sales.
Dollar General, 1290 Butternut St., began selling beer and wine in August after receiving a retail liquor license.
Dollar General public relations representatives declined to comment on which stores sell liquor and were applying for liquor licenses. However, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the store on Butternut received its retail liquor license July 30.
TABC records also show four other Abilene Dollar General stores that have applications for liquor licenses pending. Those stores are at 3726 Catclaw Drive, 2926 S. 27th St., 630 S. Leggett Drive and 6617 Buffalo Gap Road.
“We believe we are offering our customers a more convenient alternative to other retailers who sell beer, such as grocery stores,” Tawn Earnest, spokeswoman with Dollar General, told the Abilene Reporter-News in an e-mail Monday.
She explained that if any stores had applied for liquor licenses, it had nothing to do with the recent liquor law election where voters approved making the dry areas of the city limits wet, which included the Wylie area and one Dollar General store.
“We have been selling beer in a number of our stores since last year,” Earnest pointed out. The company started experimenting with liquor sales in some of its stores two years ago, according to various news reports.
Dollar General Corp. has been making beer and wine available for sale in stores throughout the southeast. Earnest told The Associated Press this week that the company expects to eventually offer beer and/or wine in about half of its stores. The company has about 9,000 stores nationwide. The corporate headquarters is located in Goodlettsville, Tenn.
According to an Associated Press article, consumables or grocery staples make up about 70 percent of Dollar General’s total revenue, which is different for similar retailers like Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, where food and drink purchases make up about half the sales.
Earnest declined to comment on how liquor sells were going for the retail chain.

News Release

Dollar General on the Horizon


Dollar General, which is majority owned by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.(NYSE:KKR), has plans to continue its aggressive expansion plans. It will open 600 new stores and remodel another 500 in 2010. Not only has its business not yet proved to be vulnerable during the recession, but it has steadily grown. Also, the concern of declining comparable sales may be offset by the rising trend in July sales mentioned by the company. The critics ignore as a potential lasting shift the achievement of greater customer traffic by Dollar General and the other dollar stores. Our thesis has been that these additional customers may prove to be more permanent.

Dollar Days Not Over

Dollar General should continue to do well as the economy limps along. We expect it to do well also when the economy strengthens. The stock is trading near its 52-week high right now, but this is a stock to monitor and consider for purchase on a share price drop. (For more stock analysis, check out Family Dollar Stores Still Thriving.)

http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2010/Dollar-Generals-Strong-Growth-Continues-DG-FDO-NDN-DLTR-SHLD-0903.aspx?partner=YahooSA

Dollar General History

When the first Dollar General store opened in Springfield, Ky., on June 1, 1955, the concept was simple – no item in the store would cost more than one dollar. The idea became a huge success and other stores owned by J.L. Turner and his son Cal Turner Sr. were quickly converted. By 1957, annual sales of Dollar General’s 29 stores were $5 million.  The Turners did not reach this level of success without obstacles. James Luther (J.L.) Turner’s father died in an accident in 1902 when J.L. was only 11. J.L. quit school so he could work on the family farm and help provide for his mother and siblings. He never completed his education. J.L. knew his limited education demanded that he become a quick study of the world around him.  After two unsuccessful attempts at retailing, J.L. became a traveling dry goods salesman for a Nashville wholesale grocer.

We have all been wondering about all these samll rural KY communities seeing all these new builds.  Maybe the family has a fondness for our fine state.   J.L. left the sales job after 10 years and settled his family in Scottsville, Ky. During the Depression, he began buying and liquidating bankrupt general stores. J.L.’s only child, Cal Turner Sr., accompanied his father to these closeouts at a young age, gaining valuable business knowledge and skills. In October 1939, J.L. and Cal opened J.L. Turner and Son Wholesale with an initial investment of $5,000 each. Wholesaling quickly gave way to retailing – J.L.’s third and final attempt at retailing. The switch to retailing resulted in annual sales above $2 million by the early 1950s, and the rest is history.

J.L. passed away in 1964. Four years later, the company he co-founded went public as Dollar General Corporation, posting annual sales of more than $40 million and net income in excess of $1.5 million. In 1977, Cal Turner Jr., who joined the company in 1965 as the third generation Turner, succeeded his father as president of Dollar General. Cal Turner Jr. led the company until his retirement in 2002. Under his leadership, the company grew to more than 6,000 stores and $6 billion in sales.


Today, the company is a leading discount retailer with more than 8,000 stores in 35 states. The company remains true to the humble ethic of hard work and friendly customer service embodied by the founding family.

Quartely Report

On August 31, 2010 Dollar General reported record 2nd quarter sales and earnings. It appears that the strategic plan they have set in place is definitely working. They have measured their improvements by gauging the growth of sales increases and operating profit. Their adjusted net income increased by 55% TO $145 million. Please visit their newsroom for more... http://newscenter.dollargeneral.com/ I had a comment earlier about why I thought they were right on track with their strategic plan. The opening of many stores alone is not really an indicator that their strategic plan is working. We watched this plan from Starbucks backfire as they had to close the many new stores they had opened. Compared to Starbucks heavily saturation in large business areas the target market was definitely off. They were stealing their own customers from another store. Dollar General is choosing to open these new stores in heavily populated rural areas and it is working in my opinion to keep those customers from having to drive the extra 15 miles to the closest Walmart.

Dollar General Update on Blog

After reading the material in our text and reviewing the discussion covering Mission Statments/Values and what the companies vision/strategy actually is I think Dollar General is on the right track.

Mission & Values
Through decades of change, Dollar General’s approach to business has remained the same. Our mission has been brought to life through the positive attitudes shared by our employees and the satisfaction of our customers.

Dollar General Corp

Dollar General Corp.  

DG‎ - Dollar General Corp. (NYSE)






I chose Dollar Gernal Corp. because recently they seem to be popping up everywhere.  I also personally shop there quite a bit.  It is a nice alternative to the WalMart scene, especially when all you are shopping for is the basics.  I am interested to learn more about their strategy.