Dollar General to Buy 41 Wal-Mart Express Stores
Dollar General is making a play to become more grocery store than dollar store. The retailer announced on Wednesday that it bought 41 Wal-Mart Express stores across 11 states, allowing it to extend its offerings to include meat and produce. MarketWatch reports Dollar General expects to relocate 40 of its existing stores to the acquired Wal-Mart Express storefronts by fall of 2016.
Total Retail’s Take: A smart move from Dollar General in a much larger strategic plan. As more and more big-box retailers create superstores, the more we’ll see retailers blend verticals. Following Dollar Tree’s acquisition of Family Dollar in 2015, Dollar General has been trying to regain its lead position in the dollar store vertical. By purchasing Wal-Mart Express locations and planning to offer meat and fresh produce, Dollar General has set itself up nicely to acquire a new audience and regain foot traffic. With accelerated openings planned for 2017 and 2018, Dollar General could see itself back on top by 2019.
