Dollar General Offers Something New for Louisiana Shoppers

Louisiana shoppers of a certain age might remember the "glory days" of the "dime store". That's what my mom always called those kinds of stores that usually included the phrase "5 & 10" in their name. That was then and because of inflation, I guess, the "dime" store is now the "dollar" store.  Perhaps you've seen one or twenty of them on a street where you drive in Louisiana.

The dollar store to most people is that place you go when you don't want to go to Walmart. The locations are usually less crowded. They have many of the same products that the larger retailer has. The prices are competitive. And, the aisles are always cluttered with carts being used for stocking the shelves or debris left behind by previous customers.

I am not throwing shade on dollar stores but that seems to be the reality of every one I have visited. They are always in a perpetual "stocking situation" and much of the clientele must have missed "put it back where you found it day" in kindergarten.

One of the nation's leading dollar store chains is Dollar General. As dollar stores go, they do a nice job. The state that boasts the most locations of Dollar General is Texas. I saw online they have just under 1950 locations in the Lonestar State. Louisiana doesn't have quite that many, we have 615 according to my sources.

And while you could find dish towels, a Halloween mask, a plastic garbage can, and a lot of other household items at Dollar General up until the past few months you couldn't get fresh produce. Now you can. 

Dollar General leadership explained the decision to offer fresh produce at their locations this way.

We’re proud to leverage our footprint to meet the need for healthy food options in more communities than any other retailer across the U.S.

The store chain announced plans last year to offer fresh produce at some 5,000 locations by January of 2024 and it looks as if they are hitting their marks. This means that shoppers who come in for Dollar General deals may also choose from a variety of items such as tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, and other fresh items.

There are more than 19,000 Dollar General Stores across the United States. Of those locations, 80% of them serve communities with a population of less than 20,000. So this "new" offering will be a good thing for shoppers who are searching for healthier options to feed their families.

To find out what Dollar General near you offers fresh produce, click here.