The reality is that these stores have been virtual glorified junkyards for years. Customers might simply be fed up with navigating cluttered aisles and rummaging through disorganized piles of merchandise.
Management seems indifferent, and it shows. It's clearly a Dollar General culture, because every store looks exactly like the other. Consistency is one thing, but does every store have to look like a disaster zone? One can only assume that chaos is part of their literal brand strategy.
I mean, think about it. A brand new Dollar General opened up in our area—a fresh build from the ground up. Yet, on day one, it looked like it had always been there, neglected for decades: dirty floors, scattered products, unopened bins clogging the aisles.
It was remarkable—a deliberate effort, no doubt. This store layout screamed, loud and clear, "This is how we do things."
Beyond all of that, can anyone honestly claim Dollar General offers great prices? Sure, there are occasional deals, as with any store, but more often than not, their prices can be easily undercut on nearly every product.
If they had great deals, believe me, I'd walk out of there with bags full instead of just a couple of items. That never happens.
Isn't the whole premise of Dollar General about saving money? In that sense, perhaps inflation does play a role. As wallets have tightened, shoppers simply become more conscious of what they are actually paying for things. Suddenly as buying power gets pushed to the brink, people walk into a Dollar General more aware than ever before and start thinking, "Wait a second—something's off."
Dollar General has been dodging accountability for years, pointing fingers instead of looking inward for solutions as customers drift away. That's part of their problem as much as anything is, really.
It makes you wonder—has the CEO ever stepped foot in one of those stores? And if he has, what's his reaction? "Fantastic work. This is exactly what customers want." Really? If Dollar General wants a turnaround, step one is simple: clean up the stores! Create a shopping experience that's pleasant, not frustrating. Do that, and maybe customers won't even mind the higher prices.
Take a page from Culver's or Chick-Fil-A, even though they operate an entirely different business. They're not the cheapest options in fast food, but they win with quality, service, and clean restaurants. It's clear they care about their business and their customer experience. Presentation matters.
I've said the same about Burger King. The issue isn't the food—it's the filthy, poorly managed restaurants that make customers cringe the moment they step inside.
If you want to win customers back, clean up your act—literally. An exciting new sandwich won't cut it if people dread walking in to get it.
This brings us back to Dollar General. The chaos isn't a fluke; it's clearly baked into their culture. How else could every single store in the chain achieve the same level of disarray? Not one manager, anywhere, thinks to break the mold?
I've joked that if I managed a Dollar General, my first move would be to clean, organize, and properly staff the store. Their first move? Fire me for breaking their "standard operating procedure."
It's not inflation, guys. Your stores are a freaking disaster!
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© 2025 Jim Bauer
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