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Dollar General expands in Stanislaus County
Dollar General
Dollar General in under construction in Denair, just one of the many small towns and unincorporated communities to which the chain retailer has spread in recent years.

If it seems like there is a Dollar General on just about every corner, that's probably because the retail chain has continued to expand into Stanislaus County over the past few years and it isn't stopping.

Dollar General has already staked claim in the communities of Turlock, Hilmar, Ceres and Delhi and construction is underway for storefronts in Keyes and Oakdale. The retail chain is also scoping out a spot in Hughson and the construction of a Dollar General is nearing completion in Denair.

So what makes these small areas so desirable to Dollar General?

“It’s right in line with our business model,” said Dollar General Public Relations Manager Crystal Ghassemi.

Dollar General is a business built on two main pillars, value and convenience, according to Ghassemi. By setting up shop in communities where individuals may not have access to a wide variety of options, Dollar General aims to fill a need with a host of supplies for everyday needs. With offerings ranging from paper products to baby items and from cleaning supplies to health and beauty items, Dollar General builds stores in “convenient neighborhood locations” so that residents don’t have to drive more than 10 minutes, or three to five miles, to purchase household items.

“We don’t sell fresh products, but we do sell fill-in items,” explained Ghassemi.

With more than 11,950 stores in 43 states it is safe to say that Dollar General is sweeping the nation, but that doesn't mean its local expansion hasn't been met with opposition. As the first corporate store to join the unincorporated community of Denair, the approval process to permit the Dollar General in the town was colored with concern from the community. Many Denair residents feared the store would be intrusive and detract from locally-owned businesses. Although residents and the Denair Municipal Advisory Committee vocalized opposition to the store, the county ultimately moved forward with the process to rezone property for the store citing that is a “free market” and therefore legal.

The county and Dollar General worked with the MAC to ensure that the facade and landscaping of the store are consistent with the surroundings, though the store's signature bright yellow sign is clearly visible. The store, located at 3401 Fresno Ave., is a traditional Dollar General format, meaning the total building is 9,000 square feet with roughly 7,400 of sales floor square footage.

With each new storefront roughly six to 10 new jobs will be added to the economy and those interested in working for Dollar General can apply online at www.dg.com/careers.

The Oakdale store is located at 921 West F St. and the Keyes store is located at 5521 Seventh St. Both stores are slated for grand opening ceremonies in late summer. A decision on the Hughson property is scheduled for August. The Denair Dollar General’s grand opening celebrations are scheduled for July.