I would argue that Dollar General has morphed itself away from the traditional "dollar store" model and is focusing much more heavily on the "general store" ide

I would argue that Dollar General has morphed itself away from the traditional "dollar store" model and is focusing much more heavily on the "general store" idea of old. Sure you can get cheap stuff there, but not significantly cheaper than the similar products that a grocery store would have. Their edge is that they are open later and have more of a focus on stuff that you are likely to need last-minute. For example, when our kids were still wearing diapers, Dollar General was a typical stop as soon as we got to my mom's house for the weekend. Similarly, if you're out of shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Dollar General is going to have a better selection than the grocery store. Need a birthday card? Dollar General. My mom likes to go there for cheap outfits for the grandkids. We don't get clothes there, but they have a decent selection. In my experience Dollar General is an asset to a small town. It complements the other businesses rather than driving them out. Contrast to Walmart, which will do its best to kill small business.