I no longer live in the rural area where I grew up, but near enough that I've been out there periodically. The Dollar General was a real game changer. Prior to

I no longer live in the rural area where I grew up, but near enough that I've been out there periodically. The Dollar General was a real game changer. Prior to its arrival, you had a 25+ minute/mile (your pick - mostly 55 mph speed limit country roads) drive to the nearest thing passing as a grocery store. When I was a kid there was a gas station, which did sell some food (maybe bread and milk and some canned goods, along with the typical junk food). DG is such a real improvement for people out that way. It sells the stuff they need at prices that aren't ridiculous. Crucially, it doesn't displace or undercut anything. There wasn't any other store to displace - even that old gas station is still there! Dollar General is effectively an oasis in a food desert, even with its lack of fresh produce. I don't know what percentage of Dollar General / Family Dollar / etc type stores are in areas like that, versus in small towns where they might be competing with an IGA or something. But there are definitely places where their presence is a real win.