GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General Corp. is accelerating its plans for a bigger presence in the suburbs. The retailer last month held grand openings at two stores outside of Nashville, Tenn., that combine features of its new pOpshelf concept with elements of its DG Market format.

The combination of the concepts “further demonstrates our innovative spirit and track record of format development,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “Through this combined format, we aim to deliver the value and products customers trust from a DG Market with the continually refreshed merchandise including beauty and seasonal products, home decor, and arts and crafts through pOpshelf.”

Dollar General launched pOpshelf in October as “a fun, affordable and differentiated treasure-hunt experience, delivered through continually refreshed merchandise, with about 95% of the items priced at $5 or less.”

The company now has 16 pOpshelf stores in three states, with more on the way. Chief operating officer Jeff Owen said during Dollar General’s fiscal 2020 earnings call in March that the company was accelerating the rollout based on customer response, with 50 stand-alone pOpshelf stores expected by year’s end. Owen also said the concept would be incorporated into about two dozen existing Dollar General stores.

“In terms of our store-within-a-store concept, a smaller footprint pOpshelf shop will be prominently positioned in the center of the store, and we will display both Dollar General and pOpshelf branding on exterior entrances to build and maximize awareness,” Owen said.

The initial stand-alone pOpshelf stores are about 9,000 square feet. By situating the stores in the suburbs, the com-
pany said it is aiming to primarily serve female shoppers living in households with annual incomes ranging from $50,000 to $125,000. POpshelf shelves carry a highly curated crossover assortment of Dollar General’s private labels, many of which have been recently rebranded.