How the Dollar General family is working to serve others

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles on how retailers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

For more than 80 years, Dollar General has been guided by our mission of Serving Others, and now is no different. We understand these are unprecedented times, and we continue to work actively to serve our customers and the communities we proudly call home. We would like to share a few of the things that we are doing to prioritize the safety of our employees and customers, while continuing to provide the value and convenience that our customers need even more right now.

Stores

Todd Vasos

During these trying times, our dedicated store teams are going above and beyond to serve our communities and truly embody our mission of Serving Others. With approximately 75% of the American population within five miles of a Dollar General, we feel a responsibility to remain open and in-stock for all of our customers, many of whom live in areas that are not served by other retailers. We believe our customers are relying on Dollar General now more than ever, and our ability to operate as normally as possible under these circumstances is critical.

In keeping with our mission of Serving Others, we have implemented several operational changes, including:

• Social Distancing and Employee Gloves: All of our 16,300+ stores have implemented social distancing measures designed to help both employees and customers remain six feet apart. The company has made gloves available and is diligently working to procure protective face masks for employees who choose to wear them.
• Discounts: In addition to a substantial employee discount on private brand items, we are currently offering an in-store discount to the medical personnel, first responders and National Guard to demonstrate our heartfelt gratitude for these individuals’ tireless service to their communities.
• Senior Store Hours: We were one of the first to announce senior hours, which are designed to allow some of our most vulnerable neighbors the ability to shop during the first hour that our stores are open to avoid busier and more crowded shopping periods. We have encouraged other customers to plan their shopping trips around these hours, and not surprisingly, we have seen a great deal of cooperation from them.
• Enhanced Cleaning and Stocking: Our store teams are working diligently to provide customers with a clean, well-stocked shopping experience through enhanced cleaning protocols and additional re-stocking time.

Employees

Our mission of Serving Others is the lifeblood of our business and culture, and our employees continue to bring this mission to life through their dedication to our customers and communities. We have invested approximately $35 million in bonuses for all eligible store, distribution center and private fleet employees who perform work during a six-week period beginning in mid-March. We are also providing all employees with an ongoing 30% digital coupon discount on our private brands through May 4, 2020.

We continue to communicate with our employees on a regular basis to remind them of steps to help contain or avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus, as well as steps they should take if they experience symptoms or have been in touch with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. We have also established protocols for how employees are to respond to both direct and indirect exposure to the virus in all of our stores and facilities and continue to update those as the situation unfolds. Additionally, any employee that is required to remain at home due to his or her own diagnosis, to care for a family member or while awaiting test results will be paid for regularly scheduled hours during that time. Except where absolutely necessary, we have halted all domestic and international air travel and conference attendance.

Hiring Opportunities

With the heightened demand for household essentials offered by Dollar General continued amid COVID-19 concerns, we announced our plan to nearly double the company’s normal hiring rate and add up to 50,000 employees by the end of April. Candidates can learn more about a variety of opportunities across the Dollar General network and apply for available openings here.

While we currently anticipate that a portion of these roles will be temporary, we have a strong track record of career growth and anticipate providing long-term career growth opportunities to many of these newly hired individuals. In the past five years alone, we have added approximately 35,000 net new jobs to the American economy, growing our workforce from 105,000 employees in February 2015 to more than 143,000 current employees.

Distribution

We understand how essential our supply chain and distribution network are to ensure products are on shelf for our customers during these times. We are also aware that certain items are in short supply across some of our stores, as they are across all of retail. We are actively working with our vendor community to order additional supplies and receive them at our distribution centers and stores. We greatly appreciate our customers’ ongoing patience as we work to best meet their needs.

Task Force and Monitoring

We continue to actively monitor the impact of COVID-19 across our organization while following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Department of State and local health authorities. A cross-functional task force is diligently working to guide our practices and responses to promote employee and customer safety. As this situation continues to rapidly evolve, we plan to adjust recommendations as warranted, based on information from government and health care resources.

Todd Vasos is chief executive officer of Dollar General.