Dollar General opens 18,000th store

Dollar General is celebrating a major milestone with the opening of its 18,000th store, located in Gulf Shores, Ala.

“With each new DG store opening, we are extending our scale for good to help American households stretch their budgets on essentials, create new career paths for employees, contribute tax revenue to local municipalities and extend education opportunities through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,“ said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO.

“From our first store in Kentucky in 1955 to today’s 18,000th store, our customers and our mission have remained at the heart of all we do, and we are proud to extend the positive benefits we bring to better serve Gulf Shores’ residents and tourists alike with our 18,000th store.”

[Read More: Dollar General awards racial justice, education grant recipients]

To commemorate this occasion, the retailer donated $18,000 to Gulf Shores Elementary School to support ongoing literacy and education programs within the school district.

Shoppers at this new location were treated with complimentary gift cards and tote bags filled with vendor products, the Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based company said.

“On behalf of my administrative team, the teachers and students at Gulf Shores Elementary, we could not be more appreciative of the generous donation from Dollar General,” said Alicia Early, Gulf Shores Elementary School’s principal.

“The $18,000 donation will be utilized to strengthen and expand our academics. We are so fortunate to work in an area where the community believes in supporting and giving back to the schools. We believe our future is in our school buildings, and if our schools are progressing and achieving, so will the community.”

[Read More: Dollar General publishes annual Serving Others report]

Dollar General opened its first location in Alabama in 1965. Currently, it employs 8,100 individuals across 850 stores in the state.