cars parked in front of a dollar general store

OUR HISTORY

THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR 

People have always been drawn to Dollar General for its values – and not just the ones they see on the shelves. Dollar General is a place that meets the needs of hardworking people on a deeper level, with a simple mission: Serving Others. Dollar General has never lost focus of supporting communities across the country, and our memorable mission is illustrated in these communities each day.

DG has grown from a single store to one of the country’s fastest growing small-box discount retailers. A passionate commitment to serving our customers, employees and communities is the foundation of our growth.

FOUNDING FAMILY

THE TURNERS

“It’s not a family business anymore, but our business is a family.” – Cal Turner, Jr.

The character of Dollar General bears a striking resemblance to the character of its founding family – the Turners.

A functionally illiterate Tennessee farmer, J.L. Turner was respected for his capacity for hard work and for his uncommon degree of common sense when it came to business. Cal Turner, Sr. complemented his father’s innate business savvy with a daring sense of buying and an honest sense of partnership. The third Turner generation, Cal Jr. and Steve, broadened the base established by grandfather and father by further valuing the prospect of employees more fully serving customers’ needs.

Today, even though Dollar General is no longer a family business, we think of our business as a growing family of employees, customers and shareholders.

1939 | J.L. TURNER AND SON WAREHOUSE

After his father died unexpectedly, J.L. Turner quit school in the fourth grade to help his family. From then on, he assumed everyone else knew more and he became a keen student of other people. Cal Sr. once said he and his dad never had an original retailing idea. They just worked hard to make sure that others’ good ideas were effectively put into practice.

Luther and Cal Turner, Sr. each invested $5,000 and bought this building for half price in 1939 when they started J.L. Turner and Son Wholesale Company, a dry-goods business to serve retailers who had survived the depression. The building later became the home of one of the most successful retail companies ever – Dollar General Corporation.

old picture of cars parked in front of a J L TURNER AND SON

1945 | THE TURNERS BEGIN SERVING CUSTOMERS DIRECTLY THROUGH JUNIOR DEPARTMENT STORES

"My father's greatest pride in Luther Turner was this illustration of him as a true marketer. Luther Turner understood the farmer. He understood that the farmer got one check a year at the sale of his tobacco in a cold barn. He gave them one half a pair of gloves saying, 'Get the mate to me free at Turner's Bargain Store. We will gladly cash your check.' That's good marketing. And daddy was proud of Papa."

- Cal Turner, Jr.

old picture of Turners department store

EVERY DAY IS A DOLLAR DAY

old picture of people walking in front of a Dollar General Store

1955 | FIRST DOLLAR GENERAL OPENS

Cal Turner, Sr. became intrigued by the “Dollar Days” sales big department stores in Nashville and Louisville would tout with big, full-color newspaper ads. He reasoned that if they could afford to make that advertising spend each month, it must be paying off. His idea? To open a store with only one price-point - $1. In 1955, Turner’s Department Store in Springfield, Kentucky is converted into the first Dollar General.

The greatest advantage of Dollar General in the marketplace is the insight of our customers and living our mission of Serving Others each day.

Dollar General’s business model has always been customer centric – that we are here to provide community support and serve the customer, giving them the opportunity for a better life by making shopping simple and affordable and by providing meaningful careers.

“How well you live your life is largely determined by your attitude toward other people. If you truly care about them, you can mature beyond selfishness and really make your mark where it counts.”

– Cal Turner, Jr.

old picture of calsr helping a costumer
“Do what you love then you won’t dread coming to work on Monday.”
cal cleaning the street in front of a dollar general store
"Never forget: It's not our customers' job to work to save money. It's our job to work to save them money." - Cal Turner, Sr.

DESERVING, SALT OF THE EARTH CUSTOMERS

“We’ve always lived in small towns, always done business in small towns, and we’re their kind of people. Small town people work harder for their money and often have less of it to spend, so they’re more careful and practical about how they spend it. They judge quality by the garment, not the label, and they know a work shirt with a thread pattern flaw will last just as long as first line merchandise even if it only costs half as much. We’re country folks and we intend to stay that way, even though we think we’re doing a big-city job of merchandising.”

– Early Dollar General Annual Report

COMPANY MILESTONES

1968 | DOLLAR GENERAL BECOMES A PUBLIC COMPANY

When Dollar General debuted on Wall Street for $16.50 a share, the company didn’t waver from its small-town approach to keeping things simple. The Securities and Exchange Commission first refused the company’s check because Marguerite McClelland, of the Farmer’s National Bank in Scottsville, Kentucky had marked it “GOOD” instead of “certified.” But Marguerite knew the word Farmer’s National used simply made more sense. “Wasn’t it just like lawyers,” she said, “to require a $10 word when a $1 word was just fine.” As Marguerite explained, “We’re right and everyone else is wrong.”

“To serve better than anyone else does our customer’s need for quality basic merchandise at everyday low prices” - DG’s First Mission Statement
gif image of the milestones that the company has accomplished

DOLLAR GENERAL'S MILESTONE STORES

We are part of the fabric of small-town America. When a Dollar General opens, it often brings out the whole town. In fact, in 2004, former President Jimmy Carter helped welcome DG to his hometown of Plains, GA.

Approximately 80%* of Dollar General stores are located in communities of 20,000 or fewer people, many of which other retailers either cannot, or have chosen not to serve. (*as of FY 2023)

“Since our humble beginnings in Scottsville, Kentucky almost 80 years ago, we have become one of the fastest growing retailers in the U.S., created tens of thousands of jobs and grown into a trusted partner for countless communities.” – Todd Vasos, Dollar General CEO
gif image of US map
gif image of the milestones that the company has accomplished
gif image of the milestones that the company has accomplished

DG'S SUPPLY CHAIN

DISTRIBUTION CENTERS

Every day, Dollar General's supply chain team oversees thousands of moving pieces with delicate precision to manage an international global supply chain program to support our stores across the country and Mexico. Our distribution centers play a critical role and enable us to efficiently serve our stores, with strategic placement of facilities. See where we have created economic empowerment opportunities for the local workforce and communities while also positioning our transportation team for more efficient hauls and reduced stem miles:

gif image of the dollar general supply chain
gif image of the distribution centers

SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES WE CALL HOME

“Furthering one’s education can improve lives for generations to come.” – Cal Turner, Jr.
three pictures in black and white style with people

LIVING OUR MISSION OF SERVING OTHERS

We open our doors every day with a commitment to service in mind, whether it's providing our customers with an affordable, convenient place to shop, supporting our employees through career growth opportunities or donating to our hometown communities through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Feeding America, the American Red Cross and other nonprofit organizations.

three pictures of people happy