Dollar General Closing Dozens Of Stores: What It Means For NJ Shoppers

NEW JERSEY — Dollar General plans to close nearly 100 stores nationwide during the first quarter of 2025, potentially including underperforming stores in New Jersey, the company said in an earnings report released this month.

The company said it also plans to close 45 pOpshelf stores. Dollar General announced the new retail concept in 2020 featuring on-trend and seasonal home decor, health and beauty items, home cleaning supplies, and party and entertaining goods, with 95 percent of items priced at $5 or less.

The list of 96 stores set to be closed wasn’t immediately available. The company operates more than 20,000 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and pOpshelf stores in 48 states, according to its website.

The stores planned for closure were identified during a “store portfolio optimization review” late last year, the company said.

“As we look to build on the substantial progress we made on our Back to Basics work in fiscal 2024, we believe this review was appropriate to further strengthen the foundation of our business,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer, said in the earnings report.

Many of the stores slated for closure are in urban areas, which "have become increasingly challenging to successfully operate," Vasos said on an investor call last week.

"These stores likely would have been closed in the ordinary course of the store's lifecycle when their leases expired, however, we determined that closing these locations now will allow us to optimize our allocation of resources going forward," he said.

Dollar General operates about 175 stores throughout New Jersey, including in Barnegat, Brick, Cherry Hill, East Orange, Elizabeth, Galloway, Hamilton Township, Lawrenceville, Little Egg Harbor, Manchester, Newark, Point Pleasant, Saddle Brook, Sicklerville, South Plainfield, Toms River, Trenton, Vineland, Wantage, West Long Branch, and Wildwood.

The closings represent less than 1 percent of Dollar General’s overall store base, Vasos said, adding, “We believe this decision better positions us to service our customers and communities.”

"Looking ahead, we believe we are well-positioned to deliver our unique combination of value and convenience at a time when our customers need it most," he continued.

Dollar General also announced their plans to open another 575 stores in the United States in Fiscal Year 2025 and renovate 45 existing locations.