Dollar General Is Staying Fresh By Adding Produce to 450 Stores

Looking for a new spot to pick up fresh produce for your next meal prep session?

You might want to try a dollar store.

Dollar General will add fresh produce to 450 stores in 2018, the company stated in an earnings call last week.

The discount retailer is planning to remodel 1,000 of its stores across the United States, focusing on expanding cooler space in its “traditional plus” format stores. The effort will double the amount of refrigerated items for sale in many locations, Supermarket News reports.

Dollar General began testing fresh produce during a 2017 remodel of about 100 stores.

The chain has more than 14,000 stores in 44 states and opened more than 1,300 locations in 2017 alone.

About 25% of Dollar General’s products cost $1, Bloomberg reports. The chain accepts SNAP benefits via EBT.

While other major retailers are focusing on delivery services, meal kits and online ordering options, Dollar General keeps it simple with limited size and selection.

When The Penny Hoarder put three dollar store chains to the test in 2016, we found Dollar General to be the priciest.

We’ve reached out to Dollar General to learn more about what to expect from its fresh food additions. We’ll update this post if we get a response.

Lisa Rowan is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.