Dollar General Solidifies Its Commitment to ‘Serving Others’

America’s fastest-growing food retailer, Dollar General Corp., has released its annual “Serving Others Report” illustrating how the company served its employees, customers and communities across environmental, social and governance (ESG) areas during its 2020 fiscal year. The report highlights Dollar General’s ongoing mission of Serving Others and details the company’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic while striving for operational excellence and investing in its diverse teams. 

“Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others is both the cornerstone of our culture and a guiding force in our future, and was on full display in fiscal 2020,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “Since our inception 82 years ago, our focus has remained on helping each of our customers stretch their budgets on items they need and want for their families. This year’s report details how we furthered and embodied our mission to positively impact our customers, employees and communities during an unprecedented year.”

The FY 2020 “Serving Others Report” highlights Dollar General’s:

• COVID-19 response efforts, including being named a top 25 corporate responder to the COVID-19 pandemic by Forbes and included in the Harris Poll’s Essential 100 Ranking of companies that played an essential role during the COVID-19 crisis.
• Diversity and Inclusion journey, including a $5 million pledge to support organizations working to accelerate racial and social justice, and efforts to foster a more inclusive community.
• Award-winning employee training and development programs.
• Expanded Better For You initiative, which is currently serving nearly 7,300 stores.
• Work as a responsible steward of natural resources, including the reduction of its environmental footprint.

The report also includes the Dollar General Literacy Foundation’s charitable giving and impact on its communities. Recently, the foundation made its largest one-day grant donation in the organization’s 28-year history: more than $10.5 million to support literacy and education in the communities that the retailer serves.

In conjunction with the release of its annual report, Dollar General has promoted Denine Torr to the newly created role of VP of corporate social responsibility (CSR)/philanthropy. With a focus on ESG, Torr will lead all CSR activities and initiatives, as well as direct the company’s philanthropic works, while continuing to serve as the executive director for the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

Added Vasos: “We are equally excited to announce Denine Torr’s promotion to VP, CSR and philanthropy. Denine’s exceptional Dollar General and corporate charitable experience over the past two decades positions her well to lead our accelerated efforts around corporate social responsibility and environmental, social and governance initiatives.” 

Looking forward, Dollar General is working on deploying several new strategic initiatives ideally suited for the post-pandemic economy of 2021 and beyond. This year, Dollar General plans to open 1,050 new stores, remodel 1,750 stores and relocate 100 stores, representing 2,900 real estate projects in total. With a current footprint of more than 17,000 stores, Dollar General is riding a wave of favorable socioeconomic conditions to a projected 18,316 locations by the end of 2021.

In April, it signed a deal with Axonify to leverage the workforce management provider’s training platform and Content Marketplace to enable continuous personalized business learning and development to more than 157,000 front-line, supply chain and corporate employees.

Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General operates more than 17,000 stores in 46 states. The company is No. 15 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.