Dollar Stretcher Liquidation Would Leave Enterprise With One Grocery Store

The Dollar Stretcher, one of two grocery stores serving Enterprise, began a liquidation sale as owner Mike Goss prepares to retire, a development that would leave the town with a single retail grocery outlet. That reduction from two stores to one would shrink local grocery competition by half and reshape where residents of Enterprise and parts of Union County buy food and supplies.

Goss told a reporter on Jan. 12 that he does not have a firm closing date and is running close-out discounts while making retirement plans. He cited difficulty finding and keeping employees as a primary reason for the decision and declined to discuss future plans for the property. The store carries more than 700 Costco items not otherwise available locally, offers fresh meat including bison from nearby Stangel Ranch, maintains a meat cooler for hanging wild game, and sells hot prepared foods that many customers use for daily meals.

For local shoppers, the immediate impacts are practical. Losing one of two stores concentrates grocery demand on the remaining outlet, likely increasing travel time, crowding, and pressure on inventory for staples and specialty items the Dollar Stretcher stocked. Residents who depend on the store for niche supplies - from Costco-branded bulk goods to game-hanging facilities for hunters - may need to travel farther to La Grande or Baker City or change shopping patterns, raising household transportation costs and time burdens.

The closure also touches local producers and seasonal economies. Stangel Ranch and other suppliers who relied on the Dollar Stretcher as a sales channel could see reduced local demand for specialty meats. Hunters and outdoor families who used the meat cooler for processing game will lose a convenient local service, altering hunting season logistics and related small-dollar expenditures in town.

Economically, the decision highlights persistent challenges for small rural retailers: staffing constraints, thin margins, and competition from larger chains and online ordering. Reduced grocery competition can translate into higher prices and fewer choices for residents unless offset by public or private intervention. Local officials and economic development groups will face choices about whether to recruit a new grocer, support a community-owned model, or seek grants to preserve food access.

For now, Enterprise shoppers should expect ongoing close-out discounts and a gradual wind-down; there is no hard closing date. The coming weeks will show whether a buyer, investor, or community solution emerges, and Union County residents who shop across county lines should prepare for longer trips or altered shopping plans if the store closes. The loss of a second grocery option will test local resilience and may prompt new conversations about sustaining essential retail in rural Northeast Oregon.