Dollar General's New Open Store Format Aims to Boost Browsing, Sales in 2026

Dollar General is rolling out a redesigned store format across thousands of locations this year, betting that a more open layout will turn routine shopping trips into browsing sessions that drive bigger purchases. CEO Todd Vasos unveiled the plans during the company's fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call, describing the format as "more open and inviting, resulting in greater browsing and treasure-hunt shopping as customers are exposed to more categories as they navigate the store."

The Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer tested the new layout during remodeling projects completed in 2025 and reported that it produced incremental sales lift and outperformed traditional remodels in relative sales. The pilot also produced an outcome that dollar stores rarely publicize: lower turnover rates among store managers at the affected locations. Vasos said the company was "pleased" with both results.

Neil Saunders, Managing Director at GlobalData, noted that Dollar General's broader operational improvements, including efforts to mitigate shrinkage and reduce excessive inventory, had made a visible difference. "These improvements have also meant that many stores are now looking better and are easier to shop," Saunders said.

The full rollout is part of a sprawling physical expansion plan. Dollar General announced at the end of last year that it would open roughly 450 new stores in 2026, down from 581 opened the prior year, along with 20 relocations and 4,250 store remodels. A year ago the company had closed about 100 namesake stores, mostly in urban areas, and several dozen PopShelf locations. With nearly 21,000 stores in its network, roughly 80% of them in rural communities of 20,000 or fewer people, the new format's reach will be felt most acutely in small towns where Dollar General is often one of the only retail options.

Vasos framed the redesign as a direct response to shopper feedback. The company "reimagined its traditional store format by creating a new layout in response to what customers have told us they want from their shopping trip," he said, adding that the chain believes the format "will help drive both increased transactions and ticket as the store provides for an even fuller fill-in trip."

The format announcement arrived alongside strong quarterly numbers. Dollar General reported fourth-quarter net sales of $10.9 billion and comparable sales growth of 4.3%, with delivery contributing meaningfully to that figure. Vasos estimated that delivery sales added approximately 80 basis points to Q4 comp growth. The company has expanded delivery to about 18,000 stores through its myDG Delivery service and third-party partners DoorDash and Uber Eats, with more than 80% of orders arriving within one hour.

Dollar General also signaled plans to test a subscription program offering additional loyalty benefits, though specifics on pricing, benefits, and launch timing have not been disclosed. Full details of the new store layout itself have similarly not been released, leaving open questions about which product categories will be repositioned and what the physical changes will look like at store level.

Vasos said the company sees "a tremendous opportunity to gain additional market share with both new and existing customers" by driving trips both in-store and digitally, framing the store format change as one piece of a broader strategy built around four pillars: enhancing customer experience, elevating the brand, driving enterprise efficiencies, and extending reach.