Target’s July store openings intensify competition for Dollar General workers

Target will open 11 stores in July across Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah, adding another round of hiring pressure in the suburban and exurban trade areas where Dollar General stores pull from the same hourly labor pool.

The openings are part of a larger push. Target says it is on track for more than 30 new stores in 2026 and more than 300 by 2035, backed by a $5 billion capital plan this year and more than 130 remodels. The company is also putting hundreds of millions of dollars into additional store payroll and training, with a starting wage range of $15 to $24 an hour depending on role and location.

For Dollar General store teams, that matters because the competition is not just for shoppers. New Target stores typically need cashiers, stockers, fulfillment workers and shift leads fast, which can pull applicants away from nearby DG locations that already struggle to keep shifts covered. In markets where a single store may be trying to do a lot with a thin crew, even a modest batch of openings can shift the hiring conversation toward wages, schedules and how many hours workers can count on each week.

Target is also leaning harder into the kind of store model that can change shopping habits quickly. It says many of the July locations will feature fresh produce, meat and dairy, and several will top 140,000 square feet while the rest will exceed 120,000 square feet. Its stores fulfill 95% of digital orders, a setup that makes each opening more than a ribbon-cutting. It is another node in a same-day pickup and delivery network that can keep foot traffic, basket size and customer loyalty away from smaller-format rivals.

Dollar General’s own scale shows why the overlap is meaningful. The company said it operated 20,893 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and pOpshelf stores as of January 30, 2026, up from 20,594 a year earlier. Its careers page describes Dollar General as one of the fastest-growing retail companies in the United States and points to jobs built around stocking shelves, managing inventory and customer service.

That means the pressure from Target’s growth lands directly on DG store execution. If a new Target store offers a stronger wage floor, more predictable scheduling or a wider mix of goods, local Dollar General managers may feel it first in turnover and attendance, then in out-of-stocks, checkout speed and customer complaints. With more than 30 Target openings planned for 2026, and another 130 remodels on the way, the hiring fight around many DG stores is only getting more crowded.