Construction has begun on a new Dollar General store in Keyes with an opening expected this fall.

The store will be located on a 9,100 square foot lot at 5521 Seventh Street near Martha Avenue. The store will be located just south of Stop N Shop Liquor, Beer and Wine in Keyes. Construction is occurring as the chain concentrates on a store in Oakdale at 921 West F Street. The retail chain also has its sights set on a store in Denair.

Dollar General Public Relations Manager Crystal Ghassemi said small communities are "right in line with our business model."

Dollar General is a business built on two main pillars, value and convenience, according to Ghassemi. By setting up shop in communities where individuals may not have access to a wide variety of options, Dollar General aims to fill a need with a host of supplies for everyday needs.
With offerings ranging from paper products to baby items and from cleaning supplies to health and beauty items, Dollar General builds stores with convenience in mind.

"Meeting our customers' needs is our top priority when choosing store locations," said Dan Nieser, Dollar General's senior vice president of real estate and store development. "We know convenience is a major factor in our customers' shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a 3-5 mile radius, or 10 minute drive."
In addition to customer convenience, Dollar General typically takes demographics, competitive analyses and traffic patterns, among other factors, into consideration when determining new store locations.

The Keyes store will employ approximately six to 10 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store. Anyone interested in joining one of America's fastest-growing retailers may apply online atwww.dollargeneral.com/careers. With over 11,300 retail locations and 100,000 employees throughout the country, Dollar General offers its employees opportunities to start and/or grow their career.

Some Denair residents feared the proposed Dollar General store would be intrusive and detract from local shop owners' business. Although residents and the Denair Municipal Advisory Committee vocalized opposition to the store, the county ultimately moved forward with the process to rezone property for the store citing that is a "free market" and therefore legal. The county and Dollar General have been working with the MAC to ensure that the facade and landscaping of the store is consistent with the surroundings.

Dollar General currently operates more than 11,300 in 40 states.