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Keyes could play host to Dollar General
dollar general pic
A Dollar General like this one on Stephens Avenue in Delhi may be locating soon in Keyes, giving locals another place to shop. Dollar General is scoping out a location at 5521 7th Street. - photo by Courier file photo

A Dollar General may be setting up shop in Keyes, the third unincorporated community in the region that the retail chain has begun plans in which to expand in the last eight months.

The other communities include Delhi, which hosted its grand opening ceremonies in April, and Denair where plans are currently being reviewed by the county.

So what makes these small areas so desirable to Dollar General?

"It's right in line with our business model," said Dollar General Public Relations Manager Crystal Ghassemi.

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 in "convenient neighborhood locations" so that residents don't have to drive more than 10 minutes, or three to five miles, to purchase household items.

"We don't sell fresh products, but we do sell fill-in items," explained Ghassemi.

Dollar General is currently scoping out a location at 5521 7th St. in Keyes and submitted a merger application to combine two lots for a property that will be at least 9,100 square feet. While the company is not slated to announce formal plans until spring 2015, Dollar General is undergoing the permit process to ensure that the expansion is a viable option. Thus far, the plans have been approved by the Stanislaus County Fire Department.

The company is also currently undergoing the permitting process in Denair where Dollar General is slated to be the first corporate store in the unincorporated community. Many Denair residents feared the 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 11,000 in 40 states.