By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

Dollar General (DG) opened its doors by the roundabout on Friday morning, March 3 and on Saturday afternoon a cashier told the Banner that the store has been very busy ever since, with many customers commenting that they appreciate not having to drive across town to do some of their shopping. The store is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. It is located across Bluff Road from Kwik Trip.

Though the signature black and yellow exterior signage is present, the exterior of the store is very different from most DG stores. The developer, Midwest WI, LLC, purchased the land from the city, and consequently the Common Council took the opportunity to have input towards the goal of what it considered to be more desirable design specifications than are found in many of the stores.

The DG homepage describes their operation as “offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items.” An article in Chain Store Age, dated July 1, 2021, indicated that in an effort to address food insecurity in many areas, DG was offering fresh produce in more than 1300 stores, and planned to expand the offering in up to 10,000 of its locations. Supermarket News reported in May 27, 2022 that fresh produce was then sold in over 2300 stores with a goal of 10,000 plus still in place. The Whitewater store has no fresh produce, and the personnel indicated that they do not expect for it to be offered. The store, however, has a long wall of coolers and freezers, which as been another recent DG priority.

The store has three self-service registers, two of which are for card purchases only. Orders may be placed online for pickup.

DG stores have also recently opened in nearby Tibbets, Eagle, and Palmyra.