# Dollar General bets on value as shoppers feel the squeeze

> The discount retailer expects customer pressure to persist through 2026 as inflation and fuel costs change shopping habits.
- Title: Dollar General bets on value as shoppers feel the squeeze
- Summary: The discount retailer expects customer pressure to persist through 2026 as inflation and fuel costs change shopping habits. Dollar General is doubling down…
- Keywords: dollar general, todd vasos, jj fleeman, discount retail, inflation, fuel prices, delivery expansion, value valley, consumer spending, retail margins, supply chain, ceo transition
- Source: Yahoo Finance — https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/dollar-general-sees-shopper-pressure-100220770.html
- Published: 2026-09-16T10:02:20+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: dollar general, todd vasos, jj fleeman, discount retail, inflation, fuel prices, delivery expansion, value valley, consumer spending, retail margins, supply chain, ceo transition
## Shoppers squeezed by inflation
Dollar General's core customers, earning $40,000 or less, are visiting stores more often but buying fewer items per trip due to inflation and high fuel costs.
## Gas prices change behavior
When gas prices approach or exceed $4 per gallon, customers change their shopping habits. Even those earning over $100,000 no longer feel like high-income consumers.

> Any time that gas price gets anywhere close to $4 and then crests $4 a gallon, the customer changes their shopping behavior.
## Convenience is the advantage
Dollar General is within five miles of 75% of the U.S. population, making its stores a convenient option for shoppers trying to limit driving.
## Over 2,000 items at $1
The retailer is emphasizing affordability with more than 2,000 items priced at $1 or less, including products in its Value Valley section.
## Value Valley sales surge 16%
Value Valley comparable sales rose 16% in the second quarter. The company expanded the assortment and increased its seasonal $1 selection by 40%.
## Delivery brings new customers
Delivery contributed 40 basis points to second-quarter sales growth. More than 1 million customers discovered Dollar General through delivery, then shopped in stores.
## Subscription pilot coming soon
Dollar General plans to pilot a delivery subscription offering at the end of 2026 and expects to scale it in 2027.
## Confident in 2028 targets
The company remains confident in its 2028 targets of 2% to 3% same-store sales growth and a 6% to 7% operating margin, supported by margin recovery and supply-chain gains.
## Margin expansion on track
Dollar General delivered over 100 basis points of gross-margin expansion last year and 80 basis points of shrink improvement, matching its multi-year goals.
## New CEO takes over in January
CEO Todd Vasos will leave in January 2027, with JJ Fleeman, formerly of Ahold Delhaize, selected as his successor. Vasos will stay on as advisor and board member.
## Key takeaway

Dollar General is doubling down on $1 items and delivery as its core customers visit more often but buy less per trip due to inflation and high gas prices.