What to expect at DG Market, the relocated Dollar General store in downtown Salina
While it won't be a supermarket, the relocated Dollar General store in downtown Salina set to open later this year will look more like what people might expect to see in a grocery store as Dollar General becomes the first DG Market in Kansas.
"In the new store, shoppers will notice the assortment of fresh and perishable items including dairy products, fresh produce, fresh meats and frozen foods available to customers," Dollar General said in an email sent to the Journal.
On its website, Dollar General said the first DG Market opened in 2003 and offers everything a traditional Dollar General sells in addition to providing fresh like meats and produce.
In addition to bananas, the store will carry apples, lettuce, strawberries and broccoli. Potatoes, onions and tomatoes will be offered by the bag or singularly.
The new store will be located at 511 E. Iron Ave. in downtown Salina and will also have a fresh meat and dairy area will feature ground beef, milk and cheese.
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"We believe the addition of each new store provides positive economic benefits including additional access to affordable products for customers, the creation of new jobs for local residents and career development opportunities for our employees; the generation of additional tax revenue for the city and the ability for local nonprofits, schools and libraries to apply for literacy and education grants through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation," the release said.
The general merchandise retailer said it knows that it is not a grocer, but also understands that its stores are sometimes their customers' only nearby retail option.
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The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Access Research Atlas of 2019 shows much of north Salina as an area where much of the population do not have access to a supermarket that is within one mile of their home. These areas were, until recently, referred to as "food deserts" by USDA.
On June 30, 2021, Dollar General announced steps it was taking to provide access to food resources in rural and underserved communities as a way to "proactively address food insecurity across the country."
"We currently offer fresh produce in approximately 2,300 stores and plan to offer fresh fruits and vegetables in up to 10,000 total stores in the coming years with a meaningful number of stores located in food deserts," Dollar General said.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Downtown Salina Dollar General to offer produce and meat in relocation
