Here for What Matters in Little Rock, Arkansas

Dollar General cares about and is invested in the well-being of the communities it serves and understands millions of Americans and their families rely on DG to provide convenient, affordable and nutritious foods, and health and wellness offerings.  This is highlighted in Little Rock, Arkansas where more than 10 Dollar General stores currently offer produce, providing more than 200,000 Little Rock residents with additional and affordable access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Since Dollar General first began expanding produce in Little Rock stores in 2022, its investment in the Arkansas capitol has demonstrated its “corporate courage,” as stated by Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott and highlighted the Company’s steadfast support to address food insecurity and improve healthier food access.

Together with state and local leaders and local nonprofit Fifty for the Future, the partnership and positive impacts for local residents were recognized by a gold Globee American Business Award in Stakeholder Relations Achievement. Additional information on the Globee Awards is available here.

“We are honored to receive the Gold Globee on behalf of our public-private partnership with Little Rock, which not only highlights Dollar General’s positive community engagement impacts, but how public-private partnerships can collectively serve Arkansas residents,” said Steve Brophy, Dollar General’s vice president of public policy and government affairs.  “At Dollar General, we all take our role as a resource for communities very seriously. The successes in Little Rock are only because of constructive partnerships among the corporate, community, nonprofit and government sectors, and we appreciate the ongoing collaboration to improve healthier food access for thousands of Arkansans.”

In early 2022, Dollar General engaged with officials in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the City sought ways to increase affordable access to produce and healthier foods for residents. Through conversations with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott; Little Rock City Director Dr. Dean Kumpuris; Fifty for the Future (a local non-profit organization investing in and promoting economic growth) member and current Secretary for the Arkansas Department of Commerce Hugh McDonald; Fifty for the Future member Schawnee Hightower;  Little Rock Regional Chamber President Jay Chessir; and others, Dollar General learned of an opportunity to serve area residents. 

While not a grocery store, DG collaborated with elected officials and community leaders to understand Little Rock’s food access needs, leveraging its existing footprint in the area, produce availability and purpose-driven mission to make an impact as the Company continued to expand its produce offerings in stores throughout the country.

“That’s what made Dollar General’s plan so attractive to us – they have existing stores located right in the middle of many of these food deserts and already had a program in place to add a significant grocery component to many of their stores,” said Fifty for the Future committee member Schawnee Hightower.

In May 2022, DG embarked on a test to add fresh produce to nine additional stores in the city, which represented more than half its stores in Little Rock. Within these stores, DG offered the top 20 items typically sold in traditional grocery stores and approximately 80 percent of produce categories carried by most grocery stores, including tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes and salad mixes.  Just months later, a major grocer closed two of its Little Rock locations, making DG’s efforts to introduce produce more impactful for the community.

Access to healthier food is a significant issue for the state of Arkansas. Currently, every county in the state has at least one USDA-defined food desert according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.  The Company’s investments brought additional and affordable access to produce and health and wellness products to more than 200,000 Little Rock residents.    

“It doesn’t matter whether you're in the rice fields of Arkansas or the rolling hills of the Ozarks, every single place you go in Arkansas there’s a good chance that you’re going to be very close to a Dollar General,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders. “Just as common in a one stoplight town as it is right here in Little Rock, many of our citizens are challenged with food insecurity.  Dollar General has stepped up to take that issue head on.”

“We realize that this doesn’t completely solve the problem, but it certainly goes a long way toward ensuring that fresh and flash-frozen produce, as well as other household staples and healthier food items, are more accessible to many of our citizens,” said Little Rock City Director Dr. Dean Kumpuris. “At a time where the number of grocery stores in communities are declining across the country, Dollar General is creating healthy success in actually growing their grocery component, resulting in increased available food options where previously none has existed in years.”

Dollar General is also helping alleviate food insecurity through a nationwide partnership with Feeding America. Announced in 2021, this partnership provides in-kind product and financial donations from stores and distribution center to support those in need In Little Rock, Dollar General partners with the Arkansas Foodbank to make in-kind food donations from a growing number of stores and eventually from its North Little Rock distribution center, which is currently scheduled to open in early 2025. In 2021, the Company provided a $100,000 grant to the Arkansas Foodbank to help support capacity building for the organization.