In our low crime county where shoplifters may get probation with the first strike if they have no record of previous crimes, but thereafter do a few years in prison, we have a Dollar Tree which will be opening soon. I usually see those stores in urban areas rather than on a rural highway. Some corporations may be seeing the benefit of just ditching the idea of locating in high volume areas in exchange for low crime, steady customer, law-abiding, locations. Dollar Tree might be thinking of giving Dollar General some competition.
I see most “Dollar” stores on the local major highway, just at the edge of town. [Western small towns...]
I'm seeing the same thing. Dollar Tree has opened stores in a couple of nearby towns with populations of around 2,000 or less. Those towns already have a Dollar General.
Dollar General has a profitable metric for new store locations.
Most times they’re in rural areas with very low or no crime.