United States: number of dollar stores 2017-2022

In 2022 there were over 37,000 dollar stores in the United States. This was an increase of approximately 1,500 in comparison to the previous year, and more than 7,000 since 2017.

Profitable years for dollar stores

While many industries struggled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and difficult financial circumstances, dollar stores in the United States experienced significant growth. Discount department stores experienced falling sales as an industry from 2007 to 2020, but saw a massive rebound in 2021 when sales reached the highest level since 2016. Dollar stores have fared better; revenues are estimated to have steadily grown since 2016.

Dollar General sales

The sales of Dollar General, one of the market leaders, reflect this pattern. In the fiscal year 2021, Dollar General's net sales amounted to approximately 34.22 billion U.S. dollars. The company’s sales have consistently grown since 2007, seeing the most significant year-on-year growth in 2020. This growth is understandable, considering that in 2021, Dollar General was the retailer with the most U.S. stores, followed by rival Dollar Tree.