Dollar General

I purchased a knife sharpener from this location. The store not clean as you expected, employees not that friendly, nor helpful if you need to look for an item. The item did not work, so I visited their location on Wake Forest Rd and had a great experience there.

This Dollar General isn’t as clean as I would like it to be. Maybe it’s because it isn’t new but I’m not sure how old it is either. I also find it some what disorganized. Things also aren’t stocked in bulk. I feel like they usually only put out a handful of the same item. I’ve definitely visited better managed stores under the same name. With all that said, this store is at a very convenient location. If you’re out getting food on Ninth Street or Hillsborough Street it’s easy to swing by to grab things. I usually only buy small items at this store. Maybe a notebook, pack of paper, or a 2 liter drink. I’m not sure I would rely on this store for bigger items. Basically this store is good for purchases that are «equivalent to a dollar» but anything worth more than that should probably be purchased elsewhere.

It’s certainly not a «destination», but rather a place to purchase everyday items and liquidation randomness which are all priced competitively.
For years I avoided Dollar General thinking that it was owned by Art Pope, a NC political figure whose views are polar opposites of mine. I was mistaken — Art Pope owns a different set of «value» stores, so I decided to see what Dollar General has to offer. It’s close to my house, so no reason not to stop in.
I actually like this place. The selection that have is weird; I’m never sure what specially I’ll find, but they always have at least one of X for any given category of Y, whether it be cards, candy, office supplies, light groceries, housewares, etc.
I’ve realized that when you need a cheap gift or trinket, Dollar General delivers. Great place for Easter baskets goodies, stocking stuffers, some small embellishment to a random gift or to add some bling to a Thank You note.
If you need a pantry staple and don’t want to trek through the Grocery, they are like a convenience store times five and with prices which aren’t jacked up. Milk, butter, eggs, flour, sugar — they’ve got it and won’t overcharge you in the process. Just check the sell by date, they are pushing it sometimes.
The store itself is reasonably tidy, but there are in business to sell cheap stuff to whoever comes in, so don’t expect the red carpet to be rolled out, though the staff is perfectly nice and checkout is generally fast, and if there is a slowdown you can typically point to the slow customer and not the clerk.
I’m no longer freaked out by Dollar General. They serve purpose, and do a fine job of the niche that they fill.

Their prices are often a little higher than a decent comparison-​shopping job at area grocery stores/​drug stores will run you on many name-​brand items, which makes me feel bamboozled. E.g., a smaller-​than-​standard package of Oreos for $ 2.85 when you can often get the bigger, standard-​sized package for $ 2.50ish on sale.
BUT, they have some awesome horribly junky off-​brand items that I’m starting to get hooked on despite myself. Oh, boy — let your conscience take a backseat here as you buy items to slather on your body that are probably made out of lead that’s been pulverized by blind orphans in Malaysia and bankrupt the futures of ambitious young women everywhere as you eat BOOTLEG SAMOAS during the off-​season for less than half the price. Hot dog!

All dollar stores are not equal. Unlike Dollar Tree where everything’s a dollar, the Dollar General has items in multiples of dollars ($ 1, $ 2, $ 3 — though I think nothing more than $ 5). This particular store isn’t as clean and uncluttered as others in the area. And the selection is more heavily household items like kitchen tools, and cheap grocery items. Would have liked to see more in the gift wrap and seasonal aisles. I was really disappointed to buy individual spools of ribbon here for .50, only to find the exact same ones packaged in 4-​packs at the Dollar Tree! Convenient if I need a roll of paper towels or something, on the fly.

This DG’s is the shizzle!
I love it because it’s so close to East campus and that I can usually get inexpensive items here. The staff here sees a lot of turn over. Usually only one or two people are working the counter, so even on an average night, there is a line. Sometimes, the items on the shelves are not well arranged. But in general, a cheap one and a good one!