The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
It’s no secret that dollar stores are becoming a growing threat to grocers. Dollar General runs a grocery format called DG Market and stocks produce in around a third of its more than 20,000 stores. Meanwhile, Dollar Tree now has coolers with fresh and frozen items in nearly all its more than 16,000 locations.
When comparing traffic share across Dollar General, traditional grocers and value grocers between the second quarters of 2019 and 2025, data analysis firm Placer.ai found that Dollar General’s share of visits rose by nearly 3 percentage points, while traditional grocers dropped by nearly 4 percentage points.
Having to contend with tens of thousands of dollar stores in addition to a raft of other value competitors has made life difficult for conventional grocers. And that difficulty may compound as price-sensitive consumers shop across value retailers — and potentially cut out traditional grocers altogether.
Placer.ai found that crossover visits between Dollar General and Aldi rose between 2022 and 2025, suggesting that the two retailers have become complementary shopping destinations for value-focused consumers rather than simply competing for their business. Similarly, Walmart, Target and Costco also operate as complementary shops for Dollar General customers, the firm observed.
Placer’s report noted a sharp uptick in the number of Kroger shoppers that now visit Dollar General stores. That points to yet another threat facing the nation’s largest supermarket chain. But the biggest burden falls on rural independent grocers that simply can’t compete with the dollar store juggernaut’s prices. As economic anxieties rise, more and more people are finding they can rely on an ecosystem of value retailers that includes club stores, hard discounters, mass merchants — and dollar stores.
In case you missed it
Hy-Vee acquires 2 Wisconsin retail locations
The regional grocer announced last week that it is acquiring the County Market store in Wausau, Wisconsin, as well as the adjacent Circle K convenience store. Hy-Vee said it will convert the County Market location into a traditional Hy-Vee grocery store and rebrand the convenience store as a Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh location.
All 130 full- and part-time County Market employees will be offered positions at Hy-Vee, the announcement said, adding that the location will close at the end of the business day on Nov. 11 and reopen as a Hy-Vee store on Nov. 18.
Island Pacific enters Washington state
The Filipino-American grocery chain held a grand opening for its first store in Washington state at the end of last month. The new location in Federal Way, like the company’s other 20-plus locations in California and Nevada, celebrates Filipino culture, heritage and cuisine. The debut Washington store also houses a Philhouse restaurant offering Filipino dishes.
Market Basket drama continues
The New England grocer has let go finance executive Sue Dufresne, according to an emailed statement from a PR firm representing the former executive. Market Basket fired Dufresne, who worked for the company for 30 years, for allegedly disclosing company information to the press and making unauthorized public statements, marking the latest move in a string of executive firings by the chain.
“We are aware that your dedication to [former CEO Arthur T. Demoulas] may have driven you to take these actions. But this was not the correct way to voice your opinions. The path you chose to take was not appropriate,” Market Basket said in a letter to Dufresne, which was provided by the PR firm. In a statement, Dufresne said her termination “is the continuation of the unjustifiable leadership destruction implemented by the current Board.”
Impulse find
Boy Band Bake Off
In an “effort to say ‘bye, bye, bye’ to hunger,” the Food Club brand announced this week that it held a Boy Band Bake Off featuring NSYNC’s Lance Bass and Backstreet Boy’s A.J. McLean.
The two celebrities were challenged to bake and decorate cakes to match famous album covers from other musicians to win the title of Best Boy Band Baker. Fans then voted for their favorite cake via social media.
In the spirit of giving back, both Bass and McLean were named winners so they could each earn a donation in their name to Food Club partner Feeding America, according to the announcement.
