Dollar General (DG +0.41%) has been on the front lines of keeping Americans supplied during the coronavirus pandemic. The chain sells needed items including food, cleaning supplies, and other household staples.
It's also well positioned to help a lot of people, since, "approximately 75% of the American population [lives] within five miles of a Dollar General," according to a letter from CEO Todd Vasos.
That has placed a lot of pressure on the chain, which is staying open, but making some changes to keep up with demand.
Dollar General has trimmed its hours and plans to add employees. Image source: Dollar General.
What is Dollar General doing?
The retail chain has decided to close its stores one hour early in order to give workers more time to stock shelves. This extra time will also allow for additional cleaning and sanitization efforts.
Dollar General also plans to add more people to its workforce.
"For any individual whose job has been temporarily impacted by the effect of COVID-19, we currently have a number of full and part-time positions available across our stores, distribution centers, and private fleet network," Vasos wrote.
The chain has also designated the first hour of each day for seniors only to help keep that vulnerable population safer.
Small, but key, changes
These aren't major moves, but they're important ones for the chain to be able to keep serving its customers. For some people, Dollar General will be a lifeline because of many of its stores being located in areas that are underserved by traditional supermarket and grocery chains.
