What Is Dollar General's pOpshelf, and Should You Shop It?

Dollar General stores are found throughout the U.S. and can provide some good bargains thanks to their selection of bank-account friendly items. However, the stores are often cluttered with stuff and may not provide the best shopping experience out there.

In an effort to cater to customers who want a more upscale shopping experience, Dollar General is opening retail locations that operate under a different brand. These stores are called pOpshelf, and they're meant to appeal to wealthier and more suburban customers.

If you haven't shopped at one yet, the big question is, should you check out pOpshelf or steer clear?

Do you have a pOpshelf near you?

While you can find Dollar General stores just about anywhere, the number of pOpshelf locations is currently much more limited. There will be approximately 1,000 pOpshelf stores by the end of 2025 (according to Dollar General), but they currently exist only in a limited number of states, including:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• New Jersey
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

While pOpshelf does have a website, you can typically only buy items online to pick up in your local store -- not to have them shipped. So if there's no pOpshelf in your area yet, you won't be able to shop there until the store continues with its expansion efforts. You can also check your local Dollar General, as a small number of them have scaled-down versions of pOpshelf as a store within a store.

Do you need the items pOpshelf offers?

Dollar General sells a lot of practical necessities, including food, beverages, and household products like paper towels. pOpshelf does not really offer these kinds of essentials but instead is focused on items like beauty products and home decor.

If you are in the market for fun purchases and you won't have to go into credit card debt to buy them, then there's nothing wrong with checking out what little splurges pOpshelf can offer you. But if you are on a tight budget and you tend to overspend in places where home decor and kitchen items can be had for relatively low prices, you may want to steer clear of the temptation.

After all, while an adorable $8 blue bubble glass isn't a huge splurge, if you're the type of person who would justify buying a bunch of them because the individual price isn't that high, pOpshelf may not be the place for you.

Will pOpshelf offer you the best prices?

Many items sold at pOpshelf are priced at $5 or less, but that's not the case with all items. Some have prices as high as $18 or more. Some of the items are also priced a lot higher than at competitor stores like Dollar Tree. For example, a Halloween-themed mug would run you $3.00 at pOpshelf, while you could get a fall-themed mug for just $1.25 at the Dollar Tree.

It's important to compare prices and not just assume that pOpshelf will offer good deals because of its affiliation with Dollar General. By keeping these three factors in mind, you can decide if shopping at pOpshelf is right for your personal finances.