[12] Dollar General has grown to become one of the most profitable stores in the rural United States, with revenue reaching around $27 billion in 2019.

James quit school to work on the family farm, helping to provide for his mother and siblings, and subsequently never completed his education.

[29] As a part of the transition to a privately held company, Dollar General assessed each location at the end of its lease against a model known as "EZ Stores".

This assessment included evaluating whether the location had a loading dock, garbage dumpsters, adequate parking, and acceptable profitability.

[33] Dollar General's 12th distribution center opened on May 31, 2014, in Bethel, Pennsylvania, to serve the Northeast and Midwest stores.

[36] Dollar General's 13th distribution center opened in San Antonio, Texas, on June 6, 2016, with a local investment of $100 million and the creation of over 500 jobs.

[37] In September 2015, the City Council in Janesville, Wisconsin, approved an agreement to bring a Dollar General distribution center to the town.

The DGX store concept focuses on urban shoppers and is geared toward instant-consumption services such as coffee stations and soda fountains.

[45][46] In September 2019, Dollar General celebrated the grand opening of its 16,000th store, in Panama City, Florida, following damage sustained from Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

To commemorate the opening, Dollar General presented two $16,000 checks in partnership with Kellogg's to two local elementary schools displaced from the hurricane.

[51] In late May 2020, two Dollar General stores were destroyed by arson during the George Floyd riots in Minneapolis–Saint Paul, and three others had property damage.

[52] In October 2020, Dollar General opened its first pOpshelf stores in Hendersonville and Clarksville, Tennessee, selling mostly items costing less than $5.

Chairman Michael Calbert said in a statement, “At this time the Board has determined that a change in leadership is necessary to restore stability and confidence in the Company moving forward".

[59] Dollar General was the title sponsor for Nationwide Series races held in Charlotte every fall, Chicagoland every summer, and Phoenix in the spring.

Dollar General private brands include Clover Valley (groceries), Good & Smart (health foods), Smart & Simple (a low-end discount brand), Sweet Smiles (bulk candy), Nature's Menu, Forever Pals and Heartland Farms (pet food and products, formerly EverPet), Gentle Steps (diapers, training pants, and wipes), Studio Selection (beauty and skin care), Believe Beauty (beauty care and makeup), Root to End (hair care), TrueLiving (housewares and laundry), Comfort Bay (towels, blankets, and pillows), Open Trails (men's apparel), Mission Ridge (blue jeans), Zone Pro (sportswear), Rexall (health care, under license from McKesson Corporation[68]), Composure (adult diapers and incontinence pads), Breeze (feminine hygiene), ProEssentials (hardware), DriveMXD (automotive), OfficeHub (office supplies), and Bobbie Brooks (women's apparel, under license[69]).

They have also made significant progress in recycling, avoiding more than 1.1 million metric tons of GHG emissions through various programs such as the cardboard backhauling initiative.

Every year the Foundation awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center.

[81] In 2020, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded $8.6 million to approximately 970 nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries, its largest one-day grant announcement.

Dollar store chains, in "capitalizing on a series of powerful economic and social forces—white flight, the recent recession, the so-called "retail apocalypse"—all of which have opened up gaping holes in food access...might not be causing these inequalities per se, they appear to be perpetuating them".

After originally granting them local tax incentives, a number of municipalities have been adding zoning bylaws to discourage dollar stores.

[16] On April 30, 2001, Dollar General Corp was judged liable for making false statements or failing to disclose adverse facts about the company's financial results,[88] and paid $162 million for settlement.

The company also announced a restatement of its earnings for the previous three fiscal years, due to accounting irregularities including allegations of fraudulent behavior.

[90] In November 2014, Dollar General was fined $51,700 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following an inspection of a Brooklyn, Mississippi, branch of the store.

[92] In December 2016, OSHA noted that some Dollar General stores continued to block fire exits with merchandise in disregard of safety violations, resulting in several fines.

[93] Inspections at Dollar General stores in 2022 in Pembroke in February, and Hogansville and Smyrna[clarification needed] in March, identified four willful and seven repeat violations.

Specifically, OSHA cited the company for failing to keep receiving areas clean and orderly and for stacking materials in an unsafe manner.

OSHA also issued citations for exposing workers to fire and entrapment hazards by failing to keep exit routes and electrical panels clear and unobstructed.

In February 2022, OSHA proposed $1,048,309 in penalties after inspections at three locations in Mobile, Alabama, and one in Dalton, Georgia, found similar hazards.

At another Mobile location, a December 2021 inspection led OSHA to propose $321,827 in penalties for exposing workers to slip and trip hazards and not keeping the main storeroom orderly to allow a safe exit during an emergency.

[95] In March 2023 a Barron's article found that North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arizona together had fined Dollar General more than $1 million for price irregularities during 2021 and 2022, and the company was also facing multiple potential class-action lawsuits relating to the issue.