North Brooksville gets new Dollar General
BROOKSVILLE –
Residents who live on the north side of Brooksville are used to making the trek into the city for their groceries, toiletries and other assorted goods.
Except for a trio of convenience stores, there are plenty of trees and scenic highways and not much else.
That will change soon with the planned opening of a new Dollar General at the corner of U.S. 41 and Howell Avenue, in the triangle parcel near Damac Estates.
A check with the county building department shows the chain has been approved for a building permit and is only awaiting site approval and a few other check-offs on the county’s list.
Dollar General, which is expanding rapidly in Florida, recently announced another store north of Portillo Road in Spring Hill.
The chain’s competitor, Family Dollar, also is making inroads into Hernando County as it tries to capture a share of the market. A new location is planned for east of Spring Lake Highway, off State Road 50.
Both stores feature a large selection of grocery items, clothes, toiletries, toys and books.
Buddy Selph, broker with Tommie Dawson Realty, said Dollar General tends to locate in areas away from congested, urbanized areas for two reasons: to capture an under-served population area and to acquire less expensive property.
For example, land prices north of Brooksville are cheaper than areas along U.S. 19.
Also, Selph said he’s noticed that traffic has increased along the U.S. 41 corridor with more people commuting north and south between Citrus and Hernando counties, so Dollar General could be in a position to attract residents there.
It will likely draw heavily from the Nobleton area, Damac Estates and nearby Clover Leaf Forest RV Park.
“They seem to be providing a service (for) low-cost product for consumers, so obviously they’re doing well,” Selph said.
Tennessee-based Dollar General has more than 10,000 stores in 40 states, with 577 of them in Florida. The chain seeks sites along a retail corridor with good traffic, high visibility with easy in-and-out access, according to its website.
The store targets households with a median income of less than $75,000 and a surrounding population of at least 4,500.
The typical building is 9,000 square feet, has a minimum 30 parking spaces and is accessible for truck delivery.
Dollar General plans to add 635 new stores in 2013 and relocate or remodel another 550 locations. In all, it expects to create 6,000 new jobs.
“Dollar General’s continued growth reflects our customers’ increasing satisfaction with our everyday low prices and convenience,” Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO, said in a news release.
