Dollar General
Flagged · AvoidOne of the largest retailers in the U.S. by store count, with more locations than McDonald's, deliberately targeting low-income rural communities where grocery alternatives are thin, making it both indispensable to those communities and a driver of their economic stagnation.
Last updated May 21, 2026
↓ Skip to 5 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:Human RightsLabor
- A 2023 USDA study found that rural grocery stores are three times more likely to close after a Dollar General opens nearby, and the grocers that remain see sales fall by nearly 9 percent. Dollar General deliberately targets low-income and rural areas, replacing full-service supermarkets with stores that carry little to no fresh produce.
- Dollar General agreed to pay $12 million to the U.S. Department of Labor in 2024 after accumulating more than $21 million in OSHA fines since 2017 across over 240 inspections nationwide. The company became the first retailer added to OSHA's "Severe Violators" list in 2023 for repeated willful violations including blocked emergency exits and fire extinguishers at stores across the country.
- Dollar General's business model relies on extreme understaffing, often leaving a single employee to manage an entire store for hours at a time. Federal investigators found that chronic understaffing is the direct cause of the company's safety violations, leaving workers unable to clear blocked exits or address fire hazards before the next inspection.
- A federal labor judge ruled in 2023 that Dollar General illegally fired a worker for union organizing activity and deployed a corporate "Rapid Response Team" to maintain a daily presence at a Connecticut store for over four weeks leading up to a union election. The company also threatened workers that the store would close if they voted to unionize, violating the National Labor Relations Act.
- Dollar General's understaffing model has made its stores frequent targets for violent crime, with 49 people killed and 172 injured at its locations by gun violence between 2014 and 2023 according to the Gun Violence Archive. Workers have reported being stabbed, shot, held at gunpoint, and pistol-whipped while working alone in stores with no security measures in place.
Ethical alternatives
Retail
Local Grocery Stores
Support independent grocers and markets that provide fresh food and fair wages.
📍 Local Business
Visit →Farmers Markets
Buy directly from local farmers - fresher food, support local economy.
📍 Local Business👩🌾 Farmer Direct
Visit →
Thrive Market
Online membership market for organic and healthy products at discount prices.
✅ B-Corp🌿 Organic
Visit →
Costco
Warehouse retailer known for better wages, benefits, and treatment of workers.
🤝 Fair Trade
Visit →Food Co-ops
Member-owned grocery cooperatives focused on community benefit and quality food.
✊ Worker Owned📍 Local Business
Common Questions
- Is Dollar General ethical?
- Dollar General became the first retailer added to OSHA's "Severe Violators" list in 2023, with more than $21 million in safety fines since 2017 across over 240 inspections for blocked emergency exits and fire hazards. A 2023 USDA study found that rural grocery stores are three times more likely to close after a Dollar General opens nearby, leaving communities with fewer fresh food options.
- Why are people boycotting Dollar General?
- Worker safety is the most common driver, with Dollar General's single-employee staffing model leaving workers exposed to violent crime, including 49 people killed at its locations by gun violence between 2014 and 2023. A federal labor judge also ruled in 2023 that the company illegally fired a worker for union organizing and threatened to close the store if employees voted to unionize.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Dollar General?
- Local grocery stores and farmers markets provide fresh food and support local employment. Food co-ops near you are member-owned and community-focused. Thrive Market offers organic and healthy products at competitive prices online with B Corp certification.