Dollar General lifts outlook on strong Q3; to open 450 stores, remodel 4,250 in 2026
Dollar General Corp. reported better-than-expected earnings and sales for its third quarter amid rising store traffic.
Looking ahead, the deep discounter said it plans to open approximately 450 stores (and about 10 locations in Mexico) in fiscal 2026. That’s down from the estimated 575 new stores (and up to 15 stores in Mexico) it’s on track to open this year.
Dollar General’s remodeling plans for 2026 are in line with this year’s. It plans to fully remodel about 2,000 stores through Project Renovate as well as 2,250 stores through Project Elevate.
Net income surged 43.8% to $282.7 million, with earnings per share of $1.28, for the quarter ended Oct. 3, beating analysts estimates of $0.95 per share.
Net sales rose 4.6% to $10.65 billion, ahead of estimates $10.62 billion. Same-store sales rose 2.5%, the eighth-consecutive quarter of growth. Store traffic increased 2.5%. The average transaction amount was flat. The company saw growth in the consumables, seasonal, home products, and apparel categories.
In a statement, Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said that the company’s third quarter results were highlighted by EPS growth of 44%, strong operating margin performance, and balanced sales growth, including market share gains across both consumable and non-consumable categories.
“We are especially pleased with the continued progress we are making against our key initiatives and are excited about the opportunities ahead of us at Dollar General, including the 2026 real estate growth plans we announced today,” he continued. “As America’s neighborhood general store in nearly 21,000 locations, we are focused on continuing to enhance our value and convenience proposition to serve both new and existing customers.”
Dollar General raised its full-year guidance range for earnings per share to $6.30 to $6.50 from $5.80 to $6.30. Same-store sales growth is now expected to range from 2.5% to 2.7% compared to its previous forecast of 2.1% to 2.6%.
Net sales are expected to rise 4.7% to 4.9%, up from a previous estimate of 4.3% to 4.8%.
Dollar General ended the quarter with 20,901 stores.
