Dollar General to open 900 stores, accelerate remodels in 2018
Dollar General on Thursday reported results for the third quarter that beat Street estimates and announced aggressive remodeling plans and new store growth for the coming year.
The discounter will execute approximately 2,000 real estate projects in fiscal 2018. The emphasis will be on remodeling. Dollar General plans to open 900 new stores (compared to an estimated 1,285 new units in fiscal 2017), remodel 1,000 existing sites and relocate 100 stores (compared to 760 combined remodels and relocations this year).
"We continue to believe that investing in the business through our high-return new store growth is the best use of our capital to help drive long-term shareholder value," said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. "Our new store growth is complemented with a significant increase in our store remodel program from fiscal 2017 that we view as an investment to enhance and consistently deliver on our brand promise to help our customers save time and money every day.”
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, commented that many of Dollar General's new stores will be located in metro areas.
"This represents a slight shift in focus--but one that we believe presents Dollar General with a significant opportunity," Saunders said. (For more, click here.)
Dollar General's net income rose to $252.5 million, or 93 cents per share, from $235.3 million, or 84 cents per share, in the quarter ended November 3, over the year-ago period. Excluding items, the company earned 98 cents per share, beating the average analysts’ estimate of 94 cents.
Net sales increased 11% to $5.90 billion. Same-store sales rose 4.3%, which the company attributed to increases in average transaction amount and customer traffic. The company said hurricane-related sales contributed an estimated 30 to 35 basis points to same-store sales.
"During the quarter, we effectively balanced our same-store sales growth while achieving gross profit rate expansion and continuing our planned investments in the business," said Vasos.
Dollar General narrowed its fiscal 2017 GAAP diluted earnings per share to $4.37 to $4.47, compared to its prior guidance range of $4.35 to $4.50. The current diluted earnings per share guidance range now includes the estimated net negative impact on the third quarter diluted earnings per share results of $0.05 related to the hurricanes.
For fiscal 2017, the company now forecasts net sales growth of approximately 7%, compared to its prior guidance range of 5% to 7% growth. It also forecasts same-store sales growth of approximately 2.5%, compared to its prior expectation that same-store sales would fall at the upper end of the range of slightly positive to up 2%.
Dollar General operated 14,321 stores in 44 states as of November 3, 2017.
The discounter will execute approximately 2,000 real estate projects in fiscal 2018. The emphasis will be on remodeling. Dollar General plans to open 900 new stores (compared to an estimated 1,285 new units in fiscal 2017), remodel 1,000 existing sites and relocate 100 stores (compared to 760 combined remodels and relocations this year).
"We continue to believe that investing in the business through our high-return new store growth is the best use of our capital to help drive long-term shareholder value," said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. "Our new store growth is complemented with a significant increase in our store remodel program from fiscal 2017 that we view as an investment to enhance and consistently deliver on our brand promise to help our customers save time and money every day.”
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, commented that many of Dollar General's new stores will be located in metro areas.
"This represents a slight shift in focus--but one that we believe presents Dollar General with a significant opportunity," Saunders said. (For more, click here.)
Dollar General's net income rose to $252.5 million, or 93 cents per share, from $235.3 million, or 84 cents per share, in the quarter ended November 3, over the year-ago period. Excluding items, the company earned 98 cents per share, beating the average analysts’ estimate of 94 cents.
Net sales increased 11% to $5.90 billion. Same-store sales rose 4.3%, which the company attributed to increases in average transaction amount and customer traffic. The company said hurricane-related sales contributed an estimated 30 to 35 basis points to same-store sales.
"During the quarter, we effectively balanced our same-store sales growth while achieving gross profit rate expansion and continuing our planned investments in the business," said Vasos.
Dollar General narrowed its fiscal 2017 GAAP diluted earnings per share to $4.37 to $4.47, compared to its prior guidance range of $4.35 to $4.50. The current diluted earnings per share guidance range now includes the estimated net negative impact on the third quarter diluted earnings per share results of $0.05 related to the hurricanes.
For fiscal 2017, the company now forecasts net sales growth of approximately 7%, compared to its prior guidance range of 5% to 7% growth. It also forecasts same-store sales growth of approximately 2.5%, compared to its prior expectation that same-store sales would fall at the upper end of the range of slightly positive to up 2%.
Dollar General operated 14,321 stores in 44 states as of November 3, 2017.