The Dollar Store Goes Millennial
Dollar stores selling a wide assortment at discount prices typically cater to cost-conscious customers in somewhat out-of-the way places. But the recent influx of millennials moving into downtown urban areas has created a new opportunity.
In an effort to capitalize on the changing urban landscape, Mars-Wrigley enlisted WD Partners to study the urban shopping experience, develop profiles for urban shoppers, and offer recommendations for boosting front-end sales. The initiative evolved into a total store design for DGX—Dollar General’s new smaller format store experience designed for busy city-dwellers.
- Shopper Research & Insights •
- Environments Design •
- Visual Merchandising •
- In-Store Digital Engagement •
- Stylistic Renderings •
- Architecture & Design •
- Project Management •
A Design Built on a Lifestyle
The WD Insights, Strategy and Design teams created an inviting store look and layout with a touch of upscale sophistication to attract the urban millennial shopper. The DGX logo is bold, dynamic and fresh, leaving behind any stereotypes associated with the master brand.
Our goal was relevance, communicating to the urban shopper through merchandising of name brands, and “immediate consumption” products that DGX fits their lifestyle and needs. The design offers easy-to-find convenience including a gourmet coffee bar and “Snack Center” stocked with a variety of healthy snacks and “grab and go” sandwiches.
Our contemporary design for the store exterior was designed with flexibility in mind and can be adapted as needed. In Nashville, for example, Dollar General used our store design to capitalize on the building’s corner location and create an impressive façade for the entrance.
Becoming a Part of the Neighborhood
Eye-catching signage with a crisp contemporary style makes it easy for shoppers to discover what the DGX store offers. From grocery staples to a small assortment of home décor and electronics, DGX offers items rarely found in such convenience-style stores. Our design ensures that DGX maintains an organized and uncluttered appearance while reflecting the shopping preferences of today’s urban millennial.
Wall coverings connect the DGX logo to its locale and include photography from the surrounding area giving the store a neighborhood identity to engender a sense of loyalty among local shoppers.
The first store opened in early 2017 near Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. The DGX opening drew much favorable media coverage and plenty of customers. A Dollar General executive called our work “simply awesome!”
