Dollar General plans grand opening for Waterman store

Note to readers: This story has been changed to remove an inaccurate reference to the village president of Waterman. He is Tom Ekle.

WATERMAN – Local shoppers could receive gift cards and other free merchandise from the town’s new Dollar General at the store’s grand opening Saturday.

The store, at 9560 Route 23 in Waterman, will have the grand opening at 8 a.m., and it will include free prizes and special deals, according to a news release from the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based retailer.

The first 50 adult shoppers at the store will get a $10 Dollar General gift card, and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways, the release said.

“Dollar General is committed to delivering a pleasant shopping experience that includes a convenient location, a wide assortment of merchandise and great prices on quality products,” said Dan Nieser, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development. “We hope our Waterman customers will enjoy shopping at Dollar General’s new location.”

The store officially opened Sunday, becoming the second Dollar General to move to DeKalb County this year. The chain opened a Kirkland store in January, drawing about 70 people at its grand opening.

Local Dollar General employees were not permitted by the company’s corporate office to speak to the Daily Chronicle.

Dollar General sells a selection of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health and beauty products. Typical stores employ six to 10 people, the release said.

Dollar General had more than 12,400 stores in 43 states as of January. It builds 7,300-square-foot stores that stock between 10,000 and 12,000 items, according to its website.

The Waterman location will operate between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day. The publicly traded company, which had $20.4 billion in sales in fiscal 2015, has more than 114,000 employee; locally, Dollar General still is seeking new hires.