Dollar General Corp. (Goodlettsville, Tenn.) said the 2 percent payroll tax increase wouldn’t slow its ambitious growth plan this year.
Quite the opposite, said ceo Rick Dreiling, on a conference call. “This is yet another perfect example of when times get tough, our customer needs us even more.”
The discounter, which added 625 new stores in 2012, has announced plans to open a similar number this year. The chain currently has more than 10,000 locations. It said it targets 7 percent square footage growth this year, roughly the same growth rate as the last two years.
The concern with the payroll tax increase has been that it would be particularly harmful to the lower-income shoppers who tend to be the primary market for retailers like Dollar General and Family Dollar Stores Inc. (Matthews, N.C.).