DG Market stores in Belleville and Smithton opening soon. What to know

The construction of two area Dollar General stores in St. Clair County is nearing completion with opening dates coming soon.

The DG Market at 2100 W. Main St. in Belleville , which seemed to pop up overnight, is slated to open in September, according to a statement from DG Public Relations. It’s being built where the longtime restaurant Fischer’s once stood.

In an email response to the BND’s inquiry, the company also stated that construction progress could affect the opening date.

Like other Dollar General stores, DG Market offers items that include household goods, hygiene products and beauty supplies, seasonal items, packaged non-perishable and frozen food items.

In addition, DG Markets also provide fresh meats and produce, refrigerated food items, eggs, and dairy products.

“Our fresh produce offering includes a curated assortment of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes, salad mixes, and more,” according to the email from the company.

Plans for the Belleville market included a 10,640-square-foot store and a 35-vehicle parking lot, which includes two ADA-compliant spaces.

The building follows Dollar General’s “C-prototype” store design, which was released in summer 2023.

The layout will match that of a DG Market store in Freeburg and include an 8,513-square-foot sales floor.

Construction for the West Main Street store started in June.

Belleville City Council voted to approve the project in April.

At that time, Ward 2 Alderperson Jamie Eros shared her concerns about adding another dollar store to the city. The West Main Street store is in Ward 2.

“There’s already plenty of dollar everythings in Belleville,” Eros said during that meeting.

She said that in her research, she found a lot of negative information about the company and its business model as well as lawsuits against Dollar General.

This week, neither Eros nor Alderperson Carmen Duco could immediately be reached for comment about the nearly complete store.

Ward 1 Alderperson Lillian Schneider saw Eros’ point. She mentioned Dollar General stores at Wade Square and Carlyle Avenue and made note of their lack of cleanliness.

Schneider said Belleville needs actual grocery stores, not Dollar General.

Not everyone at the meeting shared Eros’ point of view.

After visiting the Freeburg store prior to the April council meeting, Ward 3 Alderman Scott Ferguson complimented the location.

“It was nice, tidy … groceries were great,” he said.

He spoke with customers in the store’s parking lot and learned that they came from the Eckert’s area of Belleville and feel the Freeburg store is convenient.

In April, an inquiry was sent to Dollar General for comments in response to some of the concerns expressed at the meeting, including the number of stores already in the area.

The company replied in an email: “Our customers are at the center of all that we do, and meeting their needs is our top priority when choosing store locations. In selecting store sites, we take a number of factors into consideration, carefully evaluating each potential new store location to ensure we can continue to meet our customers’ price, value and selection needs.

“We believe the addition of each new store provides positive economic benefits including additional access to affordable products for customers; the creation of new jobs for local residents and career development opportunities for our employees; the generation of additional tax revenue for the City; and the ability for local nonprofits, schools and libraries to apply for literacy and education grants through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.”

Smithton store opens soon

In addition to the store in Belleville, DG Market at 702 S. Main St. in Smithton is also close to opening.

Dollar General plans to open the Smithton store “within the coming weeks to Saint Clair County customers,” according to a company statement.

The project broke ground in April. In mid-June, the foundation for the building’s footprint was in place.

As with Belleville, construction progress could affect that opening schedule as well.

Plan details for the Smithton store were not immediately available.

However, an image of the proposed plans taken at a Dec. 18, 2023, Zoning Board meeting and shared on the Smithton News Facebook page showed a proposed building measuring 12,480 square feet.

The plans also showed 40 available parking spaces – including two ADA-compliant spaces in front of the entrance.

While the village ordinance requires a minimum of 42 parking spaces, the Zoning Board voted to approve a variance to decrease the number of required spaces from 42 to 40.

A message left for Mayor Mike Smallwood asking for more information about the store was not immediately returned.

About Dollar General and DG Market

As of March 2024, Dollar General offers fresh produce in more than 5,400 stores, according to the company’s public relations spokesperson.

Plans include the addition of around 1,500 more stores in FY 2024.

In addition to Dollar General and DG Market stores, the corporation’s other brands include PopShelf and DGX, an urban concept format created for customers in metropolitan areas, according to the company’s website .

For more information about Dollar General, visit dollargeneral.com .