Quick Facts
- U.S.-based small businesses that have not sold to Dollar General in the past 18 months can apply at Rangeme.com/dgsbsummit through August 17, 2026.
- Selected applicants will participate in virtual meetings with Dollar General’s Small Business Development team this fall.
- Dollar General operates more than 21,000 stores nationwide and posted Q3 net sales of $10.6 billion, up 4.6% year over year.
Dollar General has launched its annual Call for Small Businesses for 2026, opening applications to U.S.-based vendors interested in supplying one of the country’s largest discount retailers. The application window runs through Monday, August 17, 2026.
Eligible companies must not have sold products to Dollar General within the last 18 months. Applications are submitted through Rangeme.com/dgsbsummit. Selected businesses will hold virtual meetings with the company’s Small Business Development team in the fall.
“At Dollar General, our mission of serving others is grounded in providing meaningful products to our customers, and we are committed to engaging with a wide variety of vendors and suppliers across the country to help us fulfill that promise,” said Bryan Wheeler, EVP and Chief Merchandising Officer.
The program is not new. Dollar General has run its Small Business Development Program for several years, offering accepted vendors access to its SBD Academy, product discovery resources, funding and training support, and financial enablement programs. Past participants include Black Paper Party, a Black-owned and women-founded celebration goods brand, and Milo’s Tea Company, a family-owned certified women-owned business that won Dollar General’s Small Business Supplier of the Year award in both 2023 and 2025.
The 2026 call comes as Dollar General continues to grow its store count and post solid financial results. The company now operates more than 21,000 stores, up from 20,000 at the time of last year’s vendor call. In its third quarter of fiscal 2025, net sales rose 4.6% to $10.6 billion, driven by a 2.5% same-store sales gain and a 2.5% increase in customer traffic.
The company opened 575 new U.S. stores in 2025 and completed 4,300 remodels and relocations under its Project Elevate and Project Renovate programs. For 2026, Dollar General plans to open approximately 450 additional stores.
The vendor program is running alongside other business initiatives, including a pilot subscription service and a new store format aimed at encouraging more browsing. The company employed approximately 194,200 workers as of February 28, 2025.
The announcement arrives amid scrutiny of Dollar General’s decision to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies earlier this year, a move that followed a January executive order from President Donald Trump dismantling federal DEI programs. Reverend Jamal-Harrison Bryant, backed by a coalition of more than 50 Black churches, launched a digital protest calling on the retailer to reinstate DEI initiatives and create a community reinvestment fund. Despite the rollback, Dollar General is continuing to accept applicants through its Small Business Development Program, which has historically included minority-owned and women-owned businesses.
For brands and small operators looking to land shelf space in a high-traffic discount chain, the August 17 deadline is the entry point.
Read more: Dollar General opens call for small business vendors
