Shoppers in Russell Springs now have a new place to purchase everyday essentials. Dollar General recently opened a new store at the corner of Hwy 80 and Hwy. 1729, just across from the Royville Friendship Church.

The new store was a project two years in the making, but once the deal was signed, the building progressed rapidly. Originally thought to open toward the end of February or beginning of March, the store opened its doors for business on January 9, well ahead of predictions.

The store held their open house on January 22.

"The Open House was really busy," said Assistant Manager Nanette Kenyon. "We had a lot of people lined up before we opened and it was busy all day. We were pleased."

Dollar General offered sales and numerous prizes at the open house.

 "Oh, we had a lot of prizes; two U.K. gift baskets and the first 50 customers got a $10 gift card.” Kenyon said. “We also had snacks for the kids provided by Lays and Little Debbies."

The floor plan is a new design by Dollar General Stores that includes groceries and a cooler to carry perishable items such as milk and eggs. The new store model is larger than its predecessors, with a square footage of approximately 9,100 square feet.

Dollar General Stores offer convenience and value to customers by providing a focused selection of national brands and private brands of food, house wares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health and beauty care products.

The store employs approximately six to ten people and the Russell Springs store currently employs nine. Anyone interested in applying for a job at Dollar General will find more information and a job application at www.dollargeneral.com in the Career Center.

Dollar General gives its customers more than everyday low prices on basic merchandise. Dollar General is deeply involved in the communities it serves and is an ardent supporter of literacy and education. At the cash register of every Dollar General store, customers interested in learning how to read, speak English or get their General Education Diploma (GED) can pick up a brochure with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers free literacy services.

In 1993, the company founded the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, which has awarded more than $50 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 2.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dollargeneral.com.