Nearly 100 More Discount Retail Stores to Close, Affecting Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin

Folks across the Tri-State area might want to keep an eye on their neighborhood discount stores this year. After major shake-ups with Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, another major discount retail chain is trimming its store count in a big way, and the impact is starting to ripple across our local communities.

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According to a recent financial report from the company and an article on CNBC, Dollar General recently announced it’s shutting down 96 of its standard stores and 45 under its more upscale brand, pOpshelf. Another six pOpshelf locations will be flipped into regular stores under the main banner.

While only a handful of exact locations have been confirmed so far, two Illinois stores are already on the list: one at 6101 N Illinois St, Fairview Heights, and another at 4110 Avenue of the Cities, Moline. That puts the Tri-State region squarely in the mix as the closures roll out through 2025, where location closures will be spread across 48 states.

The store closures are being pitched as a way to streamline operations and focus on long-term performance. But for many small towns and working-class neighborhoods across Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, losing even one of these locations can make a big dent. Company leadership said the closures represent “less than one percent” of their total store base. But let’s be honest — if it’s your local store that’s closing, that stat doesn’t offer any comfort. I know it would be a massive loss for my small rural town of Cascade to lose our Dollar General, especially in the way of convenience shopping.

There’s also a bigger picture at play here. In its latest earnings report, the company admitted it's seeing clear signs of economic pressure on its core customers. Many are reportedly struggling to even afford essentials. That adds a layer of urgency to the closures, signaling shifting ground in the discount retail world's consumer base.

Whether more Tri-State locations will be affected remains to be seen — but given how many closures are planned nationally and across 48 of our 50 states, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a few more local names added to the list in both Wisconsin and Iowa as well. We’ll be watching for updates as soon as more closures are confirmed.