Dollar General: DG Dash – Revolutionizing Convenience for Rural Shoppers

This project was part of the Vanderbilt Accelerator Summer Business Immersion Program, where our team had just one week to develop a comprehensive marketing and operational strategy for Dollar General. We worked under tight deadlines to create DG Dash, a drive-thru store concept designed to streamline shopping for rural consumers, ultimately presenting our proposal to Dollar General executives.

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Our research revealed that while 73% of DG shoppers prioritize a quick shopping experience, many struggle with in-store congestion and checkout delays. Additionally, busy parents, like Renee and Monica, prefer fast checkouts, online ordering, and minimal in-store time, making a drive-thru model an ideal solution. Competitor insights from OPIE Drive-Thru Grocery demonstrated that similar models have successfully achieved sub-2-minute fulfillment times.

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Based on these insights, we proposed DG Dash, a 3,000 sq. ft. drive-thru store offering both online order pickup and on-site ordering lanes. This concept reduces shrinkage, operational costs, and store congestion while improving profitability. Our phased rollout plan includes launching 100 stores in Phase I, scaling to 600 stores over 9 years, with projected first-year profit margins of 27% per location—higher than the 20-22% average for DG stores.​ 

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This project was selected as the winning proposal by Dollar General executives and also earned recognition for Best Research. I was one of two team members chosen to present our final proposal, demonstrating my ability to deliver compelling presentations under pressure, clearly communicate data-driven insights, and effectively engage with executives.

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This project showcases my strong presentation skills, strategic thinking, and ability to develop impactful solutions in a fast-paced environment.​