
FedEx Corp. and Dollar General announced a strategic alliance that will offer convenient access to FedEx drop-off and pickup services at thousands of Dollar General stores.
The companies said the effort is designed to increase access for all customers, particularly those living in rural communities. FedEx and Dollar General plan to begin rolling out the service in more than 1,500 Dollar General stores in late summer, building to a total of more than 8,000 stores by the end of 2020.
The Dollar General alliance will increase the FedEx Retail Convenience Network to more than 62,000 retail locations. FedEx noted that it is one of the leading enablers of the rapidly growing e-commerce market and that this is a way to meet demand. The company said the offering also complements its existing portfolio of solutions for online merchants.
By leveraging Dollar General’s rural store footprint, more than 90 percent of Americans will ultimately live within five miles of a FedEx hold retail location, the company said.
“Dollar General is the perfect retailer to help us meet the growing need for convenient, secure drop-off and pickup options in a variety of rural communities,” Scott Harkins, senior vice president of customer experience marketing at FedEx Services, said. “We understand customers may not always want packages delivered to a home or office. They want secure, alternate delivery options and we’re on a mission to make that happen. We are proud to work with Dollar General to make our customers’ lives easier.”
Jason Reiser, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Dollar General, said, “This collaboration furthers Dollar General’s mission of ‘Serving Others’ and long track record of serving rural communities by combining our expansive store presence with FedEx’s global reach. We look forward to providing customers with expanded services and accessibility throughout our rural footprint and working with FedEx as we begin the rollout later this year.”
By bringing together Dollar General’s vast network of retail locations with the growing FedEx convenience network, this new alliance aims to give customers the advantage of a hassle-free shopping experience and the ability to do more in one store. As part of the FedEx OnSite program, customers will be able to drop off pre-packaged and pre-labeled FedEx Express or FedEx Ground shipments at Dollar General stores and pick up packages sent to their neighborhood Dollar General.
Last year, FedEx Office, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., and Walmart Inc. reached a deal to place 500 new FedEx Office locations within select domestic Walmart stores in the next two years. This expanded on a successful pilot program spanning 47 locations in six states.
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