DG vs DRI Comparison

With over 20,000 locations, Dollar General's banner is nearly ubiquitous across the rural United States. Dollar General serves as a convenient shopping destination for fill-in store trips, with its value proposition most relevant to consumers in small communities with a dearth of shopping options. The retailer operates a frugal store of about 7,500 square feet and primarily offers an assortment of branded and private-label consumable items (80% of net sales) such as paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items at low prices. Dollar General also offers a limited assortment of seasonal merchandise, home products, and apparel. The firm sells most items at a price point of $10 or lower.

Darden Restaurants is the largest restaurant operator in the us full-service space, with consolidated revenue of $11.4 billion in fiscal 2024 resulting in 3%-4% full-service market share (per NRA data and our calculations). The company maintains a portfolio of 10 restaurant brands: Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, Ruth's Chris, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V's, Bahama Breeze, and The Capital Burger. Darden generates revenue almost exclusively from company-owned restaurants, though a small network of franchised restaurants and consumer-packaged goods sales through the traditional grocery channel contribute modestly. As of the end of its fiscal 2024, the company operated 2,031 restaurants in the us.