DG vs ZTO Comparison

With more than 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, 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 less.

ZTO Express is China's largest express delivery company by parcel volume, with a volume share of 22.1% in 2022. It operates a network partner model where it provides line-haul transportation and sorting services, while its local network partners provide first-mile pickup and last-mile delivery services under the ZTO brand name. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company was founded in 2002 by Meisong Lai, who remains chair, CEO, and its major shareholder with 77% voting rights as of June 30, 2023. ZTO's strategic shareholder is leading China e-commerce company Alibaba Group with around an 11.7% interest.