Which American discount store chain was founded in 1939 in Scottsville, Kentucky?

The American discount store chain founded in 1939 in Scottsville, Kentucky, is Dollar General.

Its story began when James Luther “J.L.” Turner and his son Cal opened J.L. Turner and Son in October 1939. The Turners bought and liquidated merchandise from failing general stores during the Great Depression, building experience in sourcing goods cheaply and selling them efficiently.

Cal Turner later developed the dollar-store concept. In 1955, he converted a Turner’s Department Store in Springfield, Kentucky, into the first Dollar General Store, offering merchandise priced at one dollar or less. The concept grew from a regional operation into a nationwide discount retailer.

Dollar General is often confused with Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, which are separate American chains. “Dollar store” also does not necessarily mean every product costs exactly one dollar today: Dollar General expanded its price points as merchandise, inflation and customer needs changed, while retaining its low-price identity.