Dollar General 2009 Annual Report Download - page 9

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 9 of the 2009 Dollar General annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 131

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
  • 48
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • 54
  • 55
  • 56
  • 57
  • 58
  • 59
  • 60
  • 61
  • 62
  • 63
  • 64
  • 65
  • 66
  • 67
  • 68
  • 69
  • 70
  • 71
  • 72
  • 73
  • 74
  • 75
  • 76
  • 77
  • 78
  • 79
  • 80
  • 81
  • 82
  • 83
  • 84
  • 85
  • 86
  • 87
  • 88
  • 89
  • 90
  • 91
  • 92
  • 93
  • 94
  • 95
  • 96
  • 97
  • 98
  • 99
  • 100
  • 101
  • 102
  • 103
  • 104
  • 105
  • 106
  • 107
  • 108
  • 109
  • 110
  • 111
  • 112
  • 113
  • 114
  • 115
  • 116
  • 117
  • 118
  • 119
  • 120
  • 121
  • 122
  • 123
  • 124
  • 125
  • 126
  • 127
  • 128
  • 129
  • 130
  • 131

Expanding Our Culture of Serving Others
We are strongly committed to being a part of and helping
our local, national and international communities. In 2009,
Dollar General and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
donated more than $29 million through grant programs
and fundraising initiatives to more than 1,900 charitable
organizations. While most of our initiatives are focused on
increasing literacy in the United States, we have also made
significant contributions to Red Cross relief efforts and
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
7
Leveraging Process Improvements and Information
Technology to Reduce Costs
Over the last several years we have developed a culture of
mining the organization to reduce costs that are not critical
to the customer experience. For example, we have signifi-
cantly reduced our workers’ compensation expense by
promoting a culture of safety, also making Dollar General
a better, safer place to work.
We began recycling cardboard in July 2008, and in
fiscal 2009, we recycled 136 thousand tons of paper and
cardboard, saving over 2.3 million trees. This effort not only
benefits the environment but also helps us save money.
We are adding energy management systems in our
stores and enhancing our preventive maintenance programs
to help control utilities costs while monitoring the comfort
and performance of our store heating, air conditioning and
lighting equipment.
New training initiatives, including in-store e-learning
modules, are helping us develop our store managers.
Strong, talented, well-trained managers are the key to
operating profitable stores and are critical to our ability
to successfully expand our store base. Dollar General
continues to offer employees significant opportunities
to grow in their careers.
In addition to the benefits from our improved real estate
site selection systems and processes, our recently upgraded
lease management system helps us identify opportunities to
improve and optimize our store leases.
Supporting Adult Literacy
Dollar General and the Dollar
General Literacy Foundation have
helped more than 2.1 million people
learn to read, prepare for the GED
or learn to read and speak English
as a second language. Through
cash cube contributions in our
stores, our customers are able to
help us improve literacy in their
communities.
New Technology
In 2009 we added voice pick
systems in our distribution
centers, significantly improving
our efficiency in filling store
orders for small quantity items.
Efficiencies in Distribution
and Transportation
Approximately 85 percent of our
merchandise is shipped through
our nine distribution centers
where we are continually
improving our processes to
increase efficiencies and to better
serve our stores.