The History of Family Dollar

When he was just 21 years old, Leon Levine opened the first Family Dollar store in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1959. He wanted to offer high-quality merchandise to customers for under $2.00 and even created a general floor plan to ensure that shoppers would be able to easily find their favorite products at any store location. Throughout the 1960s, Family Dollar expanded in the South and by the end of the decade, the chain was operating 27 stores in 4 different states. Family Dollar went public in 1970 and in 1971, the chain opened its 100th store. By 1979, the chain had undergone another rapid expansion and was trading on the New York Stock Exchange with annual sales of over $100 million. Expansion continued throughout the 1980s and early 1990s; by 1996, there were over 2,500 Family Dollar locations. In the 2000s, the chain became a Fortune 500 company and opened its 5,000th store (located in Jacksonville, Florida).  On July 6, 2015, Dollar Tree acquired Family Dollar. In 2021, a new Combo Store format was announced that brought combined Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores to rural areas. Same-day delivery of in-stock products from stores was also announced around the same time. Today, Family Dollar is a go-to value store for many Americans and the chain continues to operate with numerous locations all over the country.