LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — How many Dollar General stores are too many? There seems to be a difference of opinion between shoppers and the executive behind the store.
In one part of Luzerne County, you can find five locations for the same national shopping chain in a 10-mile drive.
For some residents, the Back Mountain area of Luzerne County has a new nickname.
"The Back-to-Back Mountain," laughed Patrick Cunningham of Dallas.
Another Dollar General sign has popped up on the old Walgreens location on Memorial Highway.
"It could have been anything but a Dollar General," Cunningham said.
"A Dollar Tree is a whole different store but is a whole lot better than a Dollar General," said Morgan Meyer of Dallas.
"They're really coming up fast, and I told my daughter the other day when we were passing one in Sweet Valley, 'We should have taken stock,'" said Margaret Marshall from Jackson Township.
"The fact that there's like five or six of them in this small of an area is a little much," Meyer said.
The Dollar General in Shavertown, Kingston Township, is the first one you pass after going through the rock cut on Route 309.
Another mile north on Route 309 in Dallas is the latest location, which is not open yet. Dollar General says it's slated to open next winter.
Keep going north on Route 415, through the roundabout, and up Memorial Highway, and you've got another in 2.3 miles in Dallas Township.
In 2.3 miles west on Route 118, there's a new one being built in Lehman Township, and then in another 4.2 miles, you'll find another near the intersection of Route 29 in Lake Township.
Dollar General tells Newswatch 16 that its newest location in the old Walgreens will employ six to ten people.
When it comes to the number of stores, the chain issued a statement saying:
"In selecting store sites, we take a number of factors into consideration, carefully evaluating each potential new store location to ensure we can continue to meet our customers' price, value and selection needs. We further strive to provide convenience for customers who may not have affordable nearby retail options."
"It's decent for people, I guess, who don't get to drive far or who can't drive far," Meyer added. "There's a store within walking distance to everybody."