In this article, learn about:
Packaging Types and Requirements
Markings and Documentation
Compliance and Chargebacks
Best Practices for Suppliers
Dollar General operates nearly 20,000 stores and 17 distribution centers across North America. Backed by an ambitious strategy that continues to reshape the supply chain landscape, the company reports strong performance in the first quarter of 2025 with net sales reaching 10.4 billion.
As Dollar General experiences consistent growth, many suppliers find themselves eager to join the race of stocking their merchandise on the discount store shelves. Through its Supplier Diversity program, the retailer actively seeks to expand its supplier base with diverse businesses. At the same time, Dollar General remains committed to minimizing waste and optimizing technology to maximize retail sales. As such, the powerhouse retail chain has compliance guidelines for Suppliers to follow.
Whether you are new to Dollar General or refining your approach after a few hiccups, this resource will help you navigate the requirements with confidence.
For the most current and detailed requirements, suppliers should reference the official Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide.
Packaging Types and Requirements
Dollar General has specific packaging requirements for Suppliers, focusing on pallet dimensions, stacking procedures, carton strength, and product labeling. Dollar General sees three different types of packaging:
Primary— This is retail ready packaging and Dollar General likes to see it simple, easy to read and with consideration to reduced waste solutions.
Secondary— This is freight packaging and while Dollar General does not have strict policies on what is written on it, they are concerned with how things are packed inside it.
Inner Packing (also referred to as: break pack)— This is multiple selling units being packaged and shipped together. The secondary package should also hold the correct number of selling units together as a single ship so it can be pulled and placed in a break pack tote or carton. The packaging that holds the units together for break pack selection must protect the product from soil or damage.
Packaging Requirements
Dollar General receives a wide variety of CPG, which it then redistributes among its Distribution Centers. In alignment with pallet specifications, the following packaging requirements must be met to ensure safe handling and compliance throughout the supply chain.
Pallet Dimensions: Packaging should be designed to fit on the pallet, with no overhang. The boxes on the pallet must be strong enough to withstand shipping and conveyor systems.
All pallets themselves need to be labeled with the Dollar General Purchase Order Number and Dollar General Destination Distribution Center.
Pallet Type: Utilize 48" x 40" pallets, preferably Grade A GMA four-way pallets.
Pallet Height: Dollar General prefers a stacking height of 68 inches (including the pallet).
Pallet Weight: The maximum weight for pallet loads should not exceed 2500 pounds.
Pallet Condition: Pallets should be in good condition, without missing, broken, or split boards.
Shipping Multiple SKUs:
Cartons must contain the same product and product quantity to ensure consistency. Purchase Orders mixed within a single carton are not preferred and will result in a chargeback.
Purchase Orders should not be mixed within a single pallet. Dollar General prefers that each shipment has (both) a separate Purchase Order and Bill of Lading, with one SKU per pallet.
Stacking Procedures: Dollar General prefers a single SKU per pallet.
Same Tie for Same Merchandise: Use the same tie to stack the same merchandise (same item SKU) on all pallets.
Mixed Pallet Separation: If a pallet contains multiple SKUs, they must be clearly separated by slip sheets.
Shrink Wrap: All pallets/slip sheets must be shrink-wrapped, and the shrink wrap must be attached to the pallet.
No Gluing: Dollar General strongly discourages gluing cartons together to form pallet stacks.
Carton Strength:
Maximum dimensions for shipping cartons are 42 inches in length, 24 inches in width, and 30 inches in height.
Minimum dimensions are 9 inches in length, 6 inches in width, and 2 inches in height.
All packaged deliveries must arrive at the Distribution Center intact and able to be easily taken from the transport trailer without package failure.
Unstable loads must be secured with airbags, dunnage, etc. to prevent shifting during transit.
Product Labeling:
Dollar General asks that suppliers only include like SKUs on pallets.
SKU numbers are not required on Secondary Packaging; however, the item description must be listed and visible on each carton.
Securing and Bracing:
Securing Freight: Use clear shrink wrap, cardboard, pallet bands, dunnage bags, and other packing material to brace the product securely inside the trailer.
Shrink Wrap: All pallets/slip sheets must be shrink-wrapped, and the shrink wrap must be attached to the pallet.
Packaging Suitability and Load Integrity: Certain packaging practices can create safety issues and disrupt Dollar General’s distribution process. To maintain smooth operations and minimize chargebacks suppliers should adhere to the following guidelines:
Avoid half boxes, bags, and bands: These are not favored as they often create more work and produce safety hazards. It is recommended to avoid these practices when shipping to Dollar General Distribution Centers.
Packaging Quality: Packaging with loose flaps, crushed primary packaging, poor secondary packaging, poor load quality will be considered insufficient for the Dollar General processing systems and will result in a chargeback.
Suppliers are advised to avoid open tops; however, gapped flaps may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
No Gluing: Dollar General strongly discourages gluing cartons together to form pallet stacks.
Damage and Charges:
Vendor Liability: The vendor is responsible for damage resulting from improper stacking or bracing.
Chargebacks: Vendors may incur chargebacks for damaged or improperly stacked pallets.
Related Reading: Dollar General Transportation and DC List
Markings and Documentation
Dollar General is committed to providing safe and quality products to customers and their families. As such, they require suppliers to provide shipments that meet all local, state and federal safety requirements including but not limited to, Commission to the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, ASTM F963 07, FDA regulations, EPA regulations and more.
It is the supplier’s responsibility to understand, test, and certify that the goods comply with all appropriate government standards and regulations. Suppliers are expected to maintain consistent documentation and industry standardized markings and packaging.
Dollar General’s requirements include:
SKU— Dollar General does not require the SKU to be listed on the secondary packaging however the SKU must be listed on each primary package.
Style/Description— The correct product, style and description must be listed on the secondary packaging. This requirement is in place of the SKU being listed. Soft line items must have the size and color breakdown on the outside of the case to aid in receiving the product within the distribution center. Cosmetics must have the product description, style, and color.
Inner Quantity Markings— Dollar General requires all secondary packaging to indicate the quantity inside. If there are inner products, those should be indicated as well.
Dollar General Distribution Center preferred method is:
A Secondary package without inner break packs that contains 72 selling units should indicate there is a Packaging Qty of 72.
A Secondary package with inner break packs that contains 72 selling units packed 12 to a break pack should indicate 72/12 (72 selling units packed 12).
Assortment and Quantity— The word “ASSORTMENT” must appear on packaging that contains assortments. Packaging must have a complete and accurate description of the merchandise on the outside of the packaging. The packaging quantity must also be indicated on the outside of the packaging. Packaging must be consistent when shipping like SKUs. The same SKU being shipped in two different sized boxes is not favored as this makes stocking and cubing standardization impossible.
Hangers— Dollar General requires consistency in the physical properties of hangers. All hangers must be made of 100% polypropylene, and the color must be natural/clear. All hangers must conform to VICS (Voluntary Inter-Industry Commerce Standards) and have the appropriate recycle symbol on the hanger.
Perishable/Date Coded— Items vulnerable to spoiling must have the expiration date on the outside of both Primary and Secondary packaging. This means the individual product unit and the outer case containing those units must both display the expiration date. The expiration date on the packaging must be the exact same date as the expiration date on the product. It is acceptable to use alternative wording such as best by, best if used by, BBD, etc.
Closed Dating— Dollar General uses this term to refer to items with dates that are either near their expiration date or may be closer to their best by date than typical shelf life. This means that while the product is still safe to consume, its freshness or optimal quality may have been compromised to some extent. This must be approved by the Dollar General Buyer before shipping.
Inner Markings— If merchandise is not fragile or is not a shippable inner product then Dollar General does not require information to be printed on the inner packaging. However, it is helpful in identification of the merchandise in the repack process. The inner packaging should include the Dollar General PO number, Item number, and product description. If the inner is fragile and shippable, then “FRAGILE” must be indicated on the shippable inner.
Special Markings— These markings are required to prevent damage or injury. Some merchandise will need special handling. heavy, bulky, or package contents that require storage in a certain direction must be marked with FRAGILE on all sides, preferably in red ink. The size of the text will vary depending on the packaging size. However, it should be the most prominent (largest) graphic on the packaging.
Objectively, Suppliers will need:
Purchase Order Number (PO#)
Distribution Center (Destination DC)
SKU (*not required on packaging) but should match PO
Style/Description (*required on packaging)
Inner Quantity
Assortment
Perishables — Expiration Date
Closed Dating (Approval Needed)
Special Markings — Fragile, Heavy, Bulky
In addition to products that require special markings to prevent damages, there are other products that require special markings for unique handling and storage. To provide Distribution Center employees with information, products with special characteristics should be indicated in the packaging. For example, products that are fragile, flammable, combustible, or aerosol should have packaging markings indicating the specific characteristics.
All packaging markings must be readable through over-wrap maintaining the integrity of the markings remain legible, consistent, and in English language. Information that is written over other words or graphics on the packaging is considered non-compliant and will be eligible for a deduction or chargeback.
If the Supplier is unsure about any aspect of these compliance requirements, they should contact their buyer. If the buyer is unsure, the buyer will contact the appropriate Distribution Center to determine the manner the product will ship.
Compliance and Chargebacks
While Dollar General does not mandate a particular inventory management system for its suppliers, they do give priority to suppliers and products with a clean supply chain record, appropriate forecasting, and accurate packaging compliance.
Dollar General Chargebacks
A Dollar General chargeback is a fee deducted from a supplier's payment by Dollar General, typically due to issues with shipments, product quality, or non-compliance with established procedures. These deductions are applied when suppliers fail to meet specific requirements outlined in their contracts or when errors occur during the supply chain process.
Dollar General applies flat rate charges on vendor performance chargebacks. Order quantities that are inaccurate, damaged or non-compliant all carry the same chargeback fee with the exception of applicable reworking and re-handling charges.
Dollar General aims to respond within 60 days to all vendor disputes. However, the overall chargeback process can vary and can take 75 to 120 days or longer depending on a variety of factors. Dollar General asks that Suppliers do not submit multiple disputes for a singular chargeback as this greatly slows down the research and resolution process. If a supplier is not sure of the appropriate contact used to support a dispute, suppliers should reference the cover sheet of the deduction to source deduction details.
Related Reading: Dollar General Accounts Payable Procedures for Vendors
Dollar General Disputing Process
All disputes must be submitted promptly to ensure timely resolution. Inquiries are processed in the order they are received, regardless of how they are delivered. While email is the preferred method of communication, vendors are limited to a maximum of five (5) emails per day, with only one issue per email.
To streamline processing, format your email as follows:
Subject Line Format (in this exact order):
Vendor Number
Invoice Number
Purchase Order (PO) Number
Dispute Amount
Example: Chargeback Dispute – Vendor ID #123456 / Invoice #78910 / PO #87654 / Dispute Amount $320
Include a brief description of the dispute. Limit attachments to only two documents:
A copy of the relevant invoice
The Bill of Lading (BOL) with appropriate receiving stamps
Email disputes to:
Legal and Regulatory Standards
The Legal and Regulatory Standards of Dollar General regarding their packaging requirements are clear. Throughout the entire supply chain Dollar General accentuates safety and efficiency. The Dollar General Domestic Vendor Guide states that purchase orders must be shipped complete as ordered. Dollar General will chargeback suppliers when additional transportation expense is incurred for shipments where vendors make an incomplete order call-in, ship partial PO’s or create balances without written approval from a Dollar General Buyer.
Company Standards
Dollar General’s slogan is “Save time. Save Money. Every day!” and these words are a perfect representation of what the retailer stands for regarding packaging integrity within the supply chain. Clarity, accuracy, and efficiency are integral to ensure time is saved, efficiency is maintained, and customers receive their goods at a consistently great price.
Best Practices for Suppliers
Navigating Dollar General’s packaging, labeling, and compliance standards is critical for maintaining a strong supplier relationship and avoiding costly chargebacks. By following the retailer’s requirements — from pallet dimensions to labeling consistency — suppliers can streamline distribution, reduce waste, and reduce chargebacks from Dollar General.
While the guidelines may seem basic, treating them as an integral part of your supply chain strategy will save time, money, and frustration in the long run. Staying organized, proactive, and in close communication with your Dollar General buyer ensures smoother operations and a greater chance of long-term success.
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