Coronavirus Latest: Dollar General Announces Plans To Dedicate First Hour Of Operations To Senior Customers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Dollar General announced plans Monday to dedicate the first hour of each shopping day to senior shoppers due to coronavirus concerns. Starting Tuesday, the company says it is encouraging that the first hour of operations each day be dedicated solely to senior customers.

Dollar General says the move is because seniors are one of the groups most vulnerable to coronavirus.

"In keeping with our mission and our ongoing commitment to serve our communities, we are dedicating the first hour of each day to seniors. We appreciate our customers' understanding of our decision and request they visit our stores later in the morning to allow at-risk populations the ability to purchase the items they need at affordable prices," Dollar General's CEO Todd Vasos said.

In the news release, the company also says that all stores plan to close one hour earlier to allow employees to clean and restock store shelves, as well as for their health and wellbeing.

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