Increasingly, retailers are entering partnerships to generate foot-traffic. For consumers, these partnerships increase the value of entering the store. For instance, Kohl’s accepts returns for Amazon items, putting the brand into a mutual symbiosis with the e-commerce giant, rather than facing it off adversarial.
The latest unlikely partnership is one between FedEx and Dollar General. The two companies have announced a strategic alliance that will offer convenient access to FedEx drop-off and pickup services at thousands of Dollar General stores. The effort is designed to increase access for all customers, particularly those living in rural communities.
FedEx and Dollar General plan to begin rolling out the service in more than 1,500 Dollar General stores in late summer 2019, building to a total of more than 8,000 stores by the end of 2020. The Dollar General alliance will increase the FedEx Retail Convenience Network to more than 62,000 retail locations.
FedEx is one of the enablers of the rapidly growing e-commerce market. This is one way FedEx continues to meet demand, and the offering complements the company’s existing portfolio of solutions for online merchants. By leveraging Dollar General’s rural store footprint, more than 90 percent of Americans will ultimately live within five miles of a FedEx retail location.
“Dollar General is the perfect retailer to help us meet the growing need for convenient, secure drop-off and pickup options in a variety of rural communities,” says Scott Harkins, Senior Vice President, Customer Experience Marketing, FedEx Services. “We understand customers may not always want packages delivered to a home or office. They want secure, alternate delivery options, and we’re on a mission to make that happen. We are proud to work with Dollar General to make our customers’ lives easier.”
“Dollar General is excited to work with FedEx to offer customers a secure, convenient pickup and drop-off location,” says Jason Reiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer, Dollar General. “This collaboration furthers Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others and long track record of serving rural communities by combining our expansive store presence with FedEx’s global reach. We look forward to providing customers with expanded services and accessibility throughout our rural footprint and working with FedEx as we begin the rollout later this year.”
This partnership offers a lot to each brand. FedEx’s increased range will increase its visibility in rural areas, and consumers across the country will have a new reason to step into Dollar General stores.