By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Residents in the Enterprise/ Verbena area have a more convenient shopping option thanks to Dollar General opening at 6127 County Road 24.

Manager Victoria Williams said the store had a soft opening on Oct. 5 but will have a grand opening on Oct. 20.

The location is 7,000 square feet.

In addition to essential items, holiday decor and toys, this location also has frozen food and “smart choices” food areas.

“We have everything they need, except for the alcohol and the cigarettes, and we are getting those,” Williams said.

Licenses have been applied for to sell beer, wine and cigarettes.

Williams said the store has eight employees and is looking to hire two more.

“They (community residents) are happy,” Williams said. “Its close by; they don’t have to go all the way into town.”

Resident Angela Henley lives five miles from the store. She said her daughter heard about the store opening at school, and they went the first day it was open.

“She already knows where everything is,” Henley said.

She anticipates mostly buying sodas and toiletries at the location.

“It is so much more convenient than having to all the way into town,” Henley said. “It takes 30 minutes just to get into town (Clanton.)”

She had been there about four times in one week because it allows her to buy things when she drives by, rather than having to plan a trip into Clanton.

“When choosing store locations, meeting customers’ needs is Dollar General’s top priority,” Angela Petkovic, media contact for Dollar General, said. “The company looks for places where we can offer customers an easy and convenient shopping choice.  We know convenience is a major factor in our customers’ shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a three- to five-mile radius or 10-minute drive. We also take demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns and community concerns into consideration.”