Vanessa Banning is presented with her purchase from the new Dollar General store in Rector by store manager Cindy Sanders. [Click to enlarge]

For months, Rector residents have seen the construction of the new Dollar General store take place at its new location where Main Street meets Highway 49. The wait now is over as the new store opened Monday morning, April 28.

The change is more than a slight facelift for the retailer which has been in Rector since 1997.

"I think the main thing (about this location) is that we'll have more parking," store manager Cindy Sanders said. "That was one of the biggest complaints about our old store. Also, we're on a main highway now and that should really help our sales."

The new store is larger than the previous site. In its new building, Rector's Dollar General will offer 7,000 square feet of sales floor. The increased space will allow the retailer to offer about 700 additional items. This will be shown partially through expanded baby and freezer sections, as well as a larger range of clothing. The store also will have additional items in its grocery, health care and entertainment sections. Nearly every department will feature more items and variety.

"We have more room now and we're able to carry more items," Sanders said. "This will give our customers more to choose from when shopping with us."

With the increases made, the store is looking to expand its staff. Sanders said all the employees from the previous store remain with the company. She also is looking to add two more workers.

The decision to build a new store is part of Dollar General's interest in maintaining a strong presence in Rector.

"This is the type of community we want to be a part of," Dollar General regional manager Connie Smith said. "We're happy to have the opportunity to continue to serve the people in Rector. Our motto is 'Save time. Save money.' We want to continue to help our customers do those things and this store is a big part of that."

According to the comapny's website, Dollar General had approximately $9.5 billion in sales in 2007. The chain has over 8,000 stores in 35 states and employs more than 71,000 people.

Store hours for the Dollar General in Rector are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.