John Willoughby
reporter2@greenepublishing.com
After announcing their launch of a store in Madison, Dollar Tree opened their doors on Thursday, Jan. 30. Dollar Tree is located at the old Fred's location at 935 East US Hwy. 90, in Madison.
Doors opened at 9 a.m., and a week of grand opening activities, including raffles, will begin on Sunday, Feb. 2. Shelf-stocking and store lay-out was finalized in the days leading up to the store's opening. The store's renovation, signage placement and other updates to the building were undoubtedly swift as it was announced in November that a Dollar Tree would be bringing their store to the rural North Florida city.
News regarding the store's opening spread on social media fast on Tuesday, Jan. 28, with comments detailing local residents’ excitement and eagerness to have a new store in the area. The location where Dollar Tree will operate once served as the home of Fred's, who was open to Madison County residents for 11 years. The store closed their doors once all inventory was sold, following an announcement in July. The closure was part of 129 closures across the southeast United States region, including Monticello's location.
According to Kayleigh Painter, manager of Dollar Tree investor and media relations, the Dollar Tree in Madison will include a recently-introduced feature, which many may find appealing. Inside, customers can find the Snack Zone, an expanded offering of beverages, candy and snacks, in addition to nostalgic favorites, as Painter states.
"Dollar Tree continues to grow," Painter added. "And we are proud to be part of the Madison community."
Madison City Manager Jerome Wyche states that the opening of the new store replaces the jobs lost in the closure of the building's previous tenant and calls the Dollar Tree one of the biggest stores of its kind in the region; spanning over 16,000 square feet. "The City of Madison is proud of the growth progress being witnessed, as the new Dollar Tree is going to provide a new outlet of shopping for the citizens of Madison," Wyche states. "The Dollar Tree [in Madison] will be one of the biggest in the North Florida/South Georgia area. The opening of the new store will replace the jobs that were lost when Fred's store declared bankruptcy and went out of business."
"The Dollar Tree brings a wide variety of products to our city that citizens will be able to appreciate," Wyche added. "As the City of Madison moves forward, there are other signs of growth on the horizon that will provide other conveniences for our citizens."
Founded in the 1950s, Dollar Tree has served towns and cities worldwide with their low, one dollar prices. The store offers a variety of items such as cooking utensils, cleaning supplies, toiletries, food items and numerous great seasonal items to help you prepare for the holidays and other occasions.
Dollar Tree joins other department stores such as Dollar General in Madison, Greenville and Pinetta; and Family Dollar, in Madison and Lee. The location in Madison is now operating as one of Dollar Tree's 15,000 stores internationally, a milestone achieved in 2018.