WINNEBAGO — To celebrate the new Winnebago location, Dollar General will hold a grand opening on Saturday.

The event will include special deals and prizes. A $10 Dollar General gift card will be given out to the first 50 shoppers, while the first 200 shoppers will be given a tote bag containing complimentary product samples.

“Dollar General is committed to delivering a pleasant shopping experience that includes a convenient location, a wide assortment of merchandise and great prices on quality products,” said Dan Nieser, senior vice president of real estate and store development, in a press release. “We hope our area customers will enjoy shopping at Dollar General’s new location.”

Dollar General currently operates 14,000 stores in 44 states. The new store in Winnebago will be the third Dollar General in Faribault County.

According to Laura Somerville, corporate communications coordinator for Dollar General, the company considers many factors when deciding Dollar General locations. These includes demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns, community concerns and convenience.

“The company looks for places where we can offer customers an easy and convenient shopping choice,” Somerville said. “We know convenience is a major factor in our customers’ shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a 3- to 5-mile radius, or a 10-minute drive.”

Chris Ziegler, city administrator, said he has been hearing a lot of positivity from Winnebago residents about the new store. While there were a few concerns early on about whether Dollar General would bring some competition to the grocery store, Ziegler does not believe there is much overlap when it comes to products.

Mainly, said Ziegler, he believes Dollar General will be a good addition to Winnebago because it has the potential to bring people from out of the area into town.

“I think it’s going to be good for everyone in the long run,” he said.

With the addition of the General Dollar also comes an educational opportunity. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation, which focuses on literacy and continued education, awards grants to nonprofit organizations, school and libraries within 20 miles of a Dollar General store. Since 1993, the foundation has awarded more than $135 million in grants, according to a Dollar General press release.

Through this program, there are also brochures at the cash register of every Dollar General store for people who want to learn how to read, speak English or prepare for a high school equivalency test. The brochure can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers such services.

The new Dollar General store can be found at 701 S. Main St. in Winnebago, with the grand opening beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.