Dollar General raised its fiscal 2026 forecasts after second-quarter results showed its $1 Value Valley assortment delivering same-store sales growth of more than 16%, well ahead of the 3.5% rise in overall store sales. Chief Executive Todd Vasos said shoppers are leaning harder on the $1 price point and credited the aisle with a price halo that improves the chain’s value image storewide. One account put quarterly revenue at $11.3 billion, above the $11.19 billion consensus and up 0.2% year over year, while the company’s detailed results showed net sales of $11.29 billion, up 5.2%, with net income of $550.3 million and diluted EPS of $2.48. Management plans to expand the number of $1 items by 40% from a year earlier, has installed dedicated displays in more than 9,000 stores with a goal of all locations by year-end, and will pilot a subscription and membership program later this year ahead of a 2027 rollout aimed at digital growth and its retail media network. Full-year net sales growth guidance was lifted toward 4.3% and same-store sales growth toward 2.9%, as competition with Dollar Tree and Walmart intensifies. A parallel value boom in South Korea lifted Daiso to record revenue of 4.5363 trillion won, drawing copycat low-price formats from E-Mart, Homeplus, CU and GS25 and Daiso-only lines from major beauty firms.