Why Dollar General (DG) Is Among the Best Retail Stocks to Buy Right Now

Noor Ul Ain Rehman

Sat, Apr 19, 2025, 12:24 PM 6 min read

We recently published a list of 11 Best Retail Stocks to Buy Right Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Dollar General Corporation (NYSE:DG) stands against other best retail stocks to buy right now.

Although the stock market is undergoing volatility due to the effects of Trump’s tariffs, the March retail sales report brought a beacon of light by showing that consumer spending remained stronger than expected. The Commerce Department reported that while consumer sentiment continued falling, demand remained high.

The retail sales advanced estimate showed a 1.4% month-over-month growth, surpassing the Dow Jones estimate of 1.2% and significantly exceeding the 0.2% increase in February. CNBC reported on April 16 that, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality (but not prices), the year-over-year growth came up to 4.6%. The monthly rise was the highest since January 2023.

The numbers were also better than expected, excluding autos, as sales grew 0.5% compared to the forecast of 0.3%. Economists anticipated that auto sales would rise as consumers attempted to get ahead of the impending aggressive tariffs imposed by President Trump. Hobby, sports goods, and music stores also underwent a 2.4% growth, while hardware stores and building materials underwent a 3.3% rise. Similarly, food service and drinking places grew by 1.8%.

These trends thus show that consumer spending is demonstrating resilience amid the uncertainty brought about by tariffs and the concerns of a weakening economy. CNBC reported that Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds, said the following about the situation:

“Net, net, these are simply blow-out numbers on March retail sales where the rush is on like this is one gigantic clearance sale. Consumers are expecting sharply higher prices the next year and are clearing the store shelves and picking up bargains while they can.”

READ ALSO: 15 Best Blue Chip Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires and 12 Best Cosmetics Stocks to Buy for 2025. 

These positive retail sales numbers challenge various market sentiment readings that pointed toward looming fears that Trump’s tariffs would plunge the American economy into a recession and take prices sky-high. We discussed this situation in a recently published article on 11 Best Internet Retail Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. Here is an excerpt from the article:

Trade policies and tariffs have dominated the stock market since the beginning of April, resulting in volatility and uncertainty. However, CNBC reported on April 16 that retail sales rose 1.4% in March, surpassing expectations. CNBC reported earlier on April 15 that the March retail sales report had the potential to impact investor positioning and confidence. According to Dow Jones, economists and experts anticipated a 1.2% month-over-month growth.