Dollar General is one of the most misunderstood retailers in America and one of the most important. With more than 20,000 stores across 48 states, over 90 million customer profiles, and the largest grocery footprint in the U.S. by store count, Dollar General reaches communities that most brands and media planners rarely think about.

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On this episode of The Middlemen Podcast, Tom and Todd sit down with Austin Leonard, GM of Dollar General Media Network, to explore how DG has quietly built a retail media business defined by doing more with less.

Austin’s background across retail media and identity (linkedin.com/in/austinleonard/) gives him a unique view into what DG has built and where it’s headed. One of the most interesting themes is the way DG serves two very different customer groups.

Traditional shoppers use the stores for fill-in trips, essentials, and quick missions, while a fast-growing digital cohort is discovering DG through DoorDash, Uber Eats, and DG Delivery. Those digital customers are especially important because they represent a segment of America that was largely left out of the e-commerce wave. As Austin puts it, DG is building the last mile of e-commerce for the last mile of America.

Another major thread is how DG built its identity and measurement foundation despite historically low loyalty swipe rates. Instead of relying on built-in digital behavior, DG assembled a modern identity stack through partners like Bridg, LiveRamp, Kevel, Criteo, and The Trade Desk. This approach allows DGMN to close the loop on in-store and digital behavior, offer real attribution, and compete for budgets far beyond shopper marketing. That leads to the concept Austin describes as investment-grade media. Brands need retail media to look, feel, and measure like the other media channels they use. That means third-party verification, IAB standards, MRC alignment, transparent reporting, and hands-on-keyboard accessibility inside platforms like The Trade Desk. DG is one of the few retailers embracing this shift directly, and it’s helping the network move from trade budgets to national brand dollars.

The conversation also covers the future of in-store media at DG. Unlike retailers who pilot digital screens in a handful of stores, DG already operates thousands of locations with shelf tags, signage, audio, and a growing digital signage footprint. This gives DG a massive opportunity to connect real in-aisle behavior to digital media and close the gap between physical retail and programmatic reach. Across the episode, a consistent theme emerges: DG has built a modern, scalable retail media network by being resourceful, selective with partners, and deeply aligned with the needs of value-conscious shoppers.

It’s a model for what doing more with less can look like in retail media, and a reminder that innovation doesn’t only happen in the biggest or most digitally mature retailers. For anyone looking to understand where retail media is heading, especially in communities that most brands overlook, this conversation with Austin Leonard is essential.

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