NEARBY: Route 179 Dollar General Prepares For Opening

The new Dollar General store on Route 179 has been completed and is nearing its opening.

No date for the opening has been announced, but the outside of the building in West Amwell Township, a short distance from the City of Lambertville, appears completed. Inside, Dollar General appears to have begun the process of stocking the store.

Calls to Dollar General were not answered. A visit to the store on Music Mountain this week found no staff in the middle of the day.

The company has been hiring staff for the location since spring, according to online job postings.

In 2021, West Amwell Township officials approved construction of the store.

At the time, a company representative told West Amwell Township officials the average customer is in the store for 10 minutes or less and spends about $10 per trip.

One of the company officials said at the time that the area’s traffic, median income, number of nearby homes, and lack of competition led to Dollar General picking the site.

During a 2021 planning board meeting, West Amwell Township residents raised concerns over trash, traffic, delivery trucks, and if the store would devalue homes in the area.

The nearest Dollar General stores to Lambertville are in Plumstead Township, Bucks County and Ewing Township, Mercer County.

Dollar General started in 1939 in Kentucky and has spread across the U.S. and Mexico. As of March, the company operates more than 18,700 stores, earning revenue of $27 billion.

The company has faced criticism for offering low-wage jobs and pricing irregularities.