While Dollar Tree wrestles with activist investors fighting to force the company to unload the struggling Family Dollar chain it acquired less than 5 years ago, the black-and-yellow brand continues its nationwide buildout.

Dollar General is upping the stakes in 2019. The company will open 975 new stores this year, 75 more units than it built in fiscal 2018. Also in the works are 1,000 remodels and 100 relocations of existing stores, bringing the total number of real estate projects for the year to 2,075.

A new facet of its real estate plan this year is a focus on fresh foods. The company plans to add produce offerings within approximately 20% of 2019 remodels, increasing the total number of stores that carry produce by almost 50%. In addition, expansion plans will look to target so-called “food deserts” in both rural and urban communities – areas that lack ready access to fresh, whole food options.

Remember: Subscribers to Chain Store Guide’s Discount Stores and Specialty Retailers Database have access to an exhaustive list of retailers who plan to build, remodel and relocate stores in 2019.