Read with RITZ at Dollar General (2024)

Cracking Category Decline by Unlocking Opportunity

A powerful partnership transforms category decline into growth
while elevating national literacy awareness.

01 — STATE OF THE BRAND’S BUSINESS

A Beloved Brand in a Contracting Category

RITZ is one of those brands people have grown up with. It’s familiar, feel-good, and a consistent presence in people’s pantries. But even a brand with that kind of legacy isn’t immune to a shifting economy and changing shopper behavior.

In 2024, Dollar General shoppers were becoming more budget-conscious, and the cracker category was starting to feel it. What used to be an easy, habitual purchase was now being reconsidered—and RITZ was feeling that pressure, too.

At the same time, there was a bigger reality playing out beyond the shelf. Many families, especially in lower-income communities, don’t have reliable access to books, and literacy remains a real challenge.

So, for RITZ, the opportunity wasn’t to just drive sales—the brand wanted to show up in a way that actually adds value to people’s lives.

02 — Shopper Insight

Hope is a Powerful Incentive

Dollar General stores serve rural and underserved communities—often the only retail option in town. Their core shopper is value-driven and deeply invested in family, upward economic mobility, and community success.
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Shopper data also showed that 82% of consumers prefer brands aligned with their values and, to Dollar General Shoppers, literacy isn’t just education—it’s empowerment. Literacy improves income potential, health outcomes, and self-esteem. It is the gateway to opportunity.

For RITZ, the insight was clear: If the brand could find a way to connect everyday snack purchases to educational opportunity and empowerment, the brand could drive both emotional resonance within the community and retail momentum.

03 — The Big Idea

A New Program for Retail. A New Chapter for Shoppers

Knowing Dollar General had already invested over $254 million in literacy initiatives through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF), impacting more than 21.8 million students nationwide, RITZ knew the Value Retailer would make a great partner.
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The question was how to create a truly authentic program able to improve literacy and educational empowerment for their shoppers while also helping to spur sales and drive category growth. They didn’t want to just spread a thin layer of cause marketing on top of a promotion. They wanted a program that would be able to embed true purpose into the path to purchase.
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That’s when they turned to Phoenix Creative.
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Phoenix knew nothing motivates like the power of storytelling. That’s why they created the Read with RITZ program—a fully integrated retail and digital activation centered on showcasing inspiring stories of Literacy Heroes to inspire personal growth, generate goodwill amongst their shoppers, and uplift their communities.

02 — Shopper Insight
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“By harnessing the power of story, we helped turn our client’s shopper insight into a vehicle for both category growth for our retail partner and educational growth in underserved communities.”
— PHOENIX CREATIVE, PROGRAM TEAM

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05 — THE IMPACT

GROWTH FOR
RETAIL AND
LITERACY
AWARENESS

Story built meaning. Display built presence. Together, they moved both
the category and the cause.

THE TAKEAWAY

THE MOST
POWERFUL
RETAIL DRIVER
ISN’T PRICE. IT’S
POSSIBILITY.

Motivational stories of empowerment reversed retail decline, drove awareness by triple-digit millions, and delivered measurable sales and category growth at Dollar General.

We didn’t compete on price. We competed on purpose—pairing a beloved brand with a cause its shoppers genuinely care about, and building the retail system to carry it through.

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