I recall your stores being clean and well-maintained. It would be helpful if you could provide some background and highlight, especially, how much of this decline is due to macroeconomic factors, a term I frequently hear, and how much is due to internal issues.

When I was there, during and after Covid, they deviated from their usual processes. They engaged in bulk buying and panic buying, acquiring items that weren't necessarily the best choices. It felt good because we had products coming in, but if they don't sell, they just sit there. What good is a marginal item if you can't sell it, right?

I recall your stores being clean and well-maintained. It would be helpful if you could provide some background and highlight, especially, how much of this decline is due to macroeconomic factors, a term I frequently hear, and how much is due to internal issues.

They moved away from their buying practices and operational structure, allowing store teams to do things like not placing products in the right spots. When you loosen those reins without structure and routine, it leads to chaos. With 2,000 to 20,000 stores doing what they want, it's hard to control.

I don't know if you've followed the recent conference calls or the back-to-basics strategies, but there seems to be a strong focus on shelf availability, especially for the most purchased SKUs. Do you think this is the right approach? Have you noticed any improvements when visiting Dollar General, or do you think it's just to appease investors?

What bothers me about the whole "back to the basics" approach is that Todd Vasos was involved in the initial self-checkout implementation. He was supportive of adding more SKUs to the store, even if they weren't productive. He was part of the buying process because Emily Taylor was the chief merchant, but Todd had a lot of influence as he was a former chief merchant.