

These would be its first stores outside the U.S.Īdditionally, DG said in its third-quarter press release in early December that it would open 35 Mexican locations in fiscal 2023. In December 2021, it announced that it would open up to 10 stores in Mexico in fiscal 2022 (January 2023 year-end). At the same time, its store coverage of 18,818 locations across 47 states provides unparalleled convenience and time savings.ĭespite having so many locations, Dollar General remains firmly in growth mode.

But what makes it one of the best recession-proof stocks is that the discount retailer's value proposition – it sells most of its products on the shelves for $10 or less – gains traction in periods of economic uncertainty. The beauty of Dollar General's ( DG (opens in new tab), $235.61) business is that it tends to do well in good times and bad.

In Q3 2022, its heated tobacco shipment volume increased 17% over the previous year to 27.5 billion units. The company says roughly 13.5 million people "have already stopped smoking and switched to IQOS." PM also claims IQOS reduces the levels of harmful chemicals ingested compared to cigarettes. The company has been working to counter the anti-smoking trend by replacing cigarettes with smoke-free products, such as its IQOS electronic device that heats tobacco instead of burning it. PM and most other major cigarette companies benefited from increased sales during the Great Recession. As a result, shareholders got one new share of PM for every share of MO they owned. In fact, that's when its stock started trading: Altria ( MO (opens in new tab)) spun off its international business on March 27, 2008.

Regarding "sin stocks," Philip Morris International ( PM (opens in new tab), $105.39) did just fine during the Great Recession.
