Northern Brunswick County could be getting a new Dollar General store.

Officials with the national discount chain are currently in the due diligence phase for a new location on Maco Road, said Nolan Miles, communications coordinator for Dollar General Corp., in an email.

That means “we’re interested in adding a new location to Brunswick County but have not committed to doing so yet,” Miles wrote. “Based on our current timeline, I anticipate a decision will not be made on this project until mid-summer 2016.”

Aberdeen-based Par 5 Development, a preferred developer for Dollar General, bought 1.24 acres of land in the 3600 block of Maco Road on April 26 for $298,500, according to a deed recorded in Brunswick County. 

Efforts to reach someone with Par 5 were not immediately successful this week. According to Par 5's website, the firm has developed more than 70 Dollar General stores in Virginia and North Carolina since the start of its relationship with the general merchandise retailer.

Don Harley, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial Sun Coast Partners in Wilmington, represented the seller, James E. Rolquin and Monica D. Rolquin Revocable Living Trust, in the Maco Road transaction. The land is in the city of Northwest.

“When choosing store locations, meeting customers’ needs is Dollar General’s top priority.  The company looks for places where we can offer customers an easy and convenient shopping choice.  We know convenience is a major factor in our customers' shopping decisions as we generally serve customers within a three- to five-mile radius, or 10-minute drive,” Miles wrote. “We also take demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns and community concerns into consideration.”

The potential new store would need six to 10 employees, Miles said. Dollar General currently has two stores in Leland. The Dollar General at 233 Dogwood Lane off Oleander Drive in Wilmington opened in November 2014. 

As of January 2016, the Tennessee-based corporation had more than 12,400 stores in 43 states, according to the company's website, and most of the stores are 7,300 square feet.