Dollar General Quarterly Sales Jump

Discount retailer Dollar General Corp reported an 8.8 percent rise in quarterly sales, helped by higher demand for tobacco and healthcare products and perishable food items.

The company's net income rose to $253.2 million, or 84 cents per share, in the first quarter ended May 1 from $222.4 million, or 72 cents per share, a year earlier.

Sales rose to $4.92 billion from $4.52 billion.

Dollar General's same-store sales rose 3.7 percent. Analysts on average had expected a 4.1 percent rise, according to research firm Consensus Metrix. (Reporting by Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Kirti Pandey)