Family Dollar Said Open to Dollar General With Store Concessions

Family Dollar Stores Inc. is willing to consider a $9 billion takeover offer from Dollar General Corp. if it agrees to sell as many stores as regulators would require, said people familiar with the matter.

Dollar General’s current proposal to close 700 stores as part of a merger of the two discount retailers probably won’t pass antitrust hurdles, Family Dollar said yesterday. The Matthews, North Carolina-based company has already agreed to a sale to Dollar Tree Inc. and doesn’t want to abandon that deal - - even for a higher price -- unless it is confident it won’t be blocked, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information.