March 14 (Reuters) - Dollar General ( DG ) joined rival

Dollar Tree ( DLTR ) in projecting annual profit below Wall

Street estimates on Thursday, in a sign that higher costs as

well as a shift in customer spending towards lower-margin

consumables weighed on its margins.

The discount retailer expects 2024 profit between $6.80 and

$7.55 per share. Analysts' on average estimate profit to grow to

$7.55 per share, according to LSEG data.