Dollar General Accused of Deceptive Pricing
As the number of shoppers heading to deal destinations increases, one discount retailer is being accused of overcharging its customers. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed suit against Dollar General, claiming deceptive and unfair pricing at its more than 600 retail stores throughout the state. The lawsuit alleges that Dollar General violated Missouri’s consumer protection laws by advertising one price at the shelf and charging a higher price at the register upon checkout.
“Prices are at an all-time high; the last thing Missourians need is to feel the brunt of Dollar General’s scheme,” said Bailey, who is seeking an injunction, full restitution, civil penalties and other relief for violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
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According to the petition: “Dollar General is routinely overcharging Missouri consumers for everyday staples and the necessities of life. Worse still, consumers are being deceived as to the prices they are actually paying for these items. Candles, toilet paper, lip balm, lemonade, tire foam and drink coolers all have one thing in common at Dollar General stores across the state of Missouri: the prices charged at the point of sale are frequently higher than the prices listed on the shelf.”
Although Dollar General typically doesn’t comment on pending litigation, it did provide the following statement to Progressive Grocer: “Dollar General is committed to providing customers with accurate prices on items purchased in our stores, and we are disappointed any time we fail to deliver on this commitment. When a pricing discrepancy is identified, our store teams are empowered to correct the matter on the spot for our customers.”
The Attorney General’s Office conducted its investigation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture Weights and Measures Division, which is responsible for surveilling weighing and measuring devices such as price scanners in retail stores.
The joint investigation revealed that “92 of the 147 locations where investigations were conducted failed inspection. Price discrepancies ranged up to as much as $6.50 per item, with an average overcharge of $2.71 for the over 5,000 items price-checked by investigators.”
As of Aug. 4, Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General operated 19,488 Dollar General, DG Market, DGX and pOpshelf stores across the United States, and Mi Súper Dollar General stores in Mexico. The company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
