Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Dollar General Store in New York, USA.
Adam Gray | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The Federal Trade Commission announced Monday that it has filed a lawsuit with 20 states accusing Dollar General of charging customers higher prices than what appears on the shelves, on price tags and in advertisements.
shares of dollar general It fell about 4% after the FTC announced the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges that thousands of Dollar General stores “exploited millions of dollars in illegal overcharging and took advantage of vulnerable shoppers with inadequate safeguards in place to prevent this practice.”
It also claims that Dollar General has received “tens of thousands” of complaints from consumers about charging more than advertised prices, but has not put policies in place to address the problem.
The states joining the FTC in this lawsuit are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin.
“Dollar General violated the trust of millions of American consumers and caused significant economic harm to communities and consumers already struggling to make paychecks,” said FTC Director of Consumer Protection Christopher Mufarige.
Dollar General did not respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit comes as shoppers seek discounts in the face of rising food and gas prices. Officials across the political spectrum are also aiming to demonstrate efforts to protect consumers from high costs ahead of next week’s midterm elections.
