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Dollar-stores overcharge customers while promising low prices

(www.theguardian.com)
510 points bookofjoe | 3 comments | 07 Dec 25 14:37 UTC | HN request time: 0.64s | source
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jefftk ◴[08 Dec 25 01:04 UTC] No.46187156[source]▶
> Red Baron frozen pizzas, listed on the shelf at $5, rang up at $7.65. Bounty paper towels, shelf price $10.99, rang up at $15.50.

This very rarely happens in MA, because when it does the store has to give you the item for $10 off, including if that makes it free. And they have to post a sign at the register explaining the law, which means when you're invoking it all you need to do is point at the sign.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/consumer-pricing-accuracy-...

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1. zahlman ◴[08 Dec 25 09:29 UTC] No.46190237[source]▶
... American "dollar stores" have items in the first place at $10+? I thought it was already amusing when Dollarama reached the $5 CAD threshold.
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2. sgerenser ◴[08 Dec 25 14:12 UTC] No.46192402[source]▶
Family Dollar and Dollar General (the subjects of this piece) are not traditional “dollar stores” (and haven’t been in a long time) despite having Dollar in the name. They’re just discount stores, like a smaller Wal-Mart. Dollar Tree, on the other hand, had long been a traditional dollar store where most items are priced at a dollar. However after pandemic-induced inflation they have mostly changed to a $1.25-$1.50 price point and now have a number of items marked above that as well.
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3. MangoToupe ◴[08 Dec 25 15:52 UTC] No.46193717[source]▶
Even referring to them as discount stores is disingenuous as the items are mostly more expensive per unit, per weight, than at competitors.