COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has secured a $400,000 settlement with Family Dollar for price discrepancies at its Ohio stores. The settlement includes $250,000 in monetary relief, which will be distributed to Ohio food banks and food pantries through a selection process overseen by the state’s 88 county auditors.
This settlement marks a continuation of Yost’s commitment to protecting Ohio consumers from deceptive pricing practices. In December 2023, Yost’s office secured a $1 million settlement with Dollar General, with $750,000 of that amount allocated to food pantries.
The settlement with Family Dollar stems from allegations that the retailer was displaying prices on store shelves for certain items but charging higher prices at its registers. Auditor inspections conducted by county auditors across Ohio confirmed these discrepancies.
As part of the settlement, Family Dollar acknowledges violations of the Ohio Consumer Protection Sales Act and agrees to implement a number of measures to prevent future price discrepancies, including:
- Adequately staffing stores to maintain accurate shelf tags
- Immediately adjusting register prices to match shelf tags when discrepancies are identified
- Requiring monthly and bimonthly random price checks
- Subjecting stores with three failed auditor inspections within six months to a full-store assessment
- Educating employees about pricing policies and posting signs in stores informing customers
