(The Center Square) – After taking on the Biden administration and “Big Tech” in a lawsuit, Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is prosecuting a discount store chain for deceptive pricing.
A 15-page petition filed against Dollar General in St. Louis Circuit Court alleges prices on its shelves were less than amounts charged at checkout. Bailey’s office joined the Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures Division in an investigation of the stores and found 92 of 147 locations in the state failed inspection.
The discrepancy between the marked price and charged amount ranged up to as much as $6.50 per item, with an average overcharge of $2.71 for more than 5,000 items checked by investigators, according to the petition. The four-count lawsuit asks for an injunction, full restitution, civil penalties and other relief for violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.
Dollar General engages in unfair practices and “… its actions alleged herein are unethical, oppressive or unscrupulous and present a risk of or cause substantial injury to consumers,” according to the complaint.
Dollar General is known for providing everyday essentials, including food, health, cleaning, laundry, wellness and other products. There are more than 600 Dollar General stores in Missouri, according to Bailey’s office. Dollar General operates 19,488 stores throughout the nation, ranking it the third-largest chain in the U.S., according to Forbes. Net sales of the company, headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, increased 3.9% to $9.8 billion during the second quarter, according to financial disclosures.
“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,” Dollar General wrote in an email to The Center Square. “When a pricing discrepancy is identified, our store teams are empowered to correct the matter on the spot for our customers. We typically do not comment on pending litigation.”
The investigation spanned 18 months, according to the petition. Fifty items were randomly selected to verify the product’s listed price compared to the scanned price at the point of sale in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Kansas City.
Four of 50 items (8%) were in violation at the St. Louis store, including a seven-ounce bag of Cheddar Sun Chips, listed for $3.75 and sold for $4.
Six of 50 items (12%) were in violation at the St. Louis County store, including a package of four Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds, listed for $4.35 and sold for $4.50. The same number and percentage of items were in violation at the Kansas City store, including a 15-ounce twin pack of Suddenly Pasta Salad, listed for $3.65 and sold for $4.
“As long as I’m Attorney General, my office will always pursue those who attempt to rip off Missouri consumers,” Bailey said in a statement. “Prices are at an all-time high; the last thing Missourians need is to feel the brunt of Dollar General’s scheme. We will move forward undeterred in our fight to obtain full restitution for all affected.”
