FTC and 20 states sue Dollar General over alleged deceptive pricing

The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from 20 states filed a lawsuit on Monday alleging that Dollar General repeatedly mislabeled prices and overcharged shoppers over several years. The complaint says the retailer failed to correct the practice despite internal awareness and that thousands of stores extracted unlawful overcharges from consumers.

"Dollar General has betrayed the trust of millions of American consumers and imposed significant financial harm on communities and consumers who are already struggling to make their paychecks last," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

"The FTC's action underscores the agency's commitment to lowering costs for consumers by stopping deceptive pricing practices that harm Americans," Mufarrige added.

Dollar General responded that the lawsuit mischaracterizes its practices and that the company strives for price accuracy. In a statement, the retailer said it aims for "100% accuracy between shelf and register prices in every store" and that occasional discrepancies are addressed by store staff.

"Our goal is 100% accuracy between shelf and register prices in every store. As with other retailers and despite our policies and procedures, occasional price discrepancies can occur. When that happens, our store teams are instructed, empowered, and expected to make things right for the customer," the company said.

The retailer also noted it cooperated with the FTC investigation after learning of it in early February 2026, providing representatives for sworn testimony. It characterized the draft settlement demand as excessively large and said it made a counteroffer before the suit was filed.

"Although we respect the FTC's role in protecting American consumers and the State representatives' role in protecting the citizens of their respective states, we will defend this litigation vigorously," Dollar General added.

The lawsuit lists the participating states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.