Dollar General Might Be Charging Oklahomans More for Less

When Oklahomans see a construction site for a new store, they're always like, "I bet it's another Dollar General." They always seem to be popping up everywhere, especially in rural communities. You assume with the word "dollar" in their name that items are sold at an affordable price, right?

Well, technically, they are, but a recent investigation from More Perfect Union found that Dollar General actually charges premium prices for products with less stock.

Get our free mobile app

More Perfect Union found that Dollar General masks the high costs of products "from consumers by stocking smaller pack sizes." Basically, you're paying more for less at Dollar General, not the other way around. According to the investigation from More Perfect Union, Dollar General "appears to offer competitive prices for national brands. But Dollar General actually sells smaller pack sizes. So even if absolute cost of the product is lower, the per unit cost is often higher."

Dollar General may be charging Oklahomans more for less.

According to the investigation from More Perfect Union, the practice of charging more for less is what drives Dollar Generals' profit margins, which is probably why we see Dollar Generals popping up everywhere - with less stock to pay for, more money can go into more stores, continuing the cycle.

More Perfect Union also found that this practice "hurts low-income communities the most." And according to the investigation, "Dollar General specifically targets small towns and poorer neighborhoods," which we know all too well in Oklahoma. Put these both together and More Perfect Union found that "when Dollar General moves in, other grocery stores are driven out, leaving consumers with few other options."