FTC and 20 States Sue Dollar General Over Years of Systematic Overcharging

The Federal Trade Commission and 20 state attorneys general sued Dollar General on Monday, alleging the discount retailer routinely charged customers higher prices at checkout than those displayed on store shelves or in advertisements, costing shoppers millions of dollars over several years.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tennessee, covers pricing discrepancies that occurred from 2019 through March 2026 across Dollar General's more than 21,000 stores. Regulators said the misconduct generated nearly 30,000 consumer complaints to the company, which they described as evidence of "pervasive and systemic pricing inaccuracies" that Dollar General failed to correct despite being aware of the problem.

The FTC and states allege the conduct violated federal and state consumer protection laws. Dollar General shares fell on the news, according to market reports. The company had previously agreed to an $8.5 million class action settlement over similar shelf-pricing claims earlier in 2026, though that settlement did not resolve the government enforcement action.