Dollar General settlement to donate $750K to Ohio food banks

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The County Auditors’ Association of Ohio held its winter conference on Thursday, Nov. 16.

At the conference, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost made the announcement that the bulk of a $1 million settlement with Dollar General will go to food banks or other hunger-relief organizations spanning the state’s 88 counties.

Each county auditor will choose the beneficiary in his or her county – a decision that must be submitted to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office by Nov. 30.

“In every county there is at least one Dollar General, and there will be a $1,000 minimum check for that first store – so every county gets at least $1,000,” said Yost. “The remainder of the $750,000 is going to be divided up and distributed based on how many stores you have in your county.”

The chain has more than 980 stores throughout Ohio.

The settlement followed a lawsuit stating Dollar General displayed prices on its shelves for certain items, but charged higher prices at its registers, and failed to correct prices at the point-of-sale to the lower shelf price.

Yost filed the complaint on Nov. 1, 2022. The settlement was reached almost a year later.

“Most people don’t shop at Dollar General because they have a lot of extra money to spend,” said Yost. “So, when a bottle of shampoo that should cost $1 costs $2 at the checkout, that’s a real thing. And you all brought it to light.”

The settlement money will be distributed to food banks for the purchase and distribution of food and/or personal-care items.