Dollar Tree Announced Price Increases and People are Losing it: 'This is Really the End of Times I Fear' The chain will be raising certain item prices to above $1.
By Emily Rella
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
With so many discount and chain drugstores to choose from, it's nearly imperative that each individual one find its niche.
For dollar stores, this is a no-brainer — everything in there should cost, well, one dollar much like the category claims.
But it looks like Dollar Tree is looking to shake things up amid the challenging retail landscape thanks to the pandemic by announcing that it will now start selling items for more than $1.
We know, audible gasp.
"For decades, our customers have enjoyed the "thrill-of-the-hunt' for value at one dollar - and we remain committed to that core proposition - but many are telling us that they also want a broader product assortment when they come to shop," said Michael Witynski, President and CEO of Dollar Tree in a statement. "We believe testing additional price points above $1 for Dollar Tree product will enable us over time to expand our assortments, introduce new products and meet more of our customers' everyday needs."
Naturally, the masses were less than thrilled about the switch-up.
Covid still here, climate change kicking our ass, the dollar tree starting to charge $2, this is really the end times I fear pic.twitter.com/DeRbxlVPWc
— marcuss (@DrugsMedia) September 29, 2021
Dollar Tree has become the very thing it swore to destroy. These are truly dark times. pic.twitter.com/8zPhpzsOjC
— Rifty, certified Sallie May simp (@Riftyparx) September 29, 2021
The Dollar Tree charging more than a dollar? pic.twitter.com/gYrgSHwYMh
— First Brokage (@bmthreezy) September 29, 2021
Wtf? Dollar Tree is going to start introducing products that are more than a $1. Isn't the whole point of Dollar Tree that everything is a buck?
— Amy Lynn (@AmyAThatcher) September 29, 2021
All items priced over $1 will be located in Dollar Tree's new " We Lied" section.
— Renee Libby (@ReneeAlida) September 29, 2021
If Dollar Tree not gonna be $1 anymore they might as well tear all that shit down fr
— 3D oomf (@justbetalking) September 29, 2021
Never trust anyone or anything.
— Aggressively Black Bianca (@TheeKHiveQueenB) September 29, 2021
Not only did the 99 Cents Only Store sell me flip flops for $1.99, but now the Dollar Tree is talking about "Oh, we're gonna sell things for multiple dollars now."
It's just so scandalous.
"This is really the end times I fear," one user joked.
"Dollar Tree has become the very thing it swore to destroy," another darkly pointed out. "These are truly dark times."
Dollar Tree currently has 15,865 storefronts across the U.S. and Canada which also include stores under the name Family Dollar.
"We are a "test-and-learn' organization which is what we are doing with this new initiative," Witynski said. "We listen to our customers and believe it will make shopping with us an even better experience."
Dollar Tree was up around 10.04% year over year as of late Wednesday afternoon.