Mouse-infested warehouse lands Family Dollar Stores with record $41M fine

An investigation found “live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine and odors,” at a warehouse in Arkansas.

Family Dollar Stores was this week ordered to pay $41.6 million for using a rodent-infested warehouse to distribute food, cosmetics and medical devices to more than 400 stores across the South.

The largest criminal penalty of its kind comes after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation found “live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine, and odors, and evidence of gnawing and nesting,” at the company’s distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas, the Justice Department said in a statement.

jobby,

All that free protein, and people are complaining?!?!

Wahots,
@Wahots@pawb.social avatar

The department said the fine was the largest ever in a food safety case in the United States. As part of a plea agreement, both Family Dollar Stores and Dollar Tree must meet " robust" corporate reporting guidelines for the next three years.

Three years? Good God, make it ten. That is disgusting and dangerous. Three years is not enough time for a company to be making mistakes that large.

LaunchesKayaks,
@LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world avatar

I just bought stuff from a family dollar 💀

SturgiesYrFase,
@SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml avatar

F in the chat boys. Our dude’s not long for the world.

LaunchesKayaks,
@LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world avatar

Spread my ashes in Dollar Tree

SturgiesYrFase,
@SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml avatar

This is the way…

weeeeum,

How else do you think they keep it a dollar💀

shasta,

They don’t. It’s $1.25 now

Cuttlefish1111,

Let them eat Flakes

phi1997,

What did they do wrong? They're just providing value by offering consumers free pets with their food!

thefartographer,

That’s a shit joke

Voyajer,
@Voyajer@lemmy.world avatar

It’s a urine joke too

HWK_290,

Urine over your head, kid

thefartographer,

That’s how you know when you’ve joined the peepee club

givesomefucks,

I think it was John Oliver that did a story on them.

It’s a total shit show, but for some people in food deserts it’s their only accessible option.

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

Yes it was. And their whole philosophy is to cut as many costs as possible, even when it makes zero sense. Such as not keeping a warehouse pest-free.

As John Oliver showed, they also tend to have one employee per shift per store, which makes things almost impossible to manage.

HurlingDurling,
@HurlingDurling@lemmy.world avatar

Mostly because towns allow them in and they create the food dessert. Here’s another video essay about them

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQpUV--2Jao

philo,

this is why you don’t buy food at Family Dollar.

papertowels,

Food deserts typically have more family dollars/dollar general type stores. Folks that live in these areas oftentimes have no other choice, because a dollar general that doesn’t have to worry about fresh fruit and veggies spoilage can operate at lower costs than a grocery, and will price them out.

Default_Defect,
@Default_Defect@midwest.social avatar

There’s a small small town I pass through somewhat regularly that only has a dollar tree, a gas station, and two restaurants (one of which just burned down). The drive to an actual grocery store is non-trivial. It’s real thing.

dohpaz42,
@dohpaz42@lemmy.world avatar

There are a disproportionate amount of people out there that cannot afford to buy food from anywhere else. And it’s probably going to get worse as grocery prices continue to rise.

philo,

When was the last time you looked at the prices of food at Family Dollar? They aren’t a dollar store. They are more expensive than most grocery stores.

BolexForSoup, (edited )
BolexForSoup avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    philo,

    Bullshit. I’m on disability. IOW, I am on a limited income. I can’t drive because of my disability nor can I take the bus to go shopping. I can get groceries delivered (I’m not talking about Meals on Wheels) as can almost anyone.

    BolexForSoup, (edited )
    BolexForSoup avatar

    deleted_by_author

    •
    philo,

    That’s why I said ALMOST. Groceries can also be purchased online with free shipping from some places. Believe me, there is more than one way to access groceries.

    BolexForSoup, (edited )
    BolexForSoup avatar

    deleted_by_author

    •
    philo,

    You are the one making the incorrect estimation.

    Blackbeard,
    @Blackbeard@lemmy.world avatar

    John Oliver did a good piece that showed how, in some cases, people are paying more at a “dollar” store than they would elsewhere. Per-unit prices are higher because they shrink the product size to keep the price low, which triggers a psychological response in people who think they’re getting a deal, when in fact they’re getting scammed. The real problem is that because of that psychological bias, people have flocked to “dollar” stores in rural areas to such an extent that their old school grocer has long since gone out of business. I own farmland in one of these food deserts, and if you don’t shop at the “dollar” store, you buy groceries at a gas station or travel 25+ minutes to get to the next town. In those areas, there simply isn’t food anywhere else, which is so incredibly sad.

    pearsaltchocolatebar,

    Yup, I live a mile from one and go fairly frequently because construction makes getting to a grocery store a pain.

    Food prices are definitely higher than an actual grocery store. It’s basically just a large convenience store cosplaying as a discount store.

    Rentlar,

    The great thing is that much of the cost savings you would have gotten from the farther grocery store, would evaporate from the automobile transportation cost.

    mipadaitu,

    Also, if you only have $4, you can’t save money by buying a $5 bag of rice. You have to spend more to buy a bunch of $1 tiny bags of rice one a time.
    It’s cheaper to buy a house that’s well built and maintain it, but then you have a higher upfront cost.
    It’s really expensive being poor.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory

    BolexForSoup,
    BolexForSoup avatar

    It should be compulsory in the US to read Nickle and Dimed but in the current climate it’d probably lead to the GOP passing more laws attacking schools and libraries.

    Semi-Hemi-Demigod,
    Semi-Hemi-Demigod avatar

    It should be compulsory to read Discworld, too. And would amplify that effect.

    BolexForSoup,
    BolexForSoup avatar

    Never read it!

    Semi-Hemi-Demigod,
    Semi-Hemi-Demigod avatar

    I'm a little jealous because I would love to read that series for the first time again

    BolexForSoup,
    BolexForSoup avatar

    So should I just dive in? First book in the series?

    Semi-Hemi-Demigod,
    Semi-Hemi-Demigod avatar

    don't worry, we have flowcharts to help you

    BolexForSoup,
    BolexForSoup avatar

    My dude

    philo,

    That is simply not true. The prices are higher in Family Dollar and people are shopping there for the most part because they think it’s convenient and they are getting a deal. Also if you throw in the younger generation (or in some cases just plain lazier but older people), they would rather buy the frozen and unhealthy crap at Family Dollar than cook something for less than 1/3 the cost.

    SpaceNoodle,

    Kids these days, amirite?

    VaultBoyNewVegas,

    Not American so I couldn’t care less about dollar store itself but when I see comments saying choosing an easier option is lazy and people should cook more, it pisses me fucking off. I have a chronic disease, I have been suffering from a flare up with it for 5 weeks, my disease means that I literally shit blood and also regularly have to use the toilet while also being in pain, if I choose " frozen and unhealthy crap" to cook it’s because I literally fucking can’t stand in a kitchen and do prep and cook and keep an eye on the fucking thing cooking. All I had to eat yesterday was some sandwiches and toast, today I haven’t eaten anything because I’ve no appetite.

    I’m not the only person who has an illness or a disability who can’t cook every fucking day with all that is involved in it. Grow some fucking perspective.

    philo,

    If you think that everybody who goes to Family Dollar for food has the same problem, that is your twisted perspective. I suggest that instead of being a fucking imbecile on Lemmy you seek medical attention for your disease and find a way to eat an actual healthy meal (which would help with your condition) as overly processed crap is in no way helping anything.

    Odelay42,

    You need to check your privilege and pause for a moment. Your opinion is not more valuable than theirs. Insults and judgement in angry posts undermine whatever point you were trying to make.

    philo,

    Privilege? Oh, you’re one of those.

    philo,

    It’s like you read the word lazy and stopped reading. Reading is fundamental you know. Maybe try reading the whole comment next time to understand it before going off half-cocked.

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