‘It’s a huge f*cking deal’: TikToker explains why Dollar Tree price increase hurts low-income customers
A TikToker posted a video discussing how Dollar Tree's price increase to $1.25 impacts low-income customers, prompting viewers to share their own experiences with the retail chain.
In a video that has garnered 119,000 views, TikTok user @lilloworldwide, who goes by Lil' Lo on social media, goes to her local Dollar Tree to show how the extra 25 cents adds up when customers buy more items.
Lo picks up a number of items and checks out, paying a total of $25.18. She continues the video by laying out her purchases and breaking down the cost.
"I have 19 items," she says in the TikTok. "Did you see how much I paid? $25 if I'm rounding down. That means that $5 that could have went to food or utensils or anything else, school supplies, I can now not spend on the Dollar Tree."
She then says that a fellow customer put food back on the store's shelves because he brought a certain amount of money and couldn't afford the difference.
"So while you think it's not a big fucking deal, it's a huge fucking deal," she concludes.
Viewers agreed with Lo and expressed disappointment at the Dollar Tree's new prices.
"It’s a literal 25% price increase," @nuerhoedivergent said. "That’s wild at ANY store."
"As a teacher that gets no budget for the classroom 25 cents is A HUGE difference that comes out of my pocket each year," @hannahmelton843 said.
"I can afford an extra quarter some days but most days I have to put stuff back because I have a STRICT budget with living off one income," @wiccanwiccanwitch said.
Others wondered what the purpose of the price increase was and presumed employees weren't seeing the extra revenue in their paychecks.
"They saying 25 cent isn’t a lot but if that’s the case why employers won’t give people a 25 cent raise…" @ihateclones said.
"It would be a little different if they went up $.05 or $.10 but a quarter???" @fullypackedbowl said. "Ain’t no way. They’re still paying employees the same too."
"The worst part is, prices are going up but is product quality? Employee wages? NOT," @sosburn04 said.
Dollar Tree CEO and president Michael Witynski previously stated that the company was raising its prices in order to "expand our assortments, introduce new products, and meet more of our customers’ everyday needs." The company began rolling out the new price point this month and plans to implement the change in every store by the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2022.
The Daily Dot reached out to Lo by email and Dollar Tree by contact form.
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