Family Dollar Slammed for Selling Partially Eaten Food at a Discount
A TikTok filmed at Family Dollar went viral, but shoppers say they've seen this at other stores.
There's no thrill quite like finding a great deal. You can't beat the serotonin boost when you've had your eye on something special and it finally goes on sale, or the feeling when you know you're getting household staples at a much lower price than you would elsewhere. It's especially nice to save money on your groceries when you can, with food prices still riding high due to inflation. But at Family Dollar, shoppers say that sales are going a bit too far, as the retailer was reportedly selling partially eaten food at a discount. Read on to find out why shoppers were less than thrilled with the offer.
RELATED: Shoppers Are Turning Away From Dollar Tree—Here's Why.
A Family Dollar store was selling an opened box of cereal bars.
A now-viral TikTok posted by @1ruddhuxtable sparked debate on social media this week. In the video, the TikToker films a package of Golden Graham breakfast bars on the shelf, but instead of a typical sale tag, it has a white note taped on top that reads: "Missing 6, Price – 1.10."
On the box, it clearly states that the box is supposed to contain eight bars, and according to the product details on General Mills' website, each of the bars is individually wrapped.
"I'm at Family Dollar," @1ruddhuxtable starts, then reading the box itself. "It's missing six, so they only gonna charge you a portion."
You can hear someone else laughing in the background, and @1ruddhuxtable is heard chuckling as well, adding that you "can't make this up." The TikToker notes that the store was "on Prospect," but didn't provide additional details about the store's location. In the comments, viewers alluded to it being a Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Missouri.
Best Life reached out to Family Dollar for comment, and will update the story upon hearing back.
RELATED: 4 Dollar Store Items That Are Better Than the Name-Brand, Retail Experts Say.
TikTokers found this hilarious
Viewers sounded off in the comment section, with some calling the sale "crazy," but others joking that it was actually a "decent deal."
It wasn't clear how the bars went missing—although some commenters suggested theft—and one TikToker wondered why the store wouldn't just throw the clearly opened box away.
"This is next level…even for [a] dollar store," one comment reads.
Several viewers also pointed out that there were only two bars left, and Family Dollar could have left them for employees to enjoy.
@1ruddhuxtable even commented and wrote, "At this point they should've just put em in the breakroom."
RELATED: 8 Secrets Family Dollar Doesn't Want You to Know.
Apparently, this is not an uncommon practice.
While the video may have been surprising to some, several commenters said that marking down open or incomplete merchandise is something they've seen this at other stores, including other Family Dollar locations, Dollar Tree, Target, Marshalls, Lowe's, Burlington (formerly Burlington Coat Factory), and Walmart.
"We do that in dollar tree and charge something for like 50 cent," one comment reads. Another commenter chimed in to say, "[Not going to lie] we do that at lowe's."
"Burlington had an open pack of pretzel crisps in the clearance section for 2.49," someone else added.
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Compromised packaging can present more concerning issues.
Jokes aside, food tampering can put customers in danger, Daily Dot reported, citing an incident in 2021 where a former employee of pizza dough company It'll Be Pizza slipped razor blades into the company's dough products at a grocery store.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns about food tampering as well, noting that major disease outbreaks related to food tampering are rare in the U.S., but stressing the importance of being mindful with your groceries.
The FDA warns you not to purchase products "that are damaged or look unusual," and outlines a list of steps you can take at the supermarket and at home to ensure your food is safe to eat.
