Dollar Tree will pay a $1.35 million fine to settle safety violations that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has “repeatedly cited at multiple stores,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The retailer, which also operates the Family Dollar chain, also has agreed to remediation of issues including blocked exits, access to fire extinguishers and electrical panels and improper material storage at stores nationwide.
Dollar Tree also has agreed to establish a 24-hour hotline to receive safety complaints and a tracking system to ensure complaints are addressed. Failure to correct hazards that OSHA notifies the retailer about will subject the retailer to fines of $100,000 per day along with OSHA inspection and enforcement actions.
The retailer has been the target of multiple OSHA investigations, including one that resulted in a $1.2 million fine for violations at two stores in Ohio.
Dollar Tree had a strong Q2, with net sales climbing 8.2% to $7.32 billion for the three months ending July 29, 2023 compared to the same period the previous year. Same-store sales also increased by 6.9% across the enterprise, with 7.8% growth for the Dollar Tree banner and 5.8% for Family Dollar.
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During this quarter, Dollar Tree, which operates more than 16,000 stores across 48 states and Canada, also:
- Opened 118 new stores;
- Expanded its multi-price Dollar Tree Plus program, which offers items at price points above $1, to 715 additional Dollar Tree stores;
- Added $3, $4 and $5 frozen and refrigerated items to 1,645 additional Dollar Tree stores; and
- Completed 276 Family Dollar store renovation projects.
