Hi, I’m Brian Gordon, a tech reporter for The News & Observer, and this is Open Source—your weekly update on business, labor, and technology in North Carolina.
Dollar General’s Pricing Problem
Dollar General almost passed my test—almost. Stores are supposed to display accurate prices and charge the same amount at checkout.
This week, I visited three Dollar Generals in the Triangle area to check their prices. My motivation? Learning that North Carolina conducts regular price accuracy checks and often finds overcharges.
It’s not just Dollar General—Family Dollar, Walmart, Circle K, and Advance Auto Parts have all been fined for similar issues.
In January alone, North Carolina’s Consumer Services’ Standards Division fined 14 stores, with penalties ranging from $420 to $15,000.
Chad Parker, manager of the Measurement Section under the state’s agriculture department, explained that price mismatches happen when stores fail to update shelf labels.
Parker’s team of 36 inspectors conducts price accuracy checks across the state, inspecting between 50 and 300 items per visit.
Stores are allowed a 2% error rate; if they exceed that, they face bi-monthly inspections until they fix the problem.
Price mismatches peaked when inflation surged. In 2022, 195 stores were fined, compared to just 45 last year.
These errors hit low-income shoppers hardest. Dollar General’s report defines its core customers as people from low- or fixed-income households, mostly in rural areas.
Dollar General continues to expand rapidly, adding 45 new stores in North Carolina last year alone. Some towns now have five or more locations within a small radius.
In late 2023, Ohio sued Dollar General for overcharging, leading to a $1 million settlement, most of which went to food banks.
A 2024 YouTube video titled “What Dollar General Doesn’t Want You to Know” has racked up 6.3 million views.
Dollar General told The News & Observer it aims to provide accurate pricing and allows employees to correct discrepancies at the register.
My test involved purchasing 15 items across three stores. Fourteen prices matched the shelf labels, but one didn’t—a pack of baseball cards listed at $3.50 rang up at $6. The cashier apologized, admitting that pricing issues are common at that location.
Top Employers in the Triangle
Figuring out the largest employers in the Triangle isn’t easy. Major companies are reluctant to share office-specific data, but they report job numbers to the N.C. Department of Commerce, which ranks the top 25 employers in each county and the top 300 statewide.
Fidelity recently became the largest employer in Research Triangle Park. Meanwhile, some major employers like Duke University, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and RTI International have cut jobs due to federal policy changes.
Business News: Quick Hits
- Prepac Consolidation: Canadian furniture maker Prepac is closing facilities in British Columbia and shifting operations to North Carolina, likely influenced by tariffs imposed under President Trump.
- AI and State Government: North Carolina’s state treasurer is testing how ChatGPT can help with data analysis, report summaries, and financial audits while ensuring data privacy.
- IBM Layoffs: IBM confirmed layoffs at its Triangle-area facilities but didn’t specify how many. The company recently informed the state it’s cutting 72 jobs in Winston-Salem.
- RTI International Cuts: The Durham-based research nonprofit has cut over 500 jobs since Trump took office, citing federal project cancellations and funding issues.
- Wolfspeed’s New CEO: Wolfspeed has appointed a new CEO to lead the Triangle-based company through a crucial recovery period.
- State Job Openings: Gov. Josh Stein announced a new website for state job seekers as North Carolina faces a 20% vacancy rate in government roles.
- Johnson & Johnson Investment: The company broke ground on a $55 billion project in Wilson, N.C., which will create over 400 jobs.
- Federal Funding Cuts: The U.S. health department has updated its list of canceled NIH grants under Trump, including two recent cuts affecting UNC-Chapel Hill.
National Tech Headlines
- 23andMe Bankruptcy: The DNA testing company has filed for bankruptcy and is seeking a buyer. North Carolina’s attorney general recommends deleting genetic data.
- OpenAI Lawsuit: A judge allowed The New York Times to proceed with its lawsuit against OpenAI for using its content without permission.
- OpenAI’s New Tool: OpenAI’s latest image generator is gaining traction but causing server overload.
- Record NBA Sale: The Boston Celtics’ new owners have agreed to a record-breaking $6.1 billion purchase.
- Trump’s Union Order: President Trump signed an executive order ending collective bargaining for some federal unions, citing national security concerns.
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