Family Dollar laying off hundreds in Ohio as store closures begin. Here's what to know

Chad Murphy, Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read

Family Dollar is laying off hundreds of Ohio workers on April 20 as part of its plan to close nearly 1,000 stores.

In a letter to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Michael Atcovitz, vice president of human resources, says Family Dollar plans to close multiple stores in Ohio on or around April 20, putting up to 265 people out of work. Specific locations were not disclosed. Some employees could be transferred to new positions at other stores.

Why are Family Dollar stores closing?

About 600 Family Dollar stores will close in 2024 after parent company Dollar Tree announced it experienced a significant underperformance in 2023.

Over the next several years, the discount chain will also shut down 370 Family Dollar and 30 Dollar Tree stores at later dates when each store’s current lease ends, a press release earlier this month said.

Dollar stores have struggled following a shift in consumer spending to lower-margin essentials from higher-margin discretionary goods, according to Reuters. They also face stiff competition from rivals such as Walmart and Chinese e-commerce platform Temu.

Also, Family Dollar stores have been plagued by health and safety concerns for employees and workers, CNN reports.

The retailer was fined this year for violating product safety standards after selling items that were stocked in a rat-infested warehouse. The $41.6 million fine was “the largest-ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case,” the Justice Department said.

Customers line up outside the Family Dollar located on Carolina Beach Road for the store's 50% off closing sale. One customer said the store was letting in five people at a time each for 20 minutes to purchase items.
Customers line up outside the Family Dollar located on Carolina Beach Road for the store's 50% off closing sale. One customer said the store was letting in five people at a time each for 20 minutes to purchase items.

Family Dollar, Dollar Tree locations in Ohio

Dollar Tree has more than 200 locations in Ohio, including multiple stores in Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo.

Family Dollar has more than 450 Ohio stores, according to data scraping sites like ScrapeHero and Smartscrapers. It also has multiple locations in large cities such as Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo.

Ohio is No. 3 in the nation for Family Dollar stores, behind Florida (about 570) and Texas (more than 1,100).

The store at 15 Walnut St. in downtown East Liverpool, Ohio, is closing permanently on April 17 leaving many items 50% off, according to news outlet The Review.

Which Family Dollar stores are closing this year?

While Family Dollar has not released which locations it intends to shutter, local outlets have reported the closing of the following locations nationwide:

  • Middletown, New Jersey: A banner at the Eastpointe shopping center reveals that the location is closing, according to the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

  • Tallahassee, Florida: The store on West Brevard Street will close, leaving four other Family Dollar stores available in the city, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network.

  • Peoria, Illinois: Two Family Dollar stores in the city will permanently close, according to the Peoria Journal Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.

  • Lynchburg, Virginia: Two Family Dollar stores are closing in the city, including the ones on Federal Street and Campbell Avenue, according to ABC affiliate WSET.

  • Slocomb, Alabama: The store at 534 Lawrence St. is among the Family Dollar locations set to close, according to local station WDHN.

  • Wilmington, North Carolina: Employees said two Family Dollar stores will close in the Wilmington area, including one on Greenfield Street and Carolina Beach Road, according to location station WECT.

  • Humansville, Missouri: The store at 200 E. Tilden St. will close and prices have been reduced to clear inventory, according to local TV station KY3.

  • Willow Springs, Missouri: The Family Dollar store at 503 E. Main St. will close and merchandise has been reduced by up to 90% according to local outlet Howell County News.

  • Wichita, Kansas: The 13th Street and Broadway location will permanently close, according to local station KSN News.

  • Clearwater, South Carolina: The Family Dollar store at 4403 Jefferson Davis Highway in Clearwater, South Carolina is closing and many items have 50% discounts, according to TV station WRDW.

  • Elkins, West Virginia: The 388 Beverly Pike location store is having a 50% off sale ahead of its closure, according to the Inter-Mountain newspaper.

Anthony Robledo of USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Family Dollar to close stores in Ohio, lay off hundreds of employees