An investigation found “live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine and odors,” at a warehouse in Arkansas.
An investigation found “live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine and odors,” at a warehouse in Arkansas.
Family Dollar Stores was this week ordered to pay $41.6 million for using a rodent-infested warehouse to distribute food, cosmetics and medical devices to more than 400 stores across the South.
The largest criminal penalty of its kind comes after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation found "live rodents, dead and decaying rodents, rodent feces, urine, and odors, and evidence of gnawing and nesting," at the company's distribution center in West Memphis, Arkansas, the Justice Department said in a statement.
There are a disproportionate amount of people out there that cannot afford to buy food from anywhere else. And it’s probably going to get worse as grocery prices continue to rise.
John Oliver did a good piece that showed how, in some cases, people are paying more at a "dollar" store than they would elsewhere. Per-unit prices are higher because they shrink the product size to keep the price low, which triggers a psychological response in people who think they're getting a deal, when in fact they're getting scammed. The real problem is that because of that psychological bias, people have flocked to "dollar" stores in rural areas to such an extent that their old school grocer has long since gone out of business. I own farmland in one of these food deserts, and if you don't shop at the "dollar" store, you buy groceries at a gas station or travel 25+ minutes to get to the next town. In those areas, there simply isn't food anywhere else, which is so incredibly sad.
Also, if you only have $4, you can't save money by buying a $5 bag of rice. You have to spend more to buy a bunch of $1 tiny bags of rice one a time.
It's cheaper to buy a house that's well built and maintain it, but then you have a higher upfront cost.
It's really expensive being poor.
The great thing is that much of the cost savings you would have gotten from the farther grocery store, would evaporate from the automobile transportation cost.
When was the last time you looked at the prices of food at Family Dollar? They aren't a dollar store. They are more expensive than most grocery stores.
That is simply not true. The prices are higher in Family Dollar and people are shopping there for the most part because they think it's convenient and they are getting a deal. Also if you throw in the younger generation (or in some cases just plain lazier but older people), they would rather buy the frozen and unhealthy crap at Family Dollar than cook something for less than 1/3 the cost.
Not American so I couldn't care less about dollar store itself but when I see comments saying choosing an easier option is lazy and people should cook more, it pisses me fucking off. I have a chronic disease, I have been suffering from a flare up with it for 5 weeks, my disease means that I literally shit blood and also regularly have to use the toilet while also being in pain, if I choose " frozen and unhealthy crap" to cook it's because I literally fucking can't stand in a kitchen and do prep and cook and keep an eye on the fucking thing cooking. All I had to eat yesterday was some sandwiches and toast, today I haven't eaten anything because I've no appetite.
I'm not the only person who has an illness or a disability who can't cook every fucking day with all that is involved in it. Grow some fucking perspective.
It's like you read the word lazy and stopped reading. Reading is fundamental you know. Maybe try reading the whole comment next time to understand it before going off half-cocked.
If you think that everybody who goes to Family Dollar for food has the same problem, that is your twisted perspective. I suggest that instead of being a fucking imbecile on Lemmy you seek medical attention for your disease and find a way to eat an actual healthy meal (which would help with your condition) as overly processed crap is in no way helping anything.
You need to check your privilege and pause for a moment. Your opinion is not more valuable than theirs. Insults and judgement in angry posts undermine whatever point you were trying to make.
Food deserts typically have more family dollars/dollar general type stores. Folks that live in these areas oftentimes have no other choice, because a dollar general that doesn't have to worry about fresh fruit and veggies spoilage can operate at lower costs than a grocery, and will price them out.
There's a small small town I pass through somewhat regularly that only has a dollar tree, a gas station, and two restaurants (one of which just burned down). The drive to an actual grocery store is non-trivial. It's real thing.