Shocking Price Markup Found at Massachusetts Dollar Tree

We knew inflation was going to continue to be a problem, but I don’t think anyone expected Dollar Tree to become Twenty-Dollar Tree.

Yet here we are, with items on the shelf at the Fairhaven Dollar Tree location now marked with a $20 price tag, and likely at all other locations as well.

The odd part, though, is that the price tag is significantly higher than the price that is printed on the box underneath the sticker.

Halloween Items Spark Spooky Price Surprise

It all started on Tuesday when I walked by the Dollar Tree location in Fairhaven on my way to pick up my lunch at a local restaurant. I noticed there were Halloween decorations out for sale, and so I made it a point on my way back to pop in to see what they had.

Dollar Tree Has Increased Prices in Recent Years

I wasn’t surprised to see some items for $3, $5 or $7, because this past March, we told you that the store would soon be adding items at other prices, such as $1.50 and topping out at $7. Those critical of the move said it was making Dollar Tree too much like Family Dollar, which was formerly owned by Dollar Tree, Inc. In fact, these price increases happened around the time that Dollar Tree, Inc. sold off the Family Dollar brand.

READ MORE: Big Prices Increases Coming to Dollar Tree Stores in Massachusetts

It wasn’t like there hadn’t been a price increase at Dollar Tree before. In 2021, the retailer increased its price on all items to $1.25. There was some initial backlash, but ultimately, it was only a quarter more per item. It was somewhat understandable in the post-pandemic world to have to raise prices a bit, especially as workers demanded more money than just minimum wage to return to work and supply issues led to higher prices for a lot of items.

But $20 Items at Dollar Tree?

So again, nothing surprising about seeing some Halloween items that were more than $1.25, but I was absolutely floored when I saw a series of LED light-up inflatables – a witchy spider, a grim reaper skeleton, a ghost and a pumpkin – marked at $20 apiece.

Dollar Tree Sticker Shock

I snapped a few photos for friends I thought might want to add them to their yards this spooky season, and then was looking at them again on Wednesday when I noticed that the prices on all of these Halloween items were written on red stickers. Curious, I went back over to Dollar Tree to see what price might be underneath them.

As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one who did this. Other shoppers had peeled off the stickers, revealing that the prices underneath were $1 or $2 cheaper than what was on the red sticker.

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However, the $20 inflatables were actually marked $10 underneath, meaning Dollar Tree was charging twice as much as the price printed on the box.

Twice. As. Much.

Now that's scary.

The boxes appeared similar in style to something you might see on the shelf at Family Dollar, so perhaps Dollar Tree is taking some of the seasonal stock from its former brand and using it to offer some higher-priced items in its current stores. Still, a 50 percent markup for an inflatable pumpkin that’s only four feet tall?

READ MORE: Could Big Lots Return to Fairhaven?

Awaiting Dollar Tree's Response

I sent an email to the public relations people over at Dollar Tree, Inc. inquiring about the higher-priced stickers and if these items had indeed been part of Family Dollar before making their way to Dollar Tree shelves. As of this writing, I still haven’t heard back, but I’ll update this story if any comment is provided.