AG Zoeller announces settlement to ensure competition remains following Dollar Tree/Family Dollar merger

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced the terms of a settlement that Indiana and 16 other states have reached with Dollar Tree Incorporated. Zoeller and other attorneys general were looking into the discount store’s acquisition of more than 300 Family Dollar Stores around the country, and filed a lawsuit to prevent what they said could be a harmful deal for consumers. The settlement requires five Indiana Family Dollar Stores to be sold to Dollar Express instead, including one in Fort Wayne. Dollar Tree will also be required to report to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office on future acquisitions, store relocations or closings. Zoeller says that after consulting with the Federal Trade Commission, the lawsuit was filed to protect price levels for people who shop in the affected areas.