Families have contacted Channel 9 wondering why at least two Family Dollar stores in Charlotte were at least temporarily closed.
1,000 Family Dollar, Dollar Tree stores to close
In March, Dollar Tree, which owns Family Dollar, announced a plan to close 600 underperforming stores during the first half of 2024, and another 370 in the coming years.
Only one in North Carolina was supposed to close, which was in Wilmington Family. Dollar officials never released a list of which ones would be closing.
"The homeless. the low-income people on this side of town rely on businesses like Family Dollar and Dollar Tree to provide for them," said Titus Norman, a concerned resident.
The Family Dollar on Statesville Avenue was closed, Norman said.
"The store was full of inventory, so that was kind of confusing," he said. "I mean, the store was completely full of inventory. As the weeks went on, the doors were locked."
The location on Graham Street in Druid Hill was closed through the summer and recently reopened, he said.
"This is not a mom-and-pop business," Norman said. "This is a multi-billion-dollar company. It's a little suspect."
Norman said he is also worried about the people who work there.
"Not to mention the jobs," Norman said. "These Family Dollars at least employ five to 10 people. Where are these people working?"
It's not clear why some stores in Charlotte are impacted.
Channel 9's Jonathan Lowe contacted the company for comment but has not heard back.
He checked with the North Carolina Department of Commerce's interactive Warn Notice dashboard. There's no record of a closure or layoff notice for any North Carolina Family Dollar so far this year.
In June, Dollar Tree said in a statement it was conducting a review of Family Dollars, which could include a potential sale, spin-off, or other disposition of the Family Dollar business.
It's not clear if that's what happening now in the Charlotte area.