Earlier this year, it was discovered that a Family Dollar distribution center in Arkansas was infested with over 1,000 rodents, forcing the recall of hundreds of items and affecting a multitude of Mississippi stores.
Now, the company has announced that it will be closing the doors of the West Memphis distribution center for good.
“Like most companies, we regularly assess our operational footprint to ensure we are running our business in the most effective and responsible way. As a result of that process, we determined the nearly 30-year-old facility in West Memphis would not be adequate to allow us to continue serving the needs and requirements of our stores and customers served by the distribution center,” Randy Guiler, vice president of investor relations for Dollar Tree, Family Dollar’s parent company, said in a statement.
The FDA reported in February that company officials were aware of the infestation that included live rodents, dead rodents, rodent feces, dead birds, and bird droppings since January 2020 with over 3,000 rats captured between March 2021 and January 2022.
The company plans to close the facility by October, affecting approximately 300 employees. Several Mississippi customers have already filed a class action complaint against the company, accusing Family Dollar of breaking state and federal consumer laws.
