Dollar Tree, one of the largest retailers in the United States, announced last week that it has paused the sale of eggs in its stores.
This decision announced by Dollar Tree on March 14 comes in the wake of egg prices soaring by nearly 60% this past year, per Reuters. The price hike was caused by tens of millions of egg-laying hens falling victim to what has been the deadliest bird flu outbreak in U.S. history, as The Dallas Express reported.
Dollar Tree, with around 8,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, is a popular grocery destination for cash-strapped shoppers. But due to the rising prices of eggs, the company had to stop selling this staple food in its stores. Its spokesman, Randy Guiler, confirmed that it does not expect to bring eggs back to its shelves until later this fall.
The news comes as many Americans prepare for the spring holidays of Easter and Passover, both of which call for eggs.
Like most of its products, Dollar Tree used to sell a carton of six to eight eggs at the flat rate of $1 but bumped it up to $1.25 in 2021 due to inflationary pressures. Some items, such as certain frozen meals, are priced between $3 and $5.
Although customer demand has been strong amid high inflation, the retailer has not been immune to the shaky economy.
“Our primary price point at Dollar Tree is $1.25. The cost of eggs is currently very high,” explained Guiler, per CNN.
Both Dollar General, Dollar Tree’s chief competitor, and Family Dollar, a retailer owned by Dollar Tree that sells items up to $10, will continue selling eggs.
Budget and discount retailers like these three chains or big box retailers like Walmart have been popular among increasingly price-conscious customers.
A recent study from Tufts University found that these retailers have even doubled their share in rural areas. Yet they often do not specialize in fresh foods and produce, offering instead prepackaged food items with often suboptimal nutritional value, researchers said.
Regularly consuming ultra-processed foods — like the frozen meals, sugar-sweetened beverages, and ice cream often found at these retailers — can cause an array of adverse health effects. Conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline have all been linked to a poor diet by scientists, as The Dallas Express reported.
Among younger Americans (and especially Texans), obesity rates are climbing at alarming rates. Health officials have pointed to children not eating enough fruits and vegetables as a major cause of this epidemic.
While Dollar Tree’s decision to discontinue its sale of eggs — one of its few fresh food offerings — may disappoint some, there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
Egg prices are starting to drop, as The Dallas Express reported. In February they showed a 6.7% decline, according to Consumer Price Index data.