Pro Consumidor Shuts Eight Stores Over Consumer Safety Violations

The Dominican Republic’s consumer protection agency has ordered the temporary closure of eight commercial establishments in Greater Santo Domingo following inspections that identified potential breaches of health, safety and child-protection rules.

The National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights, known as Pro Consumidor, said the affected businesses included Home Plus, AMG Mall, Plaza Neza, Tienda Rojo Star, Tienda Nuevo Mundo and Import y Export, Sol, Playa y Arena, among others.

The establishments are located in Pantoja, the municipality of Los Alcarrizos and other areas of Greater Santo Domingo. The closures were ordered through administrative resolutions 1934-26 and 1935-26, according to the agency’s executive director, Eddy Alcántara.

Inspections found missing sanitary registrations

One of the main irregularities identified by inspectors was the sale of products without the sanitary registrations required for their commercialization, Pro Consumidor said.

Sanitary registration is a regulatory requirement for certain categories of goods, particularly products that may affect public health. In the Dominican Republic, the Directorate General of Medicines, Food and Health Products (DIGEMAPS), under the Ministry of Public Health, oversees sanitary registration for categories including cosmetics and personal and household hygiene products.

Businesses selling regulated products must comply with the applicable requirements before placing them on the market. Consumers can consult the official DIGEMAPS sanitary registration procedures for further information on these categories.

Adult products were reportedly visible to minors

Inspectors also identified adult-oriented products with special characteristics displayed in areas where children and teenagers could see them.

Pro Consumidor said the practice could violate provisions of the Dominican Republic’s Code for the Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. The agency did not specify which products were involved or identify the individual stores where this particular issue was found.

The distinction matters because the closures followed inspections and technical reviews rather than a single preliminary visit. Alcántara said the agency’s executive management and specialized teams assessed the findings before issuing the administrative measures.

Stores will remain closed pending an investigation

The resolutions provide that the temporary closures will remain in force until the Attorney General’s Office completes an investigation for which Pro Consumidor said it would refer the cases.

The agency had previously inspected several Chinese-owned commercial establishments and indicated that it would determine the appropriate administrative response after reviewing the findings. The latest measures represent the outcome of that assessment.

Pro Consumidor said it would continue enforcing consumer protection requirements, particularly where commercial practices may pose risks to public health, safety or the rights of customers.

How consumers can report commercial irregularities

Residents who encounter potentially unsafe products or other consumer-related violations can submit complaints to Pro Consumidor. The agency provides information about its consumer complaint procedure, including the documentation needed to support a claim.

The closures do not establish that every product sold by the affected businesses was unsafe or that all stores operated by Chinese owners were involved. The measures concern the eight named establishments and the irregularities identified during the authority’s inspections, while the investigation remains pending.