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A report issued by a coalition of investigative journalists from Consumer Reports, The Guardian, and the Food & Environment Reporting Network claims that Kroger-owned grocery stores have routinely overcharged customers on items advertised as discounted.
Getting into it: According to the report, investigators found that more than half of the 26 Kroger and Kroger-owned stores they visited across 14 states were charging customers full price for items that were marked as on sale. The investigation uncovered over 150 instances where expired or inaccurate sale tags remained on store shelves, misleading shoppers into believing they were receiving a discount. On average, customers were overcharged by 18.4% markup over the expected sale price.
Examples cited in the report include a shopper being charged $4.99 for a bag of salt and pepper pistachios that was advertised at $2.49, and another instance where a pack of flour tortillas rang up at $4.99 instead of the displayed sale price of $2.99. Items affected ranged widely, from common groceries like Cheerios and Nescafé instant coffee to more expensive goods like beef, fish, medicine, and dog food.
In response to the report, Kroger pushed back against the investigation’s findings, disputing the scope and severity of the pricing errors. A company spokesperson stated, “The Consumer Reports allegations boil down to misinformation, reviewing a handful of discrete issues from billions of daily transactions. It in no way reflects the seriousness with which we take our transparent and affordable pricing.”
This all comes as some major retailers across the country face similar lawsuits and penalties over deceptive pricing practices. In October, Albertsons agreed to pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit in California related to overcharging. Walmart is currently being sued by an Illinois shopper who claims he was routinely overcharged by 10–15% on various items.
