A months-long investigation by Consumer Reports is exposing a pricing error at Kroger-owned stores across the country. Consumer Reports launched an investigation after Kroger workers in Colorado, currently in union negotiations, alleged widespread and long-standing price label errors.
According to Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter Derek Kravitz, the investigation found “expired sale tags on more than 150 different grocery items that led to overcharges at the checkout counter on everything from beef, salmon, coffee, juice, vegetables, even cough medicine and dog food.”
The investigation spanned 26 Kroger-owned grocery stores in 14 states and Washington D.C. On average, shoppers were overcharged $1.70 per sales item, or 18.4% more.
Many Kroger workers claim staffing cuts and reduced hours stretch them thin, making it nearly impossible to change price tags as often as they change. Some stores have as many as 15,000 discount tags displayed at one time.
Digital price tags are one possible solution to pricing issues, with Kroger testing this method in some stores. They say it offers “better accuracy” for shoppers. Kroger also has a policy in place called “Make it Right”, which allows employees to fix errors on the spot.
In a statement, Kroger said that it is “committed to affordable and accurate pricing” and that it regularly conducts price checks that review “millions of items weekly to ensure our shelf prices are accurate.”
Inaccurate pricing isn’t just limited to Kroger, however. In 2022, a shopper sued Walmart for alleged overcharging him on as much as 15% on six different items. And this past October, Safeway, Albertsons and Vons paid almost $4 million to settle a lawsuit alleging they were charging customers more than the lowest advertised price.
Consumer Reports says that no matter where you shop, take a quick photo of the sale tags, review the receipts before leaving the store, and demand a refund if the price isn’t right.