Kroger's customers say enough: What just happened won't please anyone

A recent investigation has put Kroger, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, on the spot. Customers at stores such as City Market and King Soopers in Colorado have reported that they pay full price for products labeled with a discount. This report arises from employee complaints and a study conducted by Consumer Reports together with The Guardian and Food & Environment Reporting Network.

Widespread errors in price tags

According to the report, errors in the tags have persisted for years, affecting products ranging from meats and vegetables to juices, rice, and alcohol. Kroger workers in Colorado, who are currently in union negotiations, stated that these problems are frequent and affect numerous customers.

The Consumer Reports investigation consisted of purchases made at 26 Kroger stores and their subsidiaries in 14 states. There, more than 150 products were found with expired sale tags, some more than 10 days old and up to five with tags that were nearly 90 days old. The average overcharge was $1.70 per item, 18.4% more than advertised, a figure that, in times of inflation, is especially concerning to consumers.

Kroger's response and effect on their employees

Kroger denies that these problems are widespread. The company told Consumer Reports that they conduct regular reviews to keep prices low and accurate, and that the errors, although unacceptable, do not reflect a real collective concern.

However, customers who complained to local authorities were informed that the lack of staff in the stores makes it difficult to constantly change and update tags. Since 2019, the chain has reduced 10.3% of their employees in the stores where these errors were detected, according to official data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The service manager at King Soopers in Colorado confirmed that when a customer complains, the price is corrected only for that buyer, but the physical tags are not always updated. Previous records and complaints to Consumer Reports also show that executives have been alerted to these problems without a definitive solution.

Impact in rural areas and legal compliance

The price differences affect consumers even more in rural and tourist regions of the mountainous area, where competition is scarce and prices are usually higher. Legal experts warn that these practices could violate federal and state consumer protection laws.

Meanwhile, the investigation also revealed that in nearly half of the Kroger stores evaluated, the tags were up to date. In addition, some local stores already use digital systems to automatically change prices, seeking to improve accuracy.