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Kroger shoppers should double-check their checks.
A consumer advocacy group — the Center for Responsible Food Business (CRFB) — found that one-third of the 101 Ohio Kroger stores had been overcharging shoppers at checkout.
Government inspectors documented 644 incorrect prices in 389 inspections of Kroger stores across nine Ohio territories from 2022 through mid-2026.
“People go to Kroger to feed their families, not to get ripped off at the register. Customers are telling us they have to photograph price tags, challenge their receipts, and fight for refunds,” said Taylor Warren, president of CRFB. “When people need that kind of protection from their own grocery store, the company has failed them.”
The report found that some shoppers rang up items — and were then charged — a higher amount than what their shelf prices were retailed as.
According to the report, 36 of the 101 locations had at least one inspection where a customer was overcharged. Plus, 58 of the 389 inspections failed.
The inspectors recorded 644 incorrect prices, with errors supporting Kroger roughly three times as often as shoppers. When customers were overcharged, the errors were nearly 20% above the advertised shelf price.
Some of the shoppers saw a huge price discrepancy — the report found a Butler County grocery customer was charged 55% more for an 18-count carton of Kroger eggs.
Originally displayed at $3.99 — the breakfast staple rang up for $6.19 — a difference of $2.20, or about 55%. An inspector said the problem was due to a digital coupon that didn’t properly apply.
The report found another large price snafu on fresh raspberries. Originally, the raspberries were advertised for $1.47, but rang up for $3.49 — a $2.02 increase. Again, the inspector attributed the price discrepancy to a weekly digital deal that failed to apply.
Some grocery shoppers got lucky, as not all price disparities harmed the customer. Government records revealed that while there were 474 overcharges, there were also 170 undercharges.
However, the lucky few who were undercharged are few and far between. Just one year ago, Consumer Reports found the Ohio-based chain was overcharging customers by an average of 18% across 26 stores.
This newer report shows the mega-retailer clearly has not corrected the issue.
“When an overcharge goes unnoticed, Kroger keeps money the customer was never supposed to pay,” Warren said. “Those extra dollars matter to working families trying to afford food. Calling it a pricing error does not make it harmless.”
Just note that the price inconsistencies were only found in its home state and do not mean the problem was nationwide.
Kroger told The Post, “Our customers know that Kroger associates work hard every day to provide great service and value. Across millions of transactions in Ohio, we take pricing accuracy seriously and work quickly to correct any issue when it is brought to our attention.”
“This misleading report combines selective data with unverified claims and does not accurately reflect the experience of customers in our stores every day,” the Kroger spokesperson added.
Read the full article here
