Kroger is faced with a meticulous examination after an investigation allegedly alleged that the grocery giant overloaded customers by listing the sale prices expired on the shelves – only to ring the full prices at the cashier.
The second largest grocery chain in the United States used tactics in at least 14 stores in 14 states and Washington DC, the US Guardian report and Consumer Reports lightens.
The “Secret Shopper” tests in stores in March, April and May found more than 150 articles Labeled on the edges of the shelf with obsolete discounts that no longer applied to the register.
This has produced an average increase of 18% on the elements found, according to the report.
But some items jumped up to 60%.
On average, the expired reduction labels were two weeks up to date, which means that thousands of Americans could have ended more than the items they thought were reduced.
This occurs while consumers feel the pinch at high grocery prices as well as the prospect of substantial prices on daily articles due to Trump prices.
Food prices increased by 24% between 2020 and 2024, according to the American department of agriculture.
Kroger grocery stores surfing customers by enrolling the selling prices expired on their shelves only to increase the total price at the checkout, found a new survey
Kroger has more than 2,700 stores, making it the second largest grocery chain in the United States
Sneaky sales labels often do not clearly declare that a reduction offer has ended, the survey revealed.
At other times, expiration dates are noted only in the works code or in very small impression.
While some buyers are increasing prices at the cash register, many occupied consumers do not recognize the uprising, Kroger workers and workers told researchers.
“It really makes me feel bad because some of them are on fixed income and they are older. They are not going to be careful, ” said Joy Alexander, a Kroger worker from Denver, at The Guardian and Consumer Reports.
“They think that when they removed it from the shelf, it was $ 2.50. They don’t know they pay $ 3.75 for this article.
Other examples cited by the survey include personal pizzas that have been displayed as on sale for $ 1 per room which reached $ 1.25 each, and an 8 oz jar of chopped garlic listed at a low price of $ 2.49, which cost $ 3.99 down – a leap of 60%.
Kroger’s pricing strategy has been the subject of numerous complaints from customers directly to the company and to the prosecutors general.
In October, a Kroger client wrote to the Ohio Attorney General declaring that his experience in the grocery chain was “scandalous”.
A Consumer Reports survey revealed hundreds of erroneous items in Kroger stores. (Gracity graceful graphic)
Consumers are already extended after years of inflation and now price increases related to prices
Kroger’s interim CEO, Ronald Sargent, took over at the grocery store last month
“We have just spent $ 121 on two seniors for a week of grocery store,” said the customer, adding that they had been overcharged $ 8.07 on a frozen turkey.
“We acquit it regularly and three times out of five, we must correct them on prices.”
In a press release provided in Dailymail.com, a spokesperson for Kroger said allegations were summed up in disinformation, examining a handful of discreet questions from billions of daily transactions.
“This does not in any way reflect the gravity with which we take our transparent and affordable prices,” they added.
This is not the first time that Kroger has been the subject of an investigation into sneaky pricing tactics.
Last year, American senators Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey investigated the supermarket about concerns that its electronic labels were used to increase and lower prices in accordance with demand.
The takeover provided for by Kroger d’Albertsons was also arrested by a legal challenge by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) due to the concerns that it would eliminate competition and increase consumers’ prices.
During a hearing Kroger admitted to having increased the cost of essential items more than necessary to keep pace inflation.
The senior manager of the grocery chain testified to a judge in August of last year that the store had increased the prices of milk and eggs that necessary.
“On milk and eggs, retail inflation was much higher than cost inflation,” wrote Andy Groff in an email to his bosses in March who was used as proof in court.
The company also made the headlines in March when the former CEO Rodney McMullen resigned unexpectedly for “personal behavior”.
The bosses refused to give details beyond saying that he was “not linked to the business” and “incompatible with Kroger’s policy on business ethics”.
The main director Ronald Sargeant was appointed interim CEO following the departure of McMullen.
