Kathrine Frich
The average discount label was two weeks out of date, enough time to mislead thousands of customers.
The average discount label was two weeks out of date, enough time to mislead thousands of customers.
The Second Largest Grocery Chain
Kroger, the second-largest grocery chain in the U.S., is under fire following a Consumer Reports and Guardian US investigation that found hundreds of items across 14 states were mislabeled with expired sale prices.
Customers believed they were getting a discount, only to be charged the full price at checkout.
150+ Mispriced Items, Some With 60% Markups
“Secret shopper” visits to stores in March, April, and May uncovered over 150 products listed with outdated sale tags.
The average markup was 18%, but some price jumps were significantly steeper, including a 60% increase on a jar of garlic that rang up at $3.99 instead of the posted $2.49.
Expired Sale Tags, Tiny Print, and Confusing Codes
The investigation found that Kroger often failed to clearly mark expiration dates on sale tags.
In some cases, the tags used tiny fonts or internal codes indecipherable to the average shopper.
The average discount label was two weeks out of date, enough time to mislead thousands of customers.
“They Don’t Know They’re Paying $3.75 Instead of $2.50”
Kroger workers and union reps confirmed that many shoppers — especially elderly customers, don’t catch the price hike at checkout.
“They think that when they took it off the shelf, it was $2.50. They don’t know they’re paying $3.75,” said Joy Alexander, a Kroger employee in Denver.
Kroger Shrugs Off Report: “Misinformation”
In a statement to DailyMail.com, a Kroger spokesperson downplayed the findings:
“The allegations boil down to misinformation, reviewing a handful of discrete issues from billions of daily transactions.”
The company insisted it takes “transparent and affordable pricing” seriously.
Customers Outraged
One Ohio shopper reported to the state attorney general that they were overcharged $8.07 for a frozen turkey and said:
“Three out of five times we have to correct them on prices.”
Others echoed similar frustrations, citing consistent pricing discrepancies over multiple trips.
Pattern of Pricing Abuse and Inflation Manipulation
This isn’t Kroger’s first run-in with pricing controversies. In 2023, internal emails revealed executives raised prices beyond inflation levels, especially on essentials like milk and eggs.
“Retail inflation has been significantly higher than cost inflation,” one senior executive admitted in a court email.
Ethics Scandal, Merger Blocked, CEO Resigns
Kroger is also reeling from a wave of leadership turmoil:
- Its merger with Albertsons was blocked by the FTC over anti-competition concerns.
- In March, former CEO Rodney McMullen abruptly resigned over an unspecified violation of Kroger’s business ethics policy.
- Lead director Ronald Sargent is now interim CEO as the company scrambles to restore consumer trust.