By: Camille Samilton
October 14, 2026
“Do you want the coat or not?” the cashier says impatiently. “It doesn’t matter what the price says there; here’s what I’m saying it costs,” disregarding the sign at the entrance that reads: Coats on sale for $10.
“Whatever,” says the customer, who walks out paying more than what was owed.
Kroger, one of the largest grocery chains, has faced scrutiny for advertising discounts that don’t match the prices charged at checkout.
According to Consumer Reports, shoppers have been unintentionally paying more for grocery items such as juice, rice, vegetables, and meat despite the advertised discount.
Consumer Reports and The Guardian began an investigation that had people shop at 26 Kroger stores and other stores owned by the company such as Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and Ralphs. These people found that incorrect sale labels caused the shoppers to be overcharged on more than 150 grocery items. The average overcharge was roughly $1.50 per item (18.54 percent higher).
Once these results were exposed to the public, there was immediate uproar, causing these shoppers to file lawsuits. According to The Guardian, stores such as Walmart were accused of incorrect pricing and settled $45 million in a class-action lawsuit. Albertsons was accused of similar practices, resulting in a $4 million civil penalty. However, both companies denied the targeted offense.
“I have been overcharged too many times to count to the point where I just accept it,” anonymous shopper (Supermarket News).
“I want Kroger to stop screwing people over, especially when they are the only store in town,” Allison Hadfield (The Guardian).
“If the sticker is hanging below that item, that’s what the price is; it’s their fault for not taking that sticker off,” Michelle Tomashot (The Guardian).
However, NBC reported that some Kroger locations have over 15,000 discount tags, making it nearly impossible for a small workforce to switch out expired coupons. PR Newswire reports that investigators and government inspectors also found that the digital coupon doesn’t apply to the designated item properly at checkout.
If a price tag cannot tell you what you’re paying, what is it there for?
