Cold shower for all Kroger customers in the United States: nobody expected it

Kroger customers, one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States, have received a very negative surprise. With more than 2,000 stores across the country, many consumers thought they were buying products on sale. However, recent pricing issues have caused a lot of concern among those who visit their stores.

What seemed like a simple promotion has turned into a reason for distrust among shoppers. It is now known that in several cases, the prices paid do not match the discounts that were advertised. Some items have even been sold at higher-than-normal prices without users realizing it.

Expired tags and extra charges at Kroger

A joint report by Consumer Reports, The Guardian, and Food & Environment Reporting Network revealed irregularities in 26 Kroger stores and others belonging to the same American chain. It was found that many price tags were outdated or incorrect. This caused customers to pay the full price for products that were supposed to be discounted.

The report identified more than 150 items with issues, including salmon, Cheerios cereal, and Nescafé instant coffee. More than a third of the tags with incorrect prices were at least ten days old. For five products, the tags had not been updated for more than 90 days, and the average overcharge per product was $1.70.

Although employees corrected the errors when a shopper reported them, many cases went unnoticed. This problem has led to class-action lawsuits in states such as Ohio, California, Illinois, and Utah. Affected shoppers have filed legal actions over the improper charges.

Kroger acts and promises to improve service

After this investigation was released in May, Kroger took swift action. Several employees indicated that managers were ordered to correct all erroneous tags within a few days. In addition, the company announced on May 15 the hiring of 15,000 new workers to strengthen customer service, according to The Street.

The new positions include cashiers, delivery drivers, pharmacy technicians, and employees for the bakery and deli, as mentioned in a statement. Tim Massa, Kroger's chief of associate experience, said the company offers specialized training and benefits for its employees. This includes tuition reimbursement, financial counseling, medical care, and discounts.

This is not the first time Kroger has been under scrutiny for its prices. Last year, in a hearing before the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), senior pricing director Andy Groff admitted that they had raised their prices above inflation. In an internal email, he explained that the company sought to pass increased costs on to shoppers.

In addition, last August, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey sent a letter to Kroger's CEO expressing their concern about the use of digital tags in some stores. These markers allow prices to be changed in seconds, which could make it easier to increase prices depending on the time of day, the weather, or other temporary factors. This is concerning, since families' spending on food is at its highest level in 30 years.

This situation has been a heavy blow for consumers. Many hope Kroger will improve transparency and prevent unfair charges. Oversight will remain essential to ensure that offers are real and prices are fair.