Consumer Reports, the online news outlet The Guardian and the Food and Environment Reporting Network say Kroger-owned markets have a price tag problem and have been engaging in questionable pricing and charging practices. The three consumer advocacy organizations teamed up to study shelf and sale prices at Kroger markets vs. the prices the markets are charging customers at checkout and found that customers have been paying full price for many items that the markets had advertised at lower sale prices. Consumer Reports writes that,
“The chain has also been called out by state inspectors for high rates of price tag errors and has defended itself against multiple class-action lawsuits alleging pricing errors, filed by Kroger customers in California, Illinois, Ohio, and Utah.”
The groups conducted the study after hearing Kroger employees in Colorado — who are currently engaged in labor union negotiations with the Kroger Corporation — allege that they had seen widespread errors on price labels at the stores where they work, that this has been going on for years and Kroger has long been aware of the problem.
To determine how widespread the problem is, the groups recruited people to shop at 26 Kroger-owned stores in 14 states and the District of Columbia, including Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and Ralphs, in March, April, and May of 2025. They found shoppers were overcharged on 150 items, including Cheerios, Mucinex cold and flu medication, Nescafé instant coffee, beef, salmon and dog food. The average overcharge was $1.70 per item, or 18.4%. They also found the market was not adequately updating sales tags. One third of the expired sales tags shoppers found were out of date by at least 10 days, and the prices on five products were expired by at least 90 days.
City Market is a subsidiary of Kroger.
The findings of the study reveal that customers cannot count on being charged the posted sale price for items at Kroger-owned markets. Kroger, which owns City Market, says they will correct price mistakes under a “Make it Right” policy that lets employees fix errors on the spot, but the policy is reactive, not proactive: customers first have to catch the discrepancy and bring it to the checker’s attention.
Shoppers at City Markets should carefully double-check their receipts to make sure they aren’t being overcharged on items marked as being on sale.
I’ve noticed this problem for the past several years and it happens pretty frequently. I’ve found that it’s a good idea never to shop on Wednesdays – the first day of sale pricing – but to wait until the computers have been brought up to date after complaints from other customers.
This happened so much I taking photos of the price tags and watching at check out. It helps me but leaves others who buy the same unhonored sale paying more than they should. We need to not be cheated by our grocers.