Cincinnati – September 16, 2026 -- Government inspectors found overcharging at more than one in three Kroger stores examined across nine Ohio jurisdictions, according to a report released this week by the Center for Responsible Food Business (CRFB). Pricing errors favored Kroger nearly three times as often as they favored shoppers.
Inspection records show 58 of 389 store checks failed between 2022 and mid-2026
The public-records data, covering nine Ohio jurisdictions, documented 644 incorrect prices during 389 inspections. Overcharges averaged more than 20 percent above posted shelf prices, and 36 of 101 stores examined were caught overcharging at least once.
Nearly 2,000 customer and employee accounts describe recurring pricing failures
CRFB's report, titled "Kroger's Pricing Problem," pairs the inspection data with submissions gathered through its Kroger Hurts Families campaign. Of the relevant accounts, 557 submissions (29 percent) described repeated overcharging, while 247 (13 percent) cited misleading sales signage, including fine-print purchase conditions and discounts shoppers said were not genuine.
Digital-only discounts excluded seniors and shoppers without smartphones, submissions allege
139 submissions (7 percent) described difficulty accessing digital-only prices, with accounts specifically referencing seniors, disabled shoppers, and customers lacking smartphones. Separately, 40 percent of relevant submissions described high, rising, or unaffordable prices, and 8 percent alleged higher prices in areas where shoppers had few alternative retailers.
Findings echo a 2025 Consumer Reports study that found an 18% average overcharge rate
"People go to Kroger to feed their families, not to get ripped off at the register," said Taylor Warren, president of CRFB. "Customers are telling us they have to photograph price tags, challenge their receipts, and fight for refunds. When people need that kind of protection from their own grocery store, the company has failed them."
A year earlier, Consumer Reports found Kroger overcharging customers by an average of 18 percent across 26 stores. CRFB said its new findings show the retailer has not corrected the issue.
CRFB has spent more than $3 million on TV ads urging Kroger to fix pricing practices
The Kroger Hurts Families campaign, launched in May 2026, has run over $3 million in television advertisements inviting shoppers and employees to submit experiences. CRFB is calling on Kroger to honor its posted price tags, make discounts accessible without digital barriers, provide clear remedies for overcharges, and stop charging more in communities with limited retail alternatives.