Government inspection records and nearly 2,000 accounts from multiple states expose recurring pricing failures and lost customer trust
CINCINNATI, Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Government inspectors found overcharging at more than one in three Kroger stores examined across nine Ohio jurisdictions (36 of 101), 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.
The report, Kroger’s Pricing Problem, pairs those inspection findings with nearly 2,000 accounts submitted through CRFB’s Kroger Hurts Families campaign. Customers, employees, and suppliers describe pricing problems ranging from repeated overcharges to misleading sales and difficulty accessing advertised discounts.
The government records, obtained through public-records requests, cover 389 inspections from 2022 to mid-2026. Inspectors recorded 644 incorrect prices, and overcharges averaged more than 20 percent above shelf prices.
“People go to Kroger to feed their families, not to get ripped off at the register. Customers are telling us they have to photograph price tags, challenge their receipts, and fight for refunds,” said Taylor Warren, president of CRFB. “When people need that kind of protection from their own grocery store, the company has failed them.”
Key findings
- Repeated inspection failures: 58 of 389 inspections failed in the Ohio records. More than one in three stores examined was caught overcharging at least once.
- Recurring overcharges: 557 relevant submissions (29 percent) described overcharging. Shoppers also reported confusion over Kroger’s price guarantees and repeated trips to customer service to recover their money.
- Misleading sales: 247 submissions (13 percent) described misleading signage, including fine-print purchase conditions and “sales” that shoppers said offered no real discount.
- Inaccessible discounts: 139 submissions (7 percent) described difficulty obtaining digital-only prices, including accounts concerning seniors, disabled shoppers, and people without smartphones.
- High prices and limited alternatives: 40 percent of relevant submissions described high, rising, or unaffordable prices; 8 percent alleged higher prices where shoppers lacked alternatives.
A year ago, Consumer Reports found Kroger was overcharging customers by an average of 18 percent across 26 stores; our new report shows the mega-retailer has not corrected the issue.
“I have been overcharged too many times to count, to the point where I just accept it,” one shopper wrote.
“When an overcharge goes unnoticed, Kroger keeps money the customer was never supposed to pay,” Warren said. “Those extra dollars matter to working families trying to afford food. Calling it a pricing error does not make it harmless.”
About Kroger Hurts Families
CRFB has run more than $3 million in television advertisements across its Kroger Hurts Families campaign. Launched in May 2026, the campaign has used these ads to invite shoppers and employees to share their experiences at KrogerHurtsFamilies.com.
This report focuses on pricing; the broader campaign also addresses food quality, safety, labor issues, and consumer privacy concerns.
CRFB is calling on Kroger to honor its price tags, make discounts accessible, provide clear remedies for overcharges, and stop charging more in communities with few alternatives.
Read the report: Kroger’s Pricing Problem
About CRFB: The Center for Responsible Food Business is a national nonprofit that holds food companies accountable to their customers.
Media contact: James Grant | media@responsiblefoodbusiness.org
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SOURCE Center for Responsible Food Business
