Grocery stores are having some trouble keeping up with inflation, and one unfortunate side effect is being charged the wrong price at checkout. | Adobe Stock
Grocery stores are having some trouble keeping up with inflation, and one unfortunate side effect is being charged the wrong price at checkout. | Adobe Stock
Staffing shortages at grocery stores have created yet another unpleasant side effect for shoppers: prices that ring up higher than the advertised price on the shelf.
But customers should rest assured the stores are paying for such inconsistencies.
“Normally we hand out nearly $40,000 to $50,000 in fines where stores have been overcharging, and this past year it was over half a million,” Chad Parker, standards measurement manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), told WCNC Charlotte.
State audits confirm the number of grocery stores in the Charlotte area (seven) — four Walmarts, two Dollar Generals and one Dollar Store — that were fined in the first quarter of 2022 for overcharging.
The USDA relies on periodic, unannounced inspections of price-scanning systems to ensure accuracy. If a store fails a follow-up inspection, penalties could be involved. The goal is to keep stores accurate and honest.
Supply-chain hang-ups that have prompted frequent price changes is partly to blame, Parker said. The new products get put into the store’s computer system at the higher cost, but changes in the shelf tags sometimes lag because of staffing shortages at the stores.
"Stores have had a very big problem keeping up with the price changes,” Parker told WCNC Charlotte. He reminds customers that if they notice such a difference, they can call the USDA. “If consumers would like to file a complaint about the scanners, they can call the Standards Division at 984-236-4750.”
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