Kroger is testing new technology to mark the price of store items after a Consumer Reports investigation found that customers were overcharged on products marked for sale.
According to Consumer Reports, Kroger has been testing Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs), a technology that could help fix the price tag problem seen across many retailers.
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Kroger said the digital tags have been piloted in some stores with plans to roll out nationwide to improve accuracy.
"Now that's good, and it's bad," food industry analyst Phil Lempert of SupermarketGuru.com tells KNX News' Elsa Ramon, adding, "It's going to accelerate every retailer putting in those electronic shelf labels."
Lempert said this would help with the current overcharging issue, but the technology can potentially hurt consumers in the long run, especially with tariffs and inflation causing volatile food prices.
"I'm concerned that down the road, once these ESLs are in place, retailers can change the price the same way we see it with airline tickets, rideshares, or Amazon," he warned. "They could change it based on the demand for a certain product."
Lempert expects the state or federal government to regulate the use of ESLs, but for now, there is no oversight.
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