A Kroger shopper has accused the grocery chain of "scamming" customers after a video circulating online showed ground beef packages weighing substantially less than advertised. The video, reposted on X by the account Wall Street Apes, captured a shopper weighing two packages of ground beef patties that were marked on sale for $1.80 per pound, with a total price of $3.60 each, implying two pounds of meat per package.
Upon weighing the packages, the shopper found that the beef in each was less than a pound. When both packages were weighed together, the total weight still fell short of the advertised two pounds. The customer repeated the process a second time, reportedly with similar results, leading to claims of fraud.
The user who shared the video asserted that if packages are priced for two pounds but weigh less than one, consumers are "being robbed." The post also stated that the marked price was a discounted rate and not being further reduced, implying customers were paying full price for less product. The video garnered over 584,000 views on X, with many commenters expressing similar frustrations with pricing practices at various retailers.
Some users shared anecdotes of encountering discrepancies in pricing and weight at Kroger in the past, with one commenter stating they stopped shopping at the chain nearly a decade ago due to items consistently ringing up higher than posted or advertised prices. Another commenter mentioned similar experiences with "prices ringing higher than posted or advertised for many items."
Grocery prices have seen significant increases over the past five years, with notable surges in 2021 and 2022 attributed to rising inflation. Recent reports indicate that beef prices are at historic highs, partly due to the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75 years. In response to these high costs, former President Trump announced plans to lift tariffs on beef imports for 90 days, aiming to reduce prices by 25% below current market rates, which he stated would assist American ranchers in rebuilding their herds.