Kroger faces regulatory scrutiny over electronic shelf label rollout in 25% of stores
By
Damilola Esebame
The kind of bagel that ruins lesser bagels for you.
Summary
Kroger has implemented electronic shelf labels (ESL) in nearly 25% of its stores nationwide, allowing the company to change prices remotely via a centralized computer system. While Kroger claims the technology saves labor and allows employees to focus on customer service, the move has drawn serious scrutiny from federal and state lawmakers, including U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey, who have raised concerns about potential price gouging, dynamic pricing, and consumer fairness.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledKroger confirmed that nearly one in four of its stores nationwide now use electronic shelf labels, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The technology allows the company to change the price of any product in seconds through a centralized computer system rather than by hand.
Kroger says the switch will save countless hours of labor and free employees to spend more time helping shoppers in its stores.
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