5 Disadvantages Of Shopping At Kroger

If memory serves, grocery store aisles used to be larger, allowing for two carts to pass by each other with mostly smiles between shoppers. Shelves were neatly stocked and maintained by friendly employees wearing their branded aprons or vests and extending an offer to assist. 

Oh, wait. That was back when the cost of a loaf of bread was a quarter, the butcher still used paper to wrap the brisket, and there was only one bag option. Let's be realistic; this isn't what you will find in grocery stores today (if you ever could), and that includes Kroger.

There are many people out there who love their local Kroger. Almost everyone is feeling the crunch of the rising grocery costs (so substitute your store of choice for that conversation), and if we are being honest, there will always be grumpy customer service staff. In other words, it's not fair to hold generic grocery store gripes over Kroger's head. 

However, there are a few more specific issues that Kroger customers have raised. These complaints include costs exceeding general retail prices, complicated deal requirements, and messy checkout and delivery logistics. Let's take a closer look at what customers are saying.

We all know that prices are up, but Kroger has a history, a very recent one, in fact, of going above and beyond the general retail price. In March, 2024, the company admitted to price gouging items like eggs and milk above inflation in an internal email. In 2025, whistleblowers at the company spoke out about price tag discrepancies as class action lawsuits were filed by customers in Utah, Illinois, California, and Ohio. Just this month, a consumer advocacy group, the Center for Responsible Food Business (CRFB), released findings showing that, on average, about one in three of the chain's Ohio stores had been overcharging customers by over 20% of the labeled price. Of the 389 Kroger Ohio inspections from 2022 to mid-2026, the CRB found 644 incorrect prices.

One customer became so fed up with this issue she took to Reddit to see if others could relate (and they did). Having made sure all digital coupons and discounts were downloaded, the customer self-scanned groceries, struck up a conversation with another customer — which, admittedly, had been a distraction — because once home, they noticed pricing discrepancies. 

None of their digital coupons were applied despite them being downloaded. The Reddit user, who assured readers it wasn't a user error with them working in IT, wrote, "When I did a Live Chat with Kroger, they credited my account but had no real explanation except to say maybe it was a 'glitch.' How many customers are being overcharged and don't bother to look at their receipts?" Another Reddit account replied: "I thought it was just me that app and [coupon] clipping didn't work for."

While grocery prices are an issue, Kroger offers deals that can be difficult to pass up. For example, customers can receive coupons by mail, redeem digital coupons (or do their best to), and in-store, shoppers may find an item with a downloadable discount QR code (something I've never personally been able to get to work). There are also generally a number of buy-one-get-one (BOGO) offers sprinkled across a variety of products.

However, keeping up with various deal requirements can feel like too much. Even the fine print on the BOGO offers is so specific that if you make one wrong choice, the savings across all items won't apply. This hassle is the reason one particular shopper is another grocery retailer. 

"I've stopped buying many things at Kroger because of the digital runaround," says a disgruntled customer on Reddit. "They have overcomplicated their shopping experience to the point where an old video gamer and lifelong Kroger shopper no longer trusts that he's getting a good deal." 

You will find many others with similar Kroger discount system complaints. One Redditor said bluntly, "I hate the way Kroger does their pricing[,] and it always feels like a scam."

Even customers who do the work to juggle Kroger pricing policies, such as BOGO requirements and digital coupon usage, run into register problems. A common Kroger shopper complaint is that sales prices on shelf tags frequently don't display during checkout. "I've had to have prices corrected at just about every store I shop at," said one customer on Reddit. "The employees at Kroger are always as annoyed as I am that the correct price isn't coming up." Some customers feel like Kroger isn't making innocent mistakes in this area, either. One Redditor wrote: "It almost seems intentional the way things often ring up more than posted."

To circumvent this pricing issue, some shoppers have begun taking pictures of shelf tags to show cashiers when items ring up incorrectly. Still, this isn't always as straightforward as you'd think, according to certain consumers. "I[,] too[,] have had to take photos of the shelf tag because I know their crazy system won't recognize the sale price. They had a vitamin brand that was BOGO FREE[,] and the register didn't recognize it," explained one customer on Reddit. "Each bottle was $20. They tried charging me $40. I showed them the photo[,] and they still sent an employee to walk halfway across the store to verify it, which held up the customers behind me."

Many people out there still like to go through traditional checkout lines and have their groceries bagged, especially when they have a full cart. But customers complain that cashiers at Kroger are hard to come by. "Why does Kroger not have a single cashier to check you out?" asked one customer on Facebook. "I don't work at Kroger, and I don't enjoy having to check myself out and bag my groceries." A separate customer on Facebook echoed these sentiments, and more, saying, "It's so frustrating! Then the line for the self-checkout is so long when self-checkout was supposed to be for quick stuff! I am not checking out an entire basket of stuff."

Long lines aren't the only reported self-checkout issue for Kroger shoppers. Kroger's self-checkout is the most frustrating experience," one customer on Reddit declared. "I literally will go to Whole Foods or Fresh Market and pay a little more to not have to deal [with it]." They added: "I hit nine items and require a person to put in a code to finish. By the time that happens, my checkout experience is 3x longer." 

Getting groceries delivered has become more normalized since the pandemic, and Kroger does offer this service. However, there are many customers who have just as many complaints about Kroger's delivery. One Kroger customer on Reddit simply called it a joke. "I joined it when they advertised 2-day delivery. Every time I try to place an order, the next available date is 4-5 days later!" the customer explained. "And they obviously have enough trucks and drivers because you can get next-day delivery for an extra $9.95. Why should I pay extra on top of my membership fee?"

Some who are able to get delivery on time are still reportedly unsatisfied with their order. One Facebook customer stopped using the delivery service altogether, saying, "When they run out of items, or they are out of stock, they don't inform you until the order has been delivered to your door. Then you see that they've charged you extra delivery fees because your order didn't meet the minimum requirement." 

Even if your entire order comes through without too much wait and the receipt reads correct, others have expressed concerns over delivery food quality. One customer on Facebook advises, "I would say just be careful with the produce; sometimes things are close to being spoiled."