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Kroger Makes a Half-Hearted Attempt to Provide Digital Coupon Discounts to Unplugged Shoppers

As regular readers know, Consumer World and a coalition of other consumer organizations including Consumer Reports have been trying to get supermarkets that offer digital coupons to also offer a simple in-store alternative for those shoppers who don’t have internet access or a smartphone.

Digital coupons generally require a shopper to use the store’s app or website to find and load digital-only discounts onto one’s loyalty account/card. Then, when they check out in the store and scan their card, they get the digital discount. But for non-tech-savvy consumers of any age, many low income shoppers, the 25-percent of seniors who don’t use the internet, and the 39-percent who don’t own a smartphone, these money-saving offers are illusory.

Digital deal -watermelon

See some of our prior coverage of the digital coupon issue here.

Last week, Kroger issued a statement [see end of article] seemingly recognizing the financial hardship that many experience because they are not tech-savvy and thus far have been generally shut-out of digital discounts. Here’s their solution:

*MOUSE PRINT:

We understand that not all customers choose to engage digitally when shopping with retailers. Customers who would like to take advantage of digital coupons and do not have a digital account, can receive the discounted pricing at any customer service desk.

Because Kroger’s PR folks would not tell us how exactly the new system works, we called two stores, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky. The customer service person in Ohio said that a non-digital shopper can bring the sale items that require a digital coupon to the courtesy desk, where they can buy them at the discounted price. The rest of their groceries have to be purchased in the regular checkout line.

The Kentucky store customer service person asked if I had a computer or a smartphone. I said no. He then suggested that I go to the public library where I could access the digital coupons on their computer.

Thanks for the helpful suggestion. Even the first response is a bit impractical and time-consuming for both shoppers and store personnel. On top of that, how do shoppers even know that Kroger and its various nameplate divisions have changed their policy about giving digital discounts to non-digital customers? You have to read it on the internet, which many cannot do. And those who can go online, would never realize there is a new policy by reading their coupon FAQ which has not been updated:

*MOUSE PRINT:

Kroger coupon faq

There is no mention whatsoever about how an unplugged shopper can get the same savings. Only tucked away on a separate coupon policy page of their website does it say those folks can go to the courtesy desk to get the discounts. [Thanks to Coupons in the News for that discovery.]

We asked the PR folks at Kroger some additional very pointed questions and about issues raised by their policy change, but we have only received their canned statement noted above so far.

While Kroger should be commended for taking at least an initial step to help stop digital discrimination in retail stores, there are better solutions available. Simply requesting the digital discount at the checkout is the easiest way. Alternatively, some stores are experimenting with an electronic kiosk near store entrances where all a shopper has to do is scan their loyalty card or enter their phone number, and all that week’s digital coupons are then automatically loaded onto their loyal card account.

We hope stores realize that digital discrimination hits many of the most vulnerable consumers in the pocketbook at the worst possible time — when inflation continues to batter shoppers’ wallets.

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32 thoughts on “Kroger Makes a Half-Hearted Attempt to Provide Digital Coupon Discounts to Unplugged Shoppers”

  1. Digital coupons are promoted as “convenient.” Convenient for whom? Since when did a plastic loyalty card become cumbersome; needing a digital upgrade? The goal for governments’ everywhere, is to get everyone one tethered to a “SMART” phone. It’s for smart tracking of your future Central Bank DIGITAL Currency expenditures. Digital coupons is retail’s role in the larger scheme to induce adoption. This example is but one carrot-and-stick of many.

    • I agree with you. It’s creepy. I’m shopping at Winco but I know it’s not everywhere. Walmart isn’t doing this but there’s a sign in front to “use the app to find what you need”. Just another way to track you. Kroger and Albertsons stores are so expensive anyway.

      • Wal-Mart tracks you using your credit card as I found out when their app showed my previous in-store purchases.

  2. The first option is a waste of time but at least all the people can get the discount while still being in the store

    The second option is a waste of time and I have to go to two places just to get the discount.

    JUST put the discount on the card and skip both of those options. How hard is that.

    • Ditto. I have wondered why the stores didn’t do this instead of making us go online to find the coupons. There must be some reason they want us to sign on to their website to get the coupons. Also, why can’t they add the senior discount to the loyalty card, too. Then we wouldn’t have to ask for it every time.

  3. They need to just add them to your account/card. I have a smart phone and at Kroger more than half the time the digital coupons won’t load. It’s irritating to stand there trying to scan the QR code for the coupon. Just put it on my card.

  4. Kroger has implemented a variety of policies which are not customer friendly. Digital coupons are the biggest offenders, but the small change charge on money back is another. There have been a variety of nickel and quarter charges in past years. Seems that Kroger has adopted the anti-customer airline mindset which includes one hand trumpeting all the wonderful things they will do for you while the other hand dips into your pocket for all it can get.

  5. SAFEWAY is now a PITA to get their discounts. Card membership, then scan the code in the weekly ad(online or newspaper), scan the product code from the item in the store, then upon checking out you find NOTHING WORKED and you’re charged the non-discounted price. Happened to me a couple of times and each time I had to go to customer service to get it corrected. Really a PITA!

    • Don’t buy that item, leave it the checkout and then someone at the store has to restock it. I’ve been very tempted to pick up the digital items and “find out” I can’t get that price at the checkout. Then leave them there. I’m still at the “tempted” stage because I do feel it’s a little mean to do that.
      Still, if thousands of customers did that, maybe someone would take notice?

      • You’re probably going to just create more work for the little guy without sending a message…unless you get others on board 🙂 . Please don’t use frozen or cold items though- when those are abandoned by customers, they get thrown out.

  6. My 87-year old husband went to Albertson’s to buy beer on sale in their new ad. He carefully cut out the “coupon” from the paper, found the beer, took it to the checkstand and was asked for his smartphone. He has a phone, knows how to make and get calls, but he doesn’t use it as a computer. The clerk asked for his phone number (they must get info on their customers) and he did not comply. He showed the clerk his “coupon” and said it did not say it was digital, and she pointed to the price and said, “See, it’s yellow here. That means digital.” He objected, words went back and forth, but she eventually gave him the price from the paper. I’m not willing to go through all of that when I shop, but hope they get rid of “digital only” soon.

  7. A ridiculous hoop to go through to shop for basic necessities. I won’t go there anymore. They don’t tell you until you until you are at the register. I am very tech savvy, I am 65, and I refuse to buy an expensive smartphone for these stupid gimmicks. Age has nothing to do with tech savvy folks.

    • You are absolutely right, Karen. I’m 77 and am very computer literate. I look my age and some people make that mistake of believing their own stereotype when seeing me. I trashed my SMART phone years ago. I spend CASH wherever possible. I, like you, refuse to be pulled in their direction as if there’s a ring in my nose and they have hold of the rope. Thankfully, I’m in a position where their discounts have no hold over me. And BTW, every time I’m in Tractor Supply at checkout, they ask for my phone number. And every time, I tell them they don’t need it. LOL!

  8. I have been shopping at Safeway for the past 7 years in the state of Washington. The ‘digital for you only’ is the same thing. I don’t want to participate, for privacy reasons, in this scam. Consumer Reports said they talked to the Safeway head and he said that all we had to do is ask for it and that they were actively working to put in a kiosk. Sooo, I took a copy of that page and take into the store EVERY time I want MY discount and show it to the clerk! Sometimes the same manager looks at me like I’m some kind of deviant. I already have a Safeway card that tracks ALL of my purchases, then you want me to download some app. so MORE 3rd parties track me? I don’t think so. If you don’t care about this, then rock on…I do!

  9. I am glad Kroger is making an attempt to provide savings to non-digital customers. It does seem cumbersome, but, even digital customers have to load each item into their phones or computers. I’m sure they can find an easier method if they try.

    I see some comments about not using smartphones due to being tracked by the company. I understand that, but, I made peace with that aspect long ago. And they do send extra coupons for items that I buy anyway. I am on a fixed income(SS only) so the opportunity to save some dollars is important. It’s not the worst thing that can happen.

    If you want really creepy, go to Google and type in charcoal grill revues. Then go to Facebook or some other online media. The first thing that pops up is an ad for grills. Try that with auto insurance. Google auto insurance quotes. Within 10 minutes your phone will start ringing with offers to sell you car insurance.

    • Kroger has stopped sending me extra coupons, and I no longer see “free” bonus items when I go to the digital coupons. I am not sure what has changed because the bulk of my grocery shopping is still at Kroger. And, of course, we lost our Senior discount some time ago.

      I see what is happening with Kroger (and other corporate giants) as steps toward increasing profits. When I shopped at Kroger this past Thursday, only one human lane was open.

      Decreasing human cashiers “pushes” customers to choose between waiting in a longer line or going to the self-checkouts. I had to wait in line, but I will never use the self-checkouts.

      I look for the store to start eliminating the lanes that used to be “express” lanes which are no longer used and now are closed. I think there are maybe four lanes just sitting there taking up space. Kroger will figure out something to add more self-checkouts.

  10. I had (notice the word “had”) been shopping Kroger for many years because they are the nearest super market to my home. Since they came out with these digital deals (which I cannot get because I do not have a smart phone), I have changed my shopping location. I emailed Kroger about this discriminatory policy against us old people (39% of us who do not have smart phones) and received a reply which stated that I could get the digital deals by taking my purchase up to the customer service desk where they would then apply the digital price to my shoppers card (I assume for a future purchase of the same item). So, Kroger’s solution was to pass the buck down to the hundreds of customer service personnel at every one of their stores nationwide. What a stupid solution. I refuse to wait in line at the customer service desk, behind other shoppers, many of whom are just in line to buy lottery tickets, while the frozen foods in my cart are defrosting. So, I am using my feet to protest. There is an independent super market, 3 miles further away that does not have digital deals, nor do they have shoppers cards. What they do have is an extremely well stocked supermarket, which is immaculately clean (as opposed to my Kroger which is far from it), with very friendly personnel and competitive pricing. Oh, I do pay a few cents more on several items but there is no hassle in the store. I have never left the market without having everything I went in to buy in my shopping cart as opposed to Kroger which routinely is out of stock on several items. Nor have I ever been charged more than the shelf price at the checkout (as opposed to being overcharged many times at Kroger). I hate to tell you how many times I have collected a $5.00 penalty at Kroger’s because the shelf price was less than the price I was charged at checkout.
    Another benefit is that their produce is always of a higher quality than that at Kroger and they have an excellent deli counter, with prepared foods. My Kroger has shut down their prepared foods counter.
    So, Kroger has lost a long time customer with their stupid digital deals. On second thought, if they are giving the digital deals to everyone, then why have them at all? Just price their merchandise competitively without all of this hassle.

  11. Why are you socializing this?I don’t use a cell phone and since I don’t,I don’t have access to many promotions that require a APP.It’s my choice.If someone doesn’t want to use a cell phone or computer,that is their choice.It’s not like either option is that expensive.So,if we socialize this,then the deals for those who make the effort,won’t happen.If everyone gets the deal,with no effort,then no one gets the deal.These stores can’t give special deals to everyone,since it would be unaffordable.I’m guessing,you believe that everyone’s student debts should be borne by the rest of us.

    • I shop at Market Basket, a local chain in New England. Their prices beat everyone else. No cards, no coupons – paper or digital. Their weekly sales apply to everybody. I have never been overcharged for an item. I am certain they’re still making a profit since they’ve been in business since the 70’s and they keep adding new stores in New England. So they have found a way to make it affordable to offer special deals to everyone. Also, no self-checkout lanes and they have multiple express lanes. I avoid the other markets as much as possible, even when they’re more conveniently located. And they are always mobbed, while the other stores are often empty.

  12. This is all about data and tracking the consumer. There’s a great deal of money in data, and they can follow what you’re looking at on their site and try to flog more goods to you.

    Let’s all remember that the government is currently perusing the proposed merger between Ralph’s/Kroger and Safeway/Von’s. This merger isn’t in the consumer’s best interest, and we all know it.

    This merger would create a monopoly and the consumer would pay the price when the price of food and necessities skyrockets even further. Kroger tries to calm consumer’s fears, but those of us who are keen eyed, know what’s really at stake.

    I hope the government disallows this merger. There’s too much on the line for low-income households and those who need to pinch pennies.

    Everyone should be treated the same no matter what device they use, or even if they don’t have a device, or don’t want to participate in the mining of data. Make coupons accessible to all. It’s the right thing to do.

  13. So much of the time, we seniors forget to tell the checkout person to give us the digital coupon discount.
    How I solved this problem–shop at Walmart or other groceries that don’t offer the digital coupon. Makes shopping easier, and you don’t have the hassle of digital coupons.
    More and more of my friends feel the same way I do and shop at stores “where the price” is what you pay.

    • Good! As a penny pinching, no income senior, add me to that list.
      I saw a “coupon” for butter on the shelf, which had previously doubled in price from $3/lb to $6/lb. The coupon put the cost back to $3/lb. At check out, I plugged in my phone number but no discount. I called the manager over who said that was a “digital coupon”, which I refuse to use google anything for any apps. Keeping my life simple and private. So there I was stuck looking at double for several pounds of butter. I made a bit of a stink and she agreed with me, then gave me the discounted cost. While chatting, she told me she also didn’t like that these major grocery chains were merging (I think it’s a done deal, but told yes they are officially merged and no they aren’t). Either way, they keep digging their claws deeper into our lives.
      Walmart and others who simply offer weekly discounts is just easier.

  14. I protect my privacy above all else. My “convenience” means they use my info for unconsented uses and various creeping controls. My life is 5 yrs de-googled (includes my PC), so getting any of these apps are not an option I want for myself. Using their website at one point long ago was not easy to navigate or use, and I’m tech savvy. If I have to assume anything or ask any questions to see their paths online of what is happening to my info, I won’t use it. I will not hand over any of my info to strangers. Kroger and the like ARE UNKNOWN CONGLOMERATE STRANGERS; a new kind of nefarious, creepy strangers.
    Senior discounts? None.
    Basically, using the word “convenient” is equivalent of making three lefts to turn right. Change the words to change society? Sorry, that tactic only works on naive children, or adults who don’t care.
    Various “conveniences” are touted for a while by many companies and local governments. Ex: Autopay is free with access to your account (no thanks). Other methods of pay cost you a “convenience fee” for debit/credit pay methods. Of course their final answer is, “It’s YOUR choice”. As I retort back quickly, “This is NOT a choice at all, but a “rock and a hard place/lesser of 2 evils” OFFERING, and never convenient nor intelligent”.

  15. To those that think that not having a smart phone and paying in cash means you aren’t being tracked by the supermarket, remember that every time you scan your store membership card they’re tracking you anyway since you provided your name and address to them when signing up for the card. I’ve been resigned to that fact for a few decades now ever since they came out with those cards. Unfortunately a lot of discounts still are tied to the card so there’s no way I’m not scanning it every time I shop.

    About the digital coupon discounts – There’s no reason they can’t make those much easier to use. At least provide a feature where you can “clip” the coupons to a special page on the app, then touch them at checkout to reveal a QR or barcode that the cashier can scan straight from the phone. It could be as easy as that, there’s no reason they have to be loaded onto a loyalty card. I’m turning 65 in a couple of months and I’m pretty computer savvy but even I hate using those digital coupons and find them quirky, cumbersome to use and unreliable at best.

  16. Twice in the past week alone I have had to ‘fight’ with a Kroger customer service rep on getting them to honor a digital coupon that I had clearly added to the Kroger app but was not take at the cash register….the rep made me open the Kroger app and PROVE I had clipped the coupon, which I did. She was very snooty about it, not apologetic in any way…and then got home and found another product that did not require a digital coupon but did not ring up correctly anyway….

    • This is why I print off my list of coupons. I have had this happen off and on. When it does, I pull out my printed list and show the cashier my coupon. Not much he or she can do but give me the price.

      I find Kroger’s receipts confusing. I stop on my way out and go through the receipt before I leave the store, so any mistake can be corrected before I leave. What a hassle.

  17. If I had a nickel every time I’ve been overcharged at Safeway, I wouldn’t need their darn discounts. And they make you prove it as if I have nothing better to do than think of ways to save 50¢. Kudos to Fred Meyer (in the PacNW) who, if you tell them you were overcharged, they just make the change.. they are empowered. And why do items that are BOGO suddenly double in price during the sale?… Don’t get me started ?

  18. I use the digital coupons. I am 75 and computer literate, but I still consider myself a privacy supporter, so I don’t use store or banking apps.

    I have the Kroger Loyalty card, so I go through the ad online (they have now discontinued mail delivery of their ads in my area) and load my coupons. I then print my coupons. That way when I have an issue at the register, I show the cashier my print list, and I get the discount without a hassle. Of course, this requires a printer and access to the internet, so it doesn’t solve the issue for those without internet access or a cell phone.

    This is a half-hearted attempt by Kroger to solve the issue, but I don’t think it will work because it will discourage customers from participating, especially older customers. I can’t imagine taking the time to go to the customer service counter and go through a number of steps to get the digital coupons.

  19. Why do you say seniors? There are a lot of low income folks too who don’t have smart phones, and poor who have no phones at all.

    Downtown Dweller

  20. Remember also that the customer service desk is not open the same hours as the store. There were a couple of times when I went to return something and was told to come back the next day because customer service was closed. One time I got charged a higher price than was on the sign and didn’t notice until after paying. The clerk told me there was nothing she could do and to come back the next day because customer service was closed. 5 seconds after paying = “come back tomorrow”.

  21. May I offer a word of caution to everyone, please?

    I did my weekly shopping at Von’s on Sunday. I had downloaded the digital coupons to my phone, printed a copy of them, just in case, and proceeded to check out. I saw the coupons on the computer screen as I used my EBT card to pay. After getting home, to my utter amazement and disgust, the coupons had mysteriously disappeared from my receipt, and I was charged full price for 3 items.

    I did the necessary calculations, drove back to the store today, Monday, and made the customer service rep. give me my $6.41.

    There’s something going on at Von’s/Kroger. They know the merger is most likely going through, much to our horror and outrage, and the prices are not only escalating at an unprecedented rate, they’re also identical at both stores.

    This is all of our worst fears coming true and there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it. They’re engaged in cheating their customers and making it hard for those of us who are low-income to buy enough food to feed ourselves.

    We better get mad about this and start speaking out. They think they have us where they want us.

  22. Thank you for putting into print what I have been arguing over a year with anyone at Kroger who will listen. I hope someone will finally listen to your logical statements and make the shopping experience equal for all.

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