Shortweighting at the Grocery Store

So... not only are food costs higher and shrink-flation is rampant, but now we have to also watch out for being lied to about packaged food weights.  

I happened across a video from @jimmywrigg on YouTube.  I ended up watching a bunch of his videos and am now a subscriber.  I was more convinced this was legit after seeing the video where he is interviewed by WSB's Justin Gray.  See that video here and here is the accompanying article.

Jimmy goes to stores in Georgia, mostly in the Atlanta area, and checks the weight on foods.  The weight shown on the package does not always match the actual weight. Sometimes the package is under by too much to ignore.    He checks out lots of different stores - Kroger, Walmart, Aldi's, Piggly Wiggly, etc.  He checks the foods they packaged and foods that come from various companies - the videos about specific packaged foods, such as cat food and Domino sugar were pretty enlightening, too.  




He uses a digital scale and shows how he makes sure it's calibrated correctly.  He also does some weighing at check out scales.  

It feels like companies are going further and further to increase their profits and sometimes they cross the integrity line in a way that seems intentional.  If not intentional, then it certainly shows an abysmal lack of concern because they HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE of the problem.




Note:  There are instances where weights shown can be a tad OVER the weight shown on the package.  Jimmy has one video that shows him weighing some packages of Sugardale Ham (at Kroger) with the 2.75lbs listed right on the package - but they came in OVER  He commends the company for making sure not to short their customers.  I not only go after those doing wrong.  I'm also a believer in giving kudos to the good guys.  The address for Sugardale Foods is in the WHO TO CONTACT section.

WE NEED STORE SCALES!
Until trust is regained, we should be checking weights at the grocery store more often, but we shouldn't have to bring our own scales.  Grocery stores used to have multiple scales in the produce department.  Now, from what I've seen, there is only one and sometimes there is none at all.  Unfortunately, some stores are phasing them out.   Thrifty shoppers could see how much they are getting and have a better chance of staying within their budget.  Now that soooooo many people are struggling, we need to make sure they stay in all grocery stores.  When they know we are watching, they tend to do a better job.

Calibrating Doohickie
(It's a technical term)



What you can do - 
  • If something seems off, weigh it. 
  • When you come across unacceptable scale short weighting, speak up! - Let the store know there is a problem and if it's a brand packaged item, contact the company!!!
  • Make sure the grocery store you go to has a produce scale.  If they don't, speak to a manager.   Make a request at the customer service desk.  Write the company. Call the company.  Alert friends.  This is non-partisan!!!

READ MORE 

Are Walmart customers getting overcharged for misweighed meats? -  USA Today. In the first video, uploaded on Jan. 17, Jimmy Wrigg shows an unknown brand of chicken breasts with a price of $19.20 at a store in Commerce, Georgia. Wrigg questions the 4.66 pounds on the label.  When he weighs the package on a nearby scale, it comes to 2.37 pounds. At $4.12 per pound, the price should have been $9.76, a difference of $9.44.
In 2024, Walmart agreed to a $45 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that claimed the retailer charged customers more than it should have for weighted groceries. According to the settlement FAQs, the litigation had to do with per unit prices of weighted citrus and shelf tags that displayed a weight that was higher. For other weighted goods, such as meats, the plaintiff alleged when an item's shelf price was lowered, it was not reflected at checkout.

Why Food Scales Are Under Government Investigation - Grocery Coupon Guide. When you buy meat at the deli counter or fruit at the grocery store, you trust that the food scale measures accurately. After all, you’re paying by weight, and even a small error could cost consumers millions over time. But recently, food scales have come under government investigation for possible inaccuracies and consumer deception. Officials are now looking more closely at how these scales are regulated and whether stores are using them fairly. What seems like a small issue could have a big impact on both shoppers and businesses...  However, recent investigations suggest that not all inspections are being enforced consistently. This gap has raised concerns that some consumers may be unknowingly overcharged.   
Consumers Rarely Double-Check Accuracy
Most shoppers assume the scale is correct and don’t question the results. Few people take the time to weigh items themselves or check the receipt carefully. This lack of oversight allows small inaccuracies to go unnoticed. Government investigations are focusing on how to better educate consumers about protecting themselves. Simple steps, like reviewing weight details on labels, could help catch mistakes before leaving the store.

How to make sure you're not getting cheated at the grocery store - NBC New York - Even though this article is about grocery stores in New York, the advice is still useful.

How Do You Know If Grocery Store Scales Are Accurate? NIST  (National Institute of Standards and Technology) To ensure you are getting the correct amount of product at the supermarket, inspectors routinely examine and certify scales for accuracy. For inspections to be accurate and consistent statewide, the field standard weights are periodically compared against a main set of “working standard” weights kept in the state or local laboratory.  Each state has its own laws and regulations regarding weights and measures and may implement nationally recognized standards and test procedures differently.  
State inspectors and the measurement infrastructure that NIST helps provide as a federal agency help to ensure confidence in the marketplace. So much confidence, in fact, that we rarely if ever even think about it. And that’s just how we like it.  *!*!*!*!  (Maybe they'd better start thinking about it a bit more!)

EXPOSED: Walmart CAUGHT Systematically Overcharging Customers on Meat — Scale Fraud Could Be STEALING Billions - Next News Network. Americans are being robbed at the checkout counter, and now they have the receipts to prove it. Videos are flooding social media from different states, different stores, and different products — all showing the same disturbing pattern.  If customers are finding this fraud within minutes of casually checking, how widespread is the actual problem?  We're potentially looking at theft on a massive scale — and it's hitting American families hardest during a time when grocery prices are already crushing household budgets.    (Funny - This site is quite MAGA and blames Biden.)  The America First economy President Trump is building has no room for corporate grifters stealing from families who are just trying to put food on the table.   (That statement didn't age well.)

Jimmy Wrigg is also on TikTok.  I'm not, so I can't give the link, but I'm sure you can search his name and find his page if you use that platform.


WHO TO CONTACT

If you find an issue while you are grocery shopping, contact the store headquarters.  


Kroger Corporate Headquarters
3155 Royal Dr
Atlanta, GA 30345
770-496-7400

Walmart  Corporate Headquarters
702 S.W. 8th St. 
Bentonville, AK 72716
 1-479-273-4000

Aldi Corporate Headquarters
1200 N. Kirk Rd.
Batavia, IL 60510
(800) 925-6278

Publix Corporate Headquarters
3300 Publix Corporate Parkway 
Lakeland, FL 33811
1-863-688-1188 

Ingles Corporate Headquarters
2913 U.S. Hwy. 70 W., 
Black Mountain S, North Carolina 28711
828-669-2941

Piggly Wiggly Corporate Headquarters
7 Corporate Drive, 
Keene, New Hampshire  03431
(843) 554-9880

THANK YOU (Sugardale Ham) -
Sugardale Foods Inc
1600 Harmont Ave NE
Canton, OH 44705

Get lawmakers involved, too!   Grocery stores should be REQUIRED to have scales for their customers!