UFCW Urges Lawmakers to Ban Digital Grocery Pricing

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union is calling on newly elected Democratic lawmakers to ban electronic shelf labels and personalized pricing in grocery stores. Union President Milton Jones argues that such legislation is necessary to protect shoppers from corporate price gouging and to preserve the jobs of grocery workers.

This push follows a transition by major retailers, including Walmart and Kroger, from printed to digital price tags that can be updated remotely. In response to affordability concerns, the Federal Trade Commission has ordered several large grocery chains to report on their pricing practices to determine if personal data is used to inflate costs for specific consumers.

Some regional restrictions are already in place, with New Jersey banning surveillance pricing and implementing a moratorium on electronic labels, while Maryland requires retailers to lock in prices for at least one business day. Walmart and Target have denied using personal information to increase prices, maintaining that their pricing remains fair and transparent.