In what is perhaps the most un-shocking revelation of the year, Whole Foods, the organic supermarket you always thinks charges you too much, is actually overcharging you. The Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a sting operation last fall, going to every Whole Foods location in the city and weighing 80 different items. The operation, was to check that the priced matched “the accuracy of the weight marked on pre-packaged products.” Abby Lootens, an agency spokesperson, told the Daily News, that the labels for every item had inaccurate information, “with many overcharging consumers.”
Whole Foods is not the only culprit in this web of lies, with 77% of the 120 grocery stores in the city under the investigation were caught overpricing food to customers. The reason why Whole Foods gets most of the attention here is that they had the most overall violations. Julie Menin, Comissioner of the DCA, told the News that, according to her inspectors, “it was the worst case of overcharges that they’ve ever seen.”
The worst offense listed in the article, was a package of coconut shrimp. The actual price of the shrimp was not listed, but according to the DCA, Whole Foods was overcharging $15. 15$ For shrimp! Good thing we stick with Met Food or Fairway. It may not all be organic and free range, but at least it’s cheaper and honest.