Ralphs Grocery Co. has pleaded no contest to overcharging customers for prepackaged and weighed products at stores in Los Angeles, and faces faces up to $43,000 in penalties.
The city attorney’s office said Thursday that the grocery store chain entered pleas Monday, shortly before the case was scheduled to go to trial. The no contest plea was entered for 62 misdemeanor charges, including false advertising, mislabeling and selling items that weigh less than they should. City prosecutors alleged that undercover inspections at 14 stores found customers were being gouged.
Ralphs, a unit of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., believes the charges involved isolated events, but it has redoubled its efforts to ensure accuracy, said Kendra Doyel, vice president for marketing
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