Don’t expect to receive change in coins when you go to the grocery store if you’re a Fred Meyer shopper in Soldotna or Anchorage. Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S. and parent-company of the Fred Meyer chain of stores, has said it will stop giving customers coin change, citing the nationwide shortage of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in circulation.
The company, which operates nearly 3,000 grocery stores in 35 states, has posted signs at many of its stores indicating the change in policy. Some stores are asking customers paying with cash to use exact change. Alternatively, customers have the option to donate what they are owed in coins to its Zero Hunger – Zero Waste Foundation, an initiative aimed at eliminating hunger.
KSRM reached out to Fred Meyer in Soldotna and they confirmed that the lack of coinage being distributed to stores has led to offering alternate options for customers, as opposed to receiving physical change.
Kroger said on their Twitter account: “The Federal Reserve is experiencing a significant coin shortage that is impacting our store operations and ability to provide change.”
Cash-paying customers at Fred Meyer are not forced to donate to charity; rather, they can also chose to have their change loaded onto a customer loyalty card and be automatically applied to their next purchase. Customers may continue using credit and debit cards and avoid any interruption to their usual distribution of change to their bank account. Again, only physical coinage is impacted by this change in policy.
There is not yet a timetable for when coin circulation will return to normal.