The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has imposed fines on two stores for price scanning discrepancies detected in the first quarter of 2025.
“We inspect stores to ensure their pricing is accurate and the price at the register matches the price on the shelf,” stated Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “While most stores pass inspection, the ones that do not will face fines until they come into compliance.”
The department carries out periodic, unannounced inspections of business price-scanner systems to verify the accuracy between shelf-advertised prices and those at the register. Should a store exhibit an overcharge error rate of more than 2%, inspectors notify the store manager and later perform a thorough follow-up inspection. Errors involving undercharges are also reported, although they are not counted against the store. Consumers wishing to report scanner errors can contact the Standards Division at 984-236-4750.
Stores that do not pass a follow-up inspection incur penalties. The offending stores are then subject to reinspections at 60-day intervals from the last inspection until achieving a 2%-or-less error rate. Subsequent failed reinspections may lead to additional fines.
Civil penalties issued in the first quarter of 2025 are as follows:
In Davidson, a Speedway store located at 19 Cotton Grove Road in Lexington was fined $405 following two failed inspections in 2024. An April 2024 inspection uncovered a 16% error rate with eight overcharges on a 50-item lot. A June follow-up recorded a 3% error rate on a 100-item lot, leading to the $405 fine. The store remedied the issues and passed an August 2024 inspection. The fine was paid in March.
In Watauga, a Staples store located at 1275 Blowing Rock Road in Boone was fined $1,005 after two failed inspections in 2024. The initial February 2024 inspection revealed seven overcharges on a 50-item lot, marking a 14% error rate. An April follow-up found a 6.33% error rate on 300 items, resulting in the $1,005 fine. The store resolved the discrepancies and passed the June 2024 inspection. The fine was paid in February.
