Kroger electronic tags spotted in two Northern Kentucky supermarkets

Attention Kroger shoppers! The supermarket giant’s list of stores equipped with electronic shelf labels (ESLs) continues to grow with two locations in Northern Kentucky in suburban Cincinnati joining 11 identified in Southwest Ohio.

Those two stores are in Covington and Union, Kentucky.

That means more than one of every eight of Kroger’s 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.

The new technology allows the retailer to change prices from a computer rather than replace labor-intensive stick-on paper price tags on thousands of items on shelves every week. The digital tags have attracted some controversy from critics who fear the retailer might use it to boost prices during busy periods, a practice called “surge-pricing.”

Cincinnati-based Kroger said it never has engaged in surge pricing and doesn’t plan to and the tags are in stores to save workers’ time for helping customers.

Here are the current locations with the new tagging system:

• 8241 Vine St in Hartwell (a neighborhood of Cincinnati)

• 450 Ohio Pike in Anderson Township

• 5910 Harrison Ave. in Green Township

• Covington – 1525 Madison Ave Covington

• 5210 State Route 741 in Mason

• 5100 Terra Firma Drive in Mason

• 3033 Heritage Green Drive in Monroe

• Union – 9001 US Highway 42 Union, KY

• 2900 W US Highway 22 and 3 Ste 1 in Maineville

• 575 Harry Sauner Road in Hillsboro

• 1001 Cherry St. in Blanchester

• 1230 Rombach Ave. in Wilmington

• 1603 N Barron St. in Eaton (west of Dayton)

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Two Kroger stores in Northern Kentucky have new electronic price tags