CONSUMER GROUPS WANT GROCERS TO DITCH DIGITAL-ONLY DEALS

A coalition of consumer groups is asking grocery chains to rethink their digital-only coupons, saying the deals discriminate against people who don't have smartphones or reliable internet access.

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Digital-only deals advertised online or on store shelves can offer significant savings, but they generally require customers to electronically clip a coupon in a grocer's app or on its website.For example, a Kroger in Cincinnati, Ohio, is advertising frozen turkey for 60 cents per pound 

this week; with a digital coupon, the price drops to 49 cents per pound. And a Stop & Shop in Somerville, Massachusetts, is offering a half pork loin for $2.99 per pound; with a digital coupon, that drops to $1.79 per pound.

“There’s nothing wrong with digital coupons as long as they’re equitable and everyone can take advantage of the advertised price in one way or another,” said Edgar Dworsky, a consumer advocate and former assistant attorney general in Massachusetts who runs the website Consumer World.