BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Smart and Final has agreed to pay $175,000 in penalties after the state accused it of price gouging in the pricing of eggs at its stores across California.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said the chain increased prices by more than 10 to 25 percent on about 100,000 cartons of eggs from March to June of 2020. Many shelves were bare at that time, when the COVID lockdown was in place, leaving consumers with few options.
The maximum amount ‘Smart and Final’ would have been allowed to increase prices by law in that situation is 10 percent.
Bonta says this should serve as a warning to other sellers against violating California’s price gouging laws. He encourages anyone with a price gouging complaint to report it to the A-G office.
