FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    Feb. 29, 2008

WESTCHESTER CITES WAL-MART FOR ITEM PRICING VIOLATIONS

Retailer fined $27,500; promises better training to increase future compliance

            County Executive Andy Spano today announced that retail giant Wal-Mart has been fined $27,500 for violating Westchester’s item pricing law.  

            “Items on store shelves must be clearly marked with a price tag, so consumers can verify how much an item costs and be sure that they are being charged the correct price at the checkout register,” said Spano.  “Retailers who violate the item pricing law will be subject to enforcement action.”

            Inspectors from the Department of Consumer Protection found that 64 percent of merchandise on display at the Wal-Mart store in Mohegan Lake was not item priced. Unmarked items included kitchen utensils, packaged foods, vitamins, over-the-counter drugs and sporting goods.      

            A prior inspection at Wal-Mart’s White Plains store in August 2006 found an 81 percent error rate.  Wal-Mart was fined $2,500 at that time.   

            In resolving the latest infraction, Wal-Mart has also agreed to adopt a “Pricing Action Plan” that will include additional training for employees, adjustment of staffing levels to ensure that adequate resources are devoted to item pricing and internal self-audits.  

“We are pleased that Wal-Mart has agreed to act to improve its level of compliance with our item pricing law,” said Gary Brown, director of Consumer Protection. “Retailers that fail to individually price their merchandise are violating our law and hindering the ability of consumers to comparison shop. We will continue to conduct inspections to ensure compliance with our law.”

            Consumers with complaints about a store’s failure to item price should contact the Department of Consumer Protection by calling (914) 995-2155 or logging onto www.westchestergov.com/consumer