New York Grocery Store Makes ‘Change’ to Payment Policy

A popular New York grocery store chain has introduced a new payment policy that might make paying for groceries harder for some shoppers.

If you do the grocery shopping for your household and pay with cash, be aware that a big-name grocery chain with numerous locations in the Hudson Valley is asking customers to do something different due to the discontinuation of the penny.

Penny Discontinued in the United States

Back in February, President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed the United States Treasury to stop producing new pennies after revealing that the government loses money on each penny it produces.

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Two months later, the Treasury Department confirmed that penny production would be ending and said the change is expected to save the department an estimated $56 million annually. The U.S Mint produced its last batch of pennies in August, and since then, many retailers have reported a penny shortage.

Hannaford Asking for Exact Change in the Hudson Valley, NY

Hannaford grocery stores have announced a change for customers who plan to pay with cash at select stores across New York. A sign posted outside the Hannaford store at 1490 Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY states,

"Due to the penny discontinuation, please use exact change if possible."

 

It's unclear if all of the 50+ Hannaford stores across New York are following the same suggestion as in Wappingers Falls or not, but they aren't the first store to make a change since the penny was discontinued.

Exact Change at Some Stores

Kroger recently posted similar notices in stores asking customers using cash as payment to please consider providing exact change, according to Local 12. The notices found at self-checkout lanes in Kroger locations state,

"The U.S. Treasury has stopped production of pennies, which is now impacting supply. If using cash for payment, please consider providing exact change."

 

There are an estimated 114 billion pennies currently in circulation, but they are in short supply because many of them are at home in coin jars, at the bottom of car consoles, in junk drawers, or in some other forgotten location, according to ABC 7.