Walmart, Kroger Grapple With Coin Shortage, Urge Cards Instead

First it was toilet paper and face masks, then it was meat. The latest shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic? Pocket change.

Retailers including Walmart Inc. and Kroger Co. are grappling with a nationwide shortfall of coins that’s left them posting signs at some checkout lines alerting customers about the problem and encouraging them to use credit or debit cards -- or pay with exact change, if possible.

“The Federal Reserve is experiencing a significant coin shortage across the U.S., resulting from fewer coins being exchanged and spent during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Cincinnati-based supermarket chain Kroger said in an ...