Is there a penny shortage? What to know as Kroger starts asking customers to use exact change

"Numerous reports this week said customers at Kroger stores were greeted with signs asking them to provide exact change when paying in cash. Among the reports was one from the Cincinnati Enquirer, which said that these signs were posted at the company's 103 stores in the Cincinnati/Dayton Division. "The U.S. Treasury has stopped production of pennies, which is now impacting supply," the signs read."

"Without a doubt, the availability of the penny seems to be decreasing. However, according to the American Bakers Association (ABA), there isn't currently a "penny shortage" in the traditional sense. Rather, there is a slowing of the circulation of pennies throughout America's banks and retailers. And there's a reason for this. In February, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he had instructed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop producing new pennies."

Many Kroger stores posted signs asking cash customers to provide exact change because the U.S. Treasury stopped producing pennies, affecting local supplies. Kroger confirmed it is assessing the impact of the Treasury's decision to end penny production. The American Bakers Association says there is not a traditional nationwide penny shortage but a slowdown in the circulation of pennies through banks and retailers. The slowdown stems from halted minting and reduced distribution of existing coins, along with changing payment habits that reduce coins returning to circulation.

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