San Diego mulls banning digital-only deals at the grocery store

A lot of seniors and others struggle with the technology required to save at the stores with digital-only deals.

In an effort to combat rising food prices, local leaders are taking action to improve access to grocery store coupons, which are typically only available on smartphones.

The price-transparency proposal would specifically target stores that only offer digital-only coupons, with the new ordinance potentially forcing retailers to make those same offers available in non-digital ways, such as displaying the discount on a shelf tag or by offering paper coupons. Organizers say the proposal would go a long way for anyone worried about the price of groceries.

"Every nickel is precious, and so saving a few dollars at the grocery store can literally mean the difference between having the rent on the first and potentially facing eviction," Paul Downey, the president of Serving Seniors, told NBC 7.

The city council members who support the proposal say the deals exclude many San Diegans, especially seniors, English-language learners and those without digital access.

The proposal will likely go in front of a San Diego City Council committee sometime this fall, likely in November.