Missouri WIC and Nutrition Services Retailer Manual

A. Retailer peer groups 

Authorized WIC retailers are assigned to a retailer peer group based on their geographic classification and business model category. Retailer peer groups establish competitive price allowances for WIC-approved foods among retailers in each category, helping ensure WIC foods are offered at competitive market prices. Once retailers are grouped, competitive price criteria are applied, and a “not-to-exceed” (NTE) amount is established for each WIC-approved food item within each peer group. The Missouri WIC program will inform retailers of their peer group assignment and may change retailer peer group assignments as necessary to maintain effective peer grouping. 

B. Pricing requirements 

Retailers must not exceed prices posted on shelf tags. Retailers may not charge WIC customers more for WIC-approved food than they charge other customers. 

C. Competitive price selection criteria 

Retailers must maintain competitive prices within their peer group for WIC-approved food. Competitive pricing is UPC pricing that is within 15 percent above the average price charged for a WIC-approved item. 

The Missouri WIC program’s EBT system captures authorized retailers’ WIC card transaction prices for each UPC daily, and a periodic analysis is conducted to determine an average price for each UPC. Special or sale pricing is not included in the analysis. If a retailer’s price on a specific UPC is not within the 15 percent variance allowed for competitive pricing within their peer group, the retailer will be notified that the price on that UPC must be reduced to a competitive price. The Missouri WIC program will send a competitive price selection criteria price survey form identifying the retailer’s UPC prices that do not meet competitive pricing within their peer group. If the retailer still sells that UPC, they must reduce the price on the UPC and submit the new price to the Missouri WIC program or submit a justification for why the price cannot be reduced. If the retailer does not submit the new reduced price or justification for why the UPC’s price cannot be reduced, and the retailer maintains non-competitive pricing, the retailer will be assessed for inadequate participant access. Retailers not in an inadequate participant access area will receive a termination letter for not meeting competitive pricing criteria.