June 18 (Reuters) - Walmart ( WMT ), the world's largest

retailer, agreed to pay $1.64 million to settle regulatory

charges that its 64 New Jersey stores employed illegal pricing

practices that made it hard for consumers to comparison-shop.

Matthew Platkin, New Jersey's attorney general, said on

Tuesday that the settlement includes a $1.62 million civil fine,

and is the largest obtained by the Office of Weights and

Measures of the state Division of Consumer Affairs.

New Jersey is one of nine U.S. states that requires grocery

retailers to display prices using standard, easy-to-understand

measurements such as pounds and quarts.

Platkin said Walmart ( WMT ) store inspections in the first quarter

of 2023 found more than 2,000 incorrect measurements, sometimes

in the same category: coffee, for example, could be priced by

the pound, the can or the number of pods.

"As the price of grocery items continues to rise," Platkin

said, "this settlement sends a clear message that New Jersey

will not allow retailers to engage in unlawful pricing practices

that deny shoppers the ability to easily compare prices to

figure out which product is a better buy."

Walmart ( WMT ) did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer did not admit

wrongdoing, but in a consent order said it "takes seriously its

obligations to provide accurate unit prices to enable customers

to comparison shop."

Walmart ( WMT ) also agreed to improve employee training and

randomly screen items to ensure it displays proper measurements.

In November, discount retailer Dollar General ( DG ) agreed

to pay $1.2 million, including a $1.18 million fine, to settle

New Jersey charges that it scanned higher prices at checkout

than it posted on merchandise displays thousands of times.

That settlement had been the largest obtained by the state's

weights and measures office.