Let’s call it what it is: price discrimination.
Dynamic pricing could be coming to your local supermarket
Submitted 8 hours ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
scarabic@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 1 hour ago
Dynamic sounds way more fun!
timestatic@feddit.org 2 hours ago
They already do that, just not as frequently. They change price tags of items every day by hand
lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
It’s going to be hilarious when these get hacked
BenchpressMuyDebil@szmer.info 2 hours ago
In Poland it’s already there in stores owned by the German Schwarz-Gruppe - Lidl and Kaufland. One might want to start shopping local to get exposed to 100% free range organic greed instead of lab-optimized greed at big stores.
EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world 49 minutes ago
That’s a shame because Lidl is the only affordable grocery store to begin with around here.
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
I will institute my own “dynamic pricing” scheme if this ever happens
Thatuserguy@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
Is it really dynamic if the price is always “free”?
Winter_Oven@piefed.social 7 hours ago
surely negative numbers are in the cards? since we deserve the compensation for all the trouble
ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 6 hours ago
If the price changes for them specifically, yes. That’s the entire concept they’re pushing here.
philanthropicoctopus@thelemmy.club 7 hours ago
Its much easier than you’d think.
humanspiral@lemmy.ca 3 hours ago
A problem area is pricing that changes 10 minutes after you put it in basket but before checkout. Though OP did go through some other abuse scenarios, though some were far fetched. This can’t allow a store to personalize prices the way a web site can.
daychilde@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
This is what I came to the comments to gripe about this whole thing. Yes, they can play some games and probably will, but consider: People will be watching. They do this and you bet people will track this crap and post about it. The blowback will be huge.
If they’re stupid enough to try this, it will not last. lol. You can raise prices over the long term, but fuck around with short term prices people can see changing for no good reason? Yeah…
And on the “personal pricing” - that’s written by someone that doesn’t understand how barcodes work.
But I’m sure they will try to play some games with it.
Zephorah@discuss.online 6 hours ago
I’m still not clear on exactly what triggers this. Is it phone location, because a phone number is linked to all your data (unless you’ve been gaming it for the last 5-10yrs)? Do I walk by with my phone and the price goes up?
Is it like goodwill? Does the price change as you’re checking out? Do I grab a 2lb bag of medium roast coffee beans for $13, and because buying it consistently for decades, it’s now $18 at checkout? But is still $13 for the guy behind me who decided to try whole bean over pre-ground?
If rich people turn off their phones before hitting the parking lot and poor people leave theirs on, does the entire store get cheaper?
If you take a pic with your phone of the “advertised” price does that mitigate sudden increases while checking out, if you’re even watching?
Does having your unemployed, deadbeat uncle or kid do the shopping from their phone make it cheaper for the household?
What are the triggers?
humanspiral@lemmy.ca 3 hours ago
OP was making a lot of shit up.
chaogomu@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
That’s the personalized prices. That’s step two.
This one is the digital price tags that let the store manager or corporate office instantly raise prices throughout the store for everyone.
scarabic@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
It doesn’t even have to be per person. It can just be by time of day.
gex@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
I can imagine price stickers would update daily, and individual users would get personalized discounts on their app.
App-less buyers would pay the baseline price in the sticker, app users would pay less. Like existing loyalty card programs, but with more data collection
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 hours ago
If my local store switches to digital price tags to do this I’m just going to gather as many as I can and flush them down the toilet.
Ulrich@feddit.org 7 hours ago
It’s a nice thought but good luck not getting caught on the 3k cameras in the store and following you to your car.
trolololol@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
It would be a shame if your phone was infected by a malware that rewrites all the prices in the tags in your vicinity.
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 hours ago
Of course I wouldn’t be doing it without some preparation.
ParlimentOfDoom@piefed.zip 6 hours ago
Security cameras in stores are kept purposely garbage so they don’t get bugged by the police to provide footage to them. Unless something changed in the last decade since I worked in a retail joint.
harmbugler@piefed.social 7 hours ago
My local Woolies has had e-ink tags for at least two years, maybe more. Between this and Coles hiring Palantir, we mostly shop at Aldi. Bunnings and Kmart using facial recognition as if it’s no biggie as well. How long until they partner with CBA to check your credit card limit as you stand in front of the bananas to see how much you’ll pay?
its_kim_love@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 hours ago
They’re opening an Aldi’s near me. I’m excited.
ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
Looks like e-ink. A thumb tack taped to your thumb should take care of these pretty quick and inconspicuously. Especially if people generally agree this is stupid and should be shunned.
hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip 3 hours ago
… you know they have cameras?
CaptPretentious@lemmy.world 10 minutes ago
High traffic area, common product that sees a lot of people. You could get 2-3 in a trip without much worry. Do it every few visits. Get a few additional people to do it with the same plan. If you notice more security, just move on, force them to give up or water a bunch of money. Leave reviews of the store how you don’t like the extra security/cameras. Your a customer not a criminal! Call out the management…
You don’t have to win in a day, but an expensive, annoying, psychological warfare approach… That and going after them on social media.
ThunderQueen@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Do you have 0 slight of hand? Just buff your agility, youll be okay.
Babalugats@feddit.uk 7 hours ago
Boycott the stores that use them, it might help them change their mind behind they become the norm.
workgood@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 hours ago
already here. just ask the inflation (not an american)
maplesaga@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
It definitely wasn’t QE.
workgood@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 hours ago
thats the joke. that inflation is dymanic we already have it.
BurntWits@sh.itjust.works 2 hours ago
My grocery store has had these for a while. Dynamic price reductions are coming too. Instead of a set % off, it’ll calculate the most optimal percentage to take off based on popularity of the product, how long until expiry, etc. Just a heads up.
TellusChaosovich@lemmy.world 2 hours ago
Thank you for telling the useful side of what this could be like. I’m on a sales team who considers options like dynamic pricing, and it is nice to know what good vs bad to look out for.
mriormro@lemmy.zip 45 minutes ago
fucking lol
I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
I’ve gotta wonder… How expensive are these little networked e-ink displays? Probably not super expensive, but they’ve gotta be more than a paper price tag. Definitely more of a hassle to replace when someone breaks them by running into them, accidentally snapping them off, etc…
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 14 minutes ago
$8 (assuming Dollarydoos). At least according to the article (it’s hidden in the caption of a photo). And it cites Reddit…
Giloron@programming.dev 3 hours ago
But more expensive than the wage of the person to go around replacing them for weekly sales? Walking back and forth to make a new tag to fill in an empty spot when something runs out?
I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 3 hours ago
Paper tags arent as easily damaged.
Hairyfishnuts@feddit.online 7 hours ago
Thanks. I hate it.
TachyonTele@piefed.social 7 hours ago
These have got to be hackable in a fun way
tourist@lemmy.world 6 hours ago
If they got batteries
I want them batteries
proudblond@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
The chain grocery store near us (Safeway) has had stupidly high prices since the pandemic. I decided I’m not going to shop there anymore unless I really have to. We are lucky to have a locally-owned, small chain grocery store very close to us. Prices are high but honestly not much if at all higher than Safeway and I’d rather pay a small premium to help them stay in business. Fuck Safeway and Albertsons.
chillpanzee@lemmy.ml 5 hours ago
Yeah, Safeway has been shitty for a long time. I’m fortunate like you that we have a wealth of independent grocers and small ethnic markets that are so much better. They’re also a fair bit cheaper too.
parody@lemmings.world 4 hours ago
It is a subsidiary of Albertsons after being acquired by private equity investors led by Cerberus Capital Management in January 2015.
Classic
Wammityblam@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
It’s obviously shitty and exploitive anywhere, but this makes food desserts even more of an issue.
Scummy ass companies making life worse for everyone to line their pockets.
They wouldn’t even be in financial trouble, they would just be less rich.
docus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 hours ago
Those e-ink tags have been around in the UK for some time.
SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 4 hours ago
The displays are not the problem
Them updating on a whim is
bitofarambler@crazypeople.online 7 hours ago
Care to live abroad?
Cherry@piefed.social 5 hours ago
`Current-generation digital tags are cloud-connected and equipped with Bluetooth or NFC (short-range wireless technology used for contactless payments) to communicate with phones. A phone loaded with a shopping app can pass information to the tag about the user’s identity.
The tag then briefly displays a personalised price when the shopper taps the phone.
Mr Oyefeso said retailers could also pair ESL with facial recognition, so that “prices change depending on who is in the aisle or looking at the shelf”. `
Great hey, I think people will continue at woolies. The level of love for monopolies is crazy. But hey house prices are going up.
samus12345@sh.itjust.works 4 hours ago
But wouldn’t you be able to see the price change as other people walk by? That doesn’t sound like something people would passively just be okay with.
ugjka@lemmy.ugjka.net 7 hours ago
Hook it up with BT id you can’t turn off in your phone - bada bing
sexy_peach@feddit.org 7 hours ago
Finally! Cheap things when I don’t need them
adonkeystomple@lemmy.ml 34 minutes ago
Time to vote with our wallets. I absolutely will refuse to shop at any store in my area that starts implementing this.