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Maryland to become first state to ban 'dynamic pricing' in grocery stores

63 points by jonbaer

by weezing

2 subcomments

Meanwhile in the EU every price tag for a discounted item needs to also show the lowest price that was available in the last 30 days.
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/unfair-treat...

by tt24

0 subcomment

I have yet to be given a good reason for banning this sort of pricing model.
To me it feels like a win/win for all parties involved. Faster, more accurate price discovery means fewer instances of an item being out of stock, and it allows a merchant to unload less popular stock at a discount to a lucky (or clever) customer.
The arguments against this seem mostly feelings based.

by dlcarrier

0 subcomment

If they can figure out how to make price tags that show different prices to different people, they should be targeting to display different images to each eye and selling it as glasses-free 3D.

by kotaKat

2 subcomments

>> “Digital price tags are replacing paper ones… cameras are watching aisles… apps are moving from search-based to predictive and having true curated experiences that end up harming the average shopper,” Moore said during testimony last month. “If Myles [a member of Moore’s staff] and I were to go in a supermarket at the same time… we could pick up the exact same item and be charged a different price for it, because they know that I’ll pay it. This type of manipulation of data is not fair.”
But that's not how that works at all? If Myles and Moore were staring at the same electronic price tag, they'd be displaying the same price. I wish these legislators would stop parroting lies given to them by the UFCW who is mad that electronic price tags will "replace clerk work" not understanding that the employees should and can be upskilled to replace tags, batteries, and manage the tags including linking them to home locations and signaling them for product updates?
You want real dynamic pricing, a good example? Go call up an auto parts store, asking for a part for your vehicle. There's a list price you're going to be sold over the counter, meanwhile Jim down the street at Jim's Auto will be quoted a cheaper price than you, meanwhile the guy at the parts counter is staring at a screen showing them the company's own cost is even lower than both of those and they get to play "how much do we screw the guy on the other side".