The new labels allow employees to change prices as often as every ten seconds.

“If it’s hot outside, we can raise the price of water and ice cream. If there’s something that’s close to the expiration date, we can lower the price — that’s the good news,” said Phil Lempert, a grocery industry analyst.

Apps like Uber already use surge pricing, in which higher demand leads to higher prices in real time. Companies across industries have caused controversy with talk of implementing surge pricing, with fast-food restaurant Wendy’s making headlines most recently. Electronic shelf labels allow the same strategy to be applied at grocery stores, but are not the only reason why retailers may make the switch.

  • Brkdncr@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    236
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    If it’s hot outside we can raise the price of water…”

    Holy fuck dude that’s some endgame capitalism right there.

    • satanmat@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      45
      ·
      4 months ago

      Yes. That is actually the point. MUST maximize that profit!

      Airlines do this now, as does Uber.

      The tech is only just catching up for retail. This is end game capitalism hope you enjoyed the ride.

    • Zier@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      4 months ago

      My answer to Walmart’s greed is… Some of us don’t buy bottled water, so feel free to raise it to $100 a bottle.

      • ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        right, but some people do, and by encouraging this, you’re fucking over your fellow humans.

        edit: There are also situations where you don’t have a choice but to buy water bottles. maybe you’re out of your home, your personal bottle is empty, and it’s hot out. maybe you’re at the airport. sure you could drink from water fountains, but what if they’re nowhere near you? or what if they don’t work?

          • woodenskewer@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 months ago

            The next town over from me, if you wash a white shirt in the washing machine it comes out with a tint of brown. We drink bottled water.

        • Aceticon@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          I supposed it depends on the country, but as far as I know in most of Europe you can just enter a coffee shop or the local equivalent and ask for a glass of tap water.

          Mind you, even though I bought a metal water bottle years ago and almost never buy bottled water nowadays, as you say sometimes it happens that one needs, though its rare and it’s highly unlikely I would be going to a supermarket to buy water.

          • ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            4 months ago

            oh, Europe, yeah that makes sense. see I live in bumfuck America where they’ll tell you to get fucked and then shoot your kid

    • brlemworld@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      8
      ·
      4 months ago

      Water is free/cheap though. They have a water fountain. You have plumbing into your living space with a virtually limitless supply.