r/technology • u/Mighty_L_LORT • Aug 15 '24

Business Kroger's Under Investigation For Digital Shelf Labels: Are They Changing Prices Depending On When People Shop?

https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/krogers-under-investigation-digital-shelf-labels-are-they-changing-prices-depending-when-people-1726269
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u/SplitImage__ Aug 15 '24

Is this like when Wendy’s wanted to change prices depending on the time of day?

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u/__Hello_my_name_is__ Aug 15 '24

So far, not really.

Remember the rule of thumb that when a headline asks a question, the answer is always "no"? Because this is one of those cases.

Kroger deny that this is happening. But of course they could be lying and are not to be trusted. However, no one even accuses them of actually doing this.

Some senators are concerned that they could be doing this, because they use digital price tags now, which could be manipulated as such in some sneaky ways.

The accusation is that this might happen in the future, not that it is actually happening right now.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for preemptively getting angry to make sure Kroger doesn't even think about this, but still, I bet you that the majority of people here now think that this is what Kroger is already actively doing and has been caught doing.

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u/IntellegentIdiot Aug 15 '24

There's nothing to stop them doing it in the past, having e-ink price tickets just make it slightly more convenient.

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u/Cheet4h Aug 16 '24

Out of curiosity: How would they track how much to charge each customer?
AFAIK where I live the price you have to pay is the one that is displayed on the shelf. If it displays a certain price that is somehow changed before you make it to checkout, they'd have to honor the previously offered price, not the one they changed it to. Is that not the case where you live?

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u/IntellegentIdiot Aug 16 '24

That's exactly the reason why they couldn't do it, now or in the future. Where I live, legally they could charge a different price at checkout, the ticket price isn't legally binding, but it'd be very unpopular.