Walmart is developing algorithmic tools to shape how it sets prices, even as US lawmakers intensify scrutiny of data-driven pricing in grocery and retail. The retailer has secured two US patents this year covering automated markdowns and machine learning-based demand forecasting, adding to a broader portfolio of nearly 50 US patents granted to the company so far in 2026.
My province just passed a bill that makes this kind of pricing illegal here :) an odd win
Let’s go Wab! He has some conservative takes I don’t super agree with, but overall he kills it. He’d be a hell of a good PM.
Yeah agreed he’s definitely a bit of a lib but at least he’s trying!
To rip off another comment:
This just in! Major grocers found using customer heart rate to personalise prices - higher the pulse, higher the price!The corporations have laid the groundwork for:
- altered prices around lunch hour for ready meals and snacks at retailers in walking distance to secondary schools
- automatic increases for products being purchased more rapidly than historical averages to capitalize on a yet unknown trend
- increases simply as stock begins running low
Professor Santiago Gallino specializing in retail management was interviewed a couple years ago by NPR for a piece about these tags.
While the labels give retailers the ability to increase prices suddenly, Gallino doubts companies like Walmart will take advantage of the technology in that way.
“To be honest, I don’t think that’s the underlying main driver of this,” Gallino said. “These are companies that tend to have a long-term relationship with their customers and I think the risk of frustrating them could be too risky, so I would be surprised if they try to do that.”
Rather than seeing an opportunity to use surge pricing, Gallino says retailers are likely drawn to electronic shelf tags to ensure consistency between online and in-store pricing.
Oh how Cartoon Network lied. We’ve been brought to a future with the technology of The Jetsons with the quality of life of Courage the Cowardly Dog.
My guess is that we’ll get legislation preventing price surges, but won’t address retailers setting their prices sky high, applying sales to basically everything, and then “reducing sale prices to more closely align with the products actual cost” as they see fit.
We know we are getting fucked, the retailers know they are fucking us, and our legislators know they are allowing us to get fucked, but the law passes anyways.
That would be a cheeky way to circumvent the intention of the legislation. Fortunately, as @Banana@sh.itjust.works mentioned, some places are getting these laws put in place.
I, too, am wary of these laws passed by those that might not understand the technology they’re legislating. Especially when so many of our laws get written by the corporations in the first place. The things you and I suspect could easily be done, only for authorities to be caught and fined one percent of one percent of the profits they made by doing so.
Time will tell I suppose. It’s a lovely grey day in this dystopia we find ourselves living in. Time to take another blue pill.
Im clipping coupons for laundry soap and the like for my local grocer. Noticed none of the clothing there has prices on the tags or on the shelf. no way. Avoiding walmart entirely now. Even getting cat food at petco instead. Fuck walmart
You might already know if you’re into clipping coupons, but a lot of manufacturers have a buy # get 1 free per 12 month deal. Taking advantage of that is often cheaper than buying whatever’s on sale for a particular month, not that you were doing that, just making a comparison.
Edit for clarity: I was referring to pet food. Just realized I didn’t mention that.
yeah, Petco just ran a sale on pet wet food last couple weeks. Was 20% off all of it! (so .78¢ a can) and stocked up!
I had to prove to my partner that Walmart isnt always the cheapest, and it is not. I do however, put an hour or two a week planning/finding cheaper options, which I have the time for thankfully.
The best case scenario here is that this bombs spectacularly for Walmart, but any other retailers who try the same get tied up in patent litgation for decades and likewise lose their shirts in the process.
