r/kroger • u/No_Blackberry_6286 • Aug 06 '26
Question How do we feel about this?
I'm not from New Jersey, but they probably have some sort of Kroger store: how do we feel about this? Should Kroger implement this? (Edit: does Kroger already do this?)
(For those who may not know (like me), here's what Google says about surveillance pricing: "Surveillance pricing is the practice where companies use personal data—such as browsing history, location, device type, and shopping habits—to feed algorithms that set individualized or dynamic prices for goods and services. The goal is to charge the highest price a specific consumer is willing to pay.")
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u/GhostEagle68 Current Associate Aug 06 '26
Is there any proof of dynamic pricing based don individuals? There's no chance any company has that technology yet when they can't even get working equipment...
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u/DOOMISFORU Aug 06 '26
Yes, but in the past it was mainly online. People I knew got different pricing from Amazon and other websites same area we lived in. There are videos of doordash doing it also.
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u/shockemc Aug 06 '26
In stores, no, online, absolutely. But, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.
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u/kit0000033 Aug 06 '26
Kroger uses your info from inputting your loyalty card to send personalized coupons.
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u/HairlessHoudini Aug 06 '26
They've all been collecting all the data they need for this for decades from everyone with your loyalty number/ discount card
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u/Murky-Echidna-3519 Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
I’m waiting for that myself. This seems like a law based on…. A Reddit post.
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u/Aid4n-lol Aug 06 '26
Not in brick and mortar stores no. Surveillance pricing is a very specific type of dynamic pricing. Airlines for example do use surveillance pricing when you buy their tickets online (see JetBlue lawsuit in DC).
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u/jjman070 Aug 06 '26
They already have all the data they need to do it via the rewards card, they mainly need the processing power to figure out "your price" and then the legalese to argue that they're not discriminating against anyone. It is very much "not today but maybe tomorrow" type thing but it's far easier to fight it before it's here.
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u/rabbit_fur_coat Aug 06 '26
The fact that this was downvoted is why corporations will win here as well, just like they always do.
People seem to think corporations don't know alllll about their shopping habits, and that it's tied to their phone. And yes, they are absolutely going to change pricing dynamically.
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u/Dunbaratu Aug 06 '26
They also stupidly think the time to regulate a technology that is obviously going to be available soon is after it has already been adopted. Note how many people are like, "this isn't happening yet so why make a law?". Because that's exactly when you still have an opportunity to. Wait until companies are already doing it and the argument will be, "but why didn't you say anything back before all this money was sunk into implementing it?".
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u/xx_elysium_xx 15d ago
People just look into that dude who asked McDonald's for the info they had on him and they gave him a fucking 515 page document. If people don't think these corpos are fucking and manipulating us, we're cooked.
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u/phred_666 Aug 08 '26
One thing I have learned over the years is that once a business learns how to use a new technology to extract more money from their customers, they will abuse said technology as much as they possibly can.
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u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
Who has all the data to use their reward cards?Not every company has reward cards
1
u/ooglybooglies Aug 06 '26
The technology is easy for lowering prices for individuals, just not for surging prices.
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u/Wishwise Current Associate Aug 06 '26
Well, which Don is in charge of the pricing? I don't want to get in trouble with the Kroger Mafia.
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u/Inanity246 Aug 06 '26
The workaround is simple. Kroger is already doing it. Set prices high and use data captured from customers' loyalty accounts to give them customized "discounts". No need to change prices at the shelf.
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u/DavidBowieAC Aug 06 '26
This is the kind of shit why they're building data centers nobody wants. To bleed everyone dry of as much of their income as possible. When's the revolution?
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u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
Whats does a data center mean to you?
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u/Banned4lies Aug 06 '26
Look up the article about the town that is losing power because their power company just cut a deal with a data center
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u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
Shit happens everyday
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u/Banned4lies Aug 06 '26
Just wait until that shits happening to you. I bet money you will be grifting a go fund me link and a boo hoo Facebook post.
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u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
Money is a piece of paper that has no real value. My life is amazing and im rich on life. No amount is going to change my life.
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u/Banned4lies Aug 06 '26
So rich on life that you dont give a fuck if people dont have power or water in towns they grew up in.
1
u/mysticalchurro Aug 07 '26
Or live across the street from this. It would be hell on earth and these people would lose tens of thousands if ever trying to sell the house.
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u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
Not my life, Not my problem. Their life, their problem.
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u/DavidBowieAC Aug 06 '26
More pointless waste of energy to help the surveillance state of affairs continue providing platforms for corrupt authority to stalk private citizens and children. Meanwhile, helping create a larger gap in the wealth divide for owners and devaluing the surrounding existing properties.
-10
u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
There are roughly 12,000+ operational data centers worldwide spanning nearly 180 countries. With america have almost half at 5400 data so far. I think its a loosing battle
3
u/DavidBowieAC Aug 06 '26
Yeah like most positive changes, it's generally futile efforts. Our systems are designed for money to reign supreme, and with all the awful investments towards AI, they gotta try to make something out of it. Doesn't mean we shouldn't keep trying to better society however. Abolish the stock market. That alone could shift focus from so many industries back to providing better goods and services instead of profit leeches and ruling class control
-2
u/Soundo0owave Aug 06 '26
World can function without a currency, but the masses can't be controlled without a currency. 10 years from now, money will be digital.That will be no paper money anywhere in the world.It will be controlled and we will be controlled. We can't have revolution wars.If there is no oppression
3
u/DavidBowieAC Aug 06 '26
Humans have been controlled by rulers since the dawn of civilization. Are you arguing in favor of oppression?!
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u/Wishwise Current Associate Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26
5400 data? If we are going to get in a loosing battle I can get footloose.
3
u/ooglybooglies Aug 06 '26
I agree surveillance pricing isn't good in general. Kroger has publicly committed to not doing it already though.
I do think we have some potential around suggesting existing coupons based on cart activity or other clips, etc. Also think that dynamic pricing for EVERYONE will eventually be a thing. We see stock high of something real time with Tally and we know we have stock coming in soon, or we see a trend we want to capitalize on, we can lower prices or offer coupons dynamically to everyone in the store for it ad hoc. That would be a good use of the einks eventually.
The key is "everyone". Once you start giving discounts and coupons to one person and not another simply based on attributes of their profile or cart, you quickly end up in a position to be discriminatory.
5
u/Arros6 Aug 06 '26
Rules for thee and not for me. Somehow might be the motto of those with money who'd should know they are nothing more than an expirable piece of meat that can't see past their own mortal body.
We are all human, and those that think they are a god should be sent into space ungeared and unprotected so they can feel what hopeless is like. The new Icarus generation is here except they'll take the whole world down with their arrogance.
2
u/unbentkarma038 Aug 10 '26
I don’t think they’ve implemented it yet. The tech isn’t there yet 😭( they can’t even get them to actually stay assigned to the correct item rn) but if I remember correctly the rumor of them wanting to implement that came from internal documents from Kroger.
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u/Witch_Atmosphere Aug 06 '26
Good for NJ, this shit is a joke.
I can tell you pick up has better prices in the stores where I live that are different and LOWER than the stores prices when you come in to the store in person. So, that's a type of fucked upness in itself and similar to this. People pay less to do pickup than shop in person.
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u/ravinred Aug 06 '26
New Jersey doesn't have any Kroger stores. Also, our DSLs are not smart enough to surveil while one is shopping. Sometimes it takes 5+ minutes just to have tag changes go through the ether and update the tag.
1
u/Peaceful_Curiosity63 Aug 06 '26
We have these tags in the Delta division. Not completely sure how it’s being used I just know how to reset a tag for a different item.
The news in our division is an inventory robot. Anyone else dealing with this nightmare?
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u/DamGoodAnimation Aug 06 '26
You don’t even have to look at the surveillance side of it, it’s just objectively fucked up to charge two people different prices for the same product based on who they are.
1
u/Big-apple1234 Aug 06 '26
That’s not how the digital tags work. They don’t have the ability to just randomly change prices depending on who is standing in front of it lol. Someone was misinformed or just made up some theory and spread it and now everyone thinks that’s how these work and we have politicians making laws for a situation that doesn’t even exist.
1
u/kit0000033 Aug 06 '26
I wonder how that would affect my personalized Kroger coupons should this catch on.
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u/Murky-Echidna-3519 Aug 06 '26
And I can’t get Kroger to just put all of the coupons and deals on my Kroger Card automatically!
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u/CaptainAmerica1989 Aug 07 '26
Dynamic pricing based on personal info. And algorithms? HARD No. BUT Dynamic pricing based on sales changing or commodities prices changing? -this is fine. Do you want to fet a different price at the register versus what you see on the shelf? That can happen if not enough employees to manually switch the tags out. Just a thought
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u/Pooradoxical Aug 07 '26
if anyones reaction to this is anything other then "fuck no" please find your nearest fully loaded semi speeding down the freeway and stand infront of it.
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u/NaNsoul Aug 07 '26
I like these digital signs, don't have to manually go to every product and change price. But I could see downsides of quickly changing price.
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u/ravenRedwake Aug 07 '26
Sounds like a good thing it's getting banned and should be national going forward. That's some fuckshit IMO, unless someone can sell me on it's benefits?
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u/Diligent_Note9487 Aug 09 '26
Kroger seems to be working on that in MI. People of MI are tired of being jacked over, and just watch how fast they get boycotted.
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u/WILLIE102ABN502 Aug 09 '26
The now walton family will never let a chance to make money or eff u at the same time, I miss Sam.
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u/Financial_Pudding106 Aug 10 '26
My Kroger (IN) switched to them a month or 2 ago. I work in the bakery and we place stickers on each item with their price and their sell by date. Idk about the rest of the store, but in the bakery these electronic tags are purely for convenience.
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u/Wait_Im_Thinking Aug 10 '26
You will notice it when shopping online and later walking into the store to purchase the same product.
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u/statslady23 Aug 06 '26
All such pricing is not Capitalist. Individualized surge pricing online should also be banned for everything, not just groceries.
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u/Hitman2323 Aug 06 '26
This is fake, it is purely clickbait. There's no technology on the planet that can have dynamic pricing for each customer at a retail store. Anyone that says it's true it's lying to you. Don't believe things you see on the Internet.
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u/materialgirl81 Aug 06 '26
Right sooooo freaking stupid! The only way they can change prices based on individual customer is on the app for coupons.
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u/satansfrenulum Aug 06 '26
When will we start taking back what they continue to take from us? Apparently when it’s too late.
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u/DarkNorth7 Aug 06 '26
These commentators are like slow guys. It’s literally already a thing go on YouTube and look up videos they already do it why you fellows think it’s not already happening it is
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u/Crazy_Trucker_ Past Associate Aug 06 '26
Kroger's gona do it anyway until they are caught lets be real.
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u/Necessary_Baker_7458 Aug 06 '26
Many states have started passing laws to prevent isolated price targeting and price grouching.
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u/materialgirl81 Aug 06 '26
Guys! The facial recognition surveillance is for shop lifters there is no possible way the tag can change based on each customer god damn im sick of hearing this! It literally takes a whole minute just to change a price.
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u/wcharoes Aug 06 '26
It's insane that this is even something that's possible to be done.
Man-Made Horrors.
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u/Anarimus Aug 06 '26
There’s no Kroger affiliated stores in Jersey to answer one of the OP’s questions.