Episode 564
Electronic Shelf Labels: Dynamic Pricing at Walmart
Walmart might be quietly jacking prices while you shop — or at least that’s what a guy named Patrick claimed after a stick of butter marked $3.98 rang up higher and the manager shrugged that “prices can change” thanks to computer updates. I riff on how stores are slipping into dynamic pricing mode — electronic shelf labels, patents that could tweak prices based on what’s in your cart, even facial-recognition stuff that sounds like a casino met a grocery aisle. Walmart says “we price products, not people” and reminds us a patent doesn’t mean they’re using it, but c’mon, it still gives me vibes of my eggs trading like Bitcoin. I laugh about shoppers racing the register like Wall Street traders while I’m just trying to make an omelet. Bottom line: groceries are already pricey, and the last thing I need is my mayo calling higher when I walk by.
Takeaways:
- I got mad about prices changing between shelf and checkout, like Walmart charging more mid-walk.
- I talk about Walmart installing electronic shelf labels and patents that could adjust prices based on your cart.
- We joke about dynamic pricing—like Uber surge for groceries, weather spikes, or facial-recognition hikes if you smile at Oreos.
- I point out Walmart insists they 'price products not people' and having patents doesn't mean they're using them, but it's still creepy.
- I'm mostly just mad that groceries feel like a casino and all I want is to make an omelet without price roulette.
- I riff on the idea of eggs fluctuating like Bitcoin, picturing people sprinting through Walmart like Wall Street traders while I'm trying to make a humble omelet.
Transcript
Good morning.
Speaker A:It's Haystack and you ever feel like you're getting ripped off at the grocery store?
Speaker A:And I'm not Talking about the $6 for the bag of Doritos, that's 70% air.
Speaker A:I'm talking about picking something up where it has one price listed and then you, you get to the register and the price went up while you were shopping.
Speaker A:This guy named Patrick said that happened at Walmart.
Speaker A:He grabbed a butter that he claims was marked $3.98 but it rang up higher and a manager said well prices can change automatically through computer updates.
Speaker A:So apparently the one thing at the self checkout or in the whole dadgum Walmart that doesn't really need an employee is raising the dad gum price.
Speaker A:Here's the viral TikTok.
Speaker B:I grab my stuff and I'm very aware of prices because of how high stuff is and I go to check out my prices are higher.
Speaker B:So I call the manager over and he comes over and he says the prices can change from the time you leave the area to the time you get to the register because the computer updates.
Speaker B:And I'm like no, no, no, no, you can't tell me that if I pick up an item that's 398 by time I walk to the register which is less than two minutes, is this what we're doing Walmart?
Speaker B:Like are we serious?
Speaker A:So there's no way to prove obviously that the butter was 398 and that it changed prices or whatever.
Speaker A:But it clearly reignited some concerns about dynamic pricing which has been in the news recently.
Speaker A:You know how Uber gets more expensive when it rains or after the bars shut down essentially.
Speaker A:Imagine that with groceries, it's 98 degrees, ice cream just went up two bucks.
Speaker A:There's a snowstorm coming, you better grab that soup before the computer checks the weather forecast.
Speaker A:Walmart is installing these electronic shelf labels to allow them to change prices remotely.
Speaker A:And a watchdog group found that Walmart has patents that could potentially adjust prices based on what is in your cart.
Speaker A:So you grab a can of tuna and suddenly when it sees you walk up to the mayonnaise, the mayonnaise costs more.
Speaker A:You grab bread, oh, we're making sandwiches.
Speaker A:Look at Mr. Rockefeller.
Speaker A:Everything just got more expensive.
Speaker A:Other patents talk about facial recognition and analyzing shoppers expressions.
Speaker A:You're smiling at the Oreos and suddenly the computer says he's way too happy about those cookies at a dollar.
Speaker A:Now Walmart is insisting of course they don't do any of this and they won't do any of this.
Speaker A:And they released a message that said, we price products, not people.
Speaker A:And having a patent does not mean that you'll use the patent.
Speaker A:But it is still kind of unsettling when your grocery store has patents that sound like they were invented by a casino.
Speaker A:Look, groceries are expensive enough.
Speaker A:I don't need egg prices fluctuating like Bitcoin.
Speaker A:Bye bye, bye bye.
Speaker A:The eggs are now.
Speaker A:The eggs are now people racing through Walmart like Wall street traders.
Speaker A:Meanwhile, I'm just trying to make an omelet.
Speaker A:Would you shop somewhere else if Walmart started changing prices based on demand?
Speaker A:Because in my opinion, the only thing that should go up when I'm grocery shopping is my blood pressure.
Speaker A:And given the price everything, it's already at an all time high.
