A supermarket trip may soon look different, thanks to electronic shelf labels

Grocery store prices are changing faster than ever before — literally. This month, Walmart became the latest retailer to announce it’s replacing the price stickers in its aisles with electronic shelf labels. 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.

The ability to easily change prices wasn't mentioned in Walmart's announcement that 2,300 stores will have the digitized shelf labels by 2026. Daniela Boscan, who participated in Walmart's pilot of the labels in Texas, said the label's key benefits are "increased productivity and reduced walking time," plus quicker restocking of shelves.

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A supermarket trip may soon look different, thanks to electronic shelf labels

With electronic shelf labels, prices can change up to six times a minute. Grocers including Walmart, Whole Foods and Schnucks are adopting them.<br><br><br>

www.opb.org

 

[Everlasting Life]

I guess a consumer has to stock up a little when prices are low to have things on hand when needed.

 

[LydiaJoy]

I can see them also displaying what the price will be for each person depending on their own personal social credit score. For example, if your score is within this range it’s $5.00, next range $5.50 etc…

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Special prices for Christians

Prices with jab vs without jab

Prices for military and Veterans

Prices for seniors

Prices for transgenders and other LGBTQABCXYZ

When (not if) sharia hits, prices for muslims vs dhimmis, vs everyone else

 

[Baby Yoda]

I thought this was going to be an article about how they would post nutrition info electronically.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I thought this was going to be an article about how they would post nutrition info electronically.

Don't give them any ideas. They could more easily hide the bad stuff from us

 

[Tall Timbers]

Many years ago some stores had gone to digital pricing where I lived but it was short lived for some reason. Maybe the computing and software package wasn't good enough back then... it was quite a while ago.

With the horrible idea of surge pricing I can envision grocery stores bumping up their prices on paydays when those consumers who have a difficult time with money management head to the grocery store because they've got money in their pockets.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I can easily see this happening at the Commissary because everyone gets paid on the same day

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I wonder if this will get tied to loyalty programs, and somehow allow one to scan and pay for each item as it's put in the cart, or hopefully at least lock in the price from the time one scans an item until one checks out.

I don't hold out much hope for the second one, at least not at WF, as Amazon changes the prices of items in the shopping cart all the time. Sometimes the price is a little lower, but usually higher, and every once in awhile, a LOT higher

 

[Tall Timbers]

I can easily see this happening at the Commissary because everyone gets paid on the same day

Except the commissary charges its cost for items and adds a 5% surcharge to the price. You used to be able to save a lot of money at the commissary, but I don't buy much there anymore. I spend less by shopping the sales in town. The commissary still brags about saving us XX%, but their method of figuring doesn't capture reality.

Retail is always crowded in the middle and end of the month when most people get paid. I try to avoid grocery shopping during those times but sometimes forget and find the parking lots quite full. Costco is an especially good place to avoid on paydays... they get crazy busy.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I don't hold out much hope for the second one, at least not at WF, as Amazon changes the prices of items in the shopping cart all the time. Sometimes the price is a little lower, but usually higher, and every once in awhile, a LOT higher

So, is whole foods already doing the price manipulation?

Amazon itself is constantly changing the price on stuff. When I want something from Amazon I add it to my list, then watch the price for a good while until I'm familiar with the price range, then buy at or near the low end. A mattress I bought years ago ranged from about $180 to over $800. I bought it for about $200.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

So, is whole foods already doing the price manipulation?

Amazon itself is constantly changing the price on stuff. When I want something from Amazon I add it to my list, then watch the price for a good while until I'm familiar with the price range, then buy at or near the low end. A mattress I bought years ago ranged from about $180 to over $800. I bought it for about $200.

I don't think so, but there have been some times when I thought the price was higher at the register than on the shelf, and it wasn't stock day, and I atributed it to me misreading the shelf tag or misremembering. Sale prices vary week to week and sometimes there's an unadvertised weekend sale.
Prime members also get an extra 10 percent off sale prices, and there are Prime member-only sales. I see this last one mainly in produce.

As far as price changes like surge pricing, I haven't seen it, but then again, WF still has regular shelf tags. They've been changing lighting and the inventory-ordering system, which has been giving the meat department fits in the store I usually go to. It looks as if the lighting is placed insuch a way that cameras can better view customer behavior. IDK if tocatch shoplifters or watch customer behavior so prices can be adjusted if/when a surge pricing model happens.

The new lighting makes it really hard for me to really see the produce well when selecting something, and it makes me feel uncomfortable and vaguely headachey/eye-strainy/nauseaus. I think it's the combination of the new lighting and my astigmatism. It's not just WF, as new lighting at the Wednesday church Sanctuary makes me functionally blind, as in unable to read a hymnal or hard-copy Bible

 

[Tall Timbers]

At Wal*Mart the price is often a little bit higher than what it was marked in the aisle. I've never been able to figure out if it is poor pricing management or if it is done on purpose to increase a store's profit. Usually it's not enough for me to cry foul and try to get the price changed because it would take a good while to have an employee go check the price marked in the aisle and then get word to the person working the register(s).

When we had a Sam's Club in Fairbanks and the price rung up higher and I'd bring it to the attention of the person checking us out, they'd just shrug and say the price is what it is...

 

[mattfivefour]

I guess I'm just cantankerous in my old age, but I will usually argue about any variation in price where the checkout price is higher than the shelf price. Walmart is very bad for that. I make use of my phone camera in the store and take a picture of the facings and the shelf price for any item that seems to me to be low priced. That way I have the evidence at the checkout.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Except the commissary charges its cost for items and adds a 5% surcharge to the price. You used to be able to save a lot of money at the commissary, but I don't buy much there anymore. I spend less by shopping the sales in town. The commissary still brags about saving us XX%, but their method of figuring doesn't capture reality.

Retail is always crowded in the middle and end of the month when most people get paid. I try to avoid grocery shopping during those times but sometimes forget and find the parking lots quite full. Costco is an especially good place to avoid on paydays... they get crazy busy.

There's no commissary here unless I drive multiple hours.

The commissary used to be a good deal in some places, or for some items. Formula and diapers. Some dairy. Case lot sales. P&G sales. Dog and cat food and treats (when grocery store pet food was safe) and kitty litter. A lot of times, not for small packages for one or two people, and not after the meat quality went seriously downhill in the mid 80s.

 

[Tall Timbers]

There's no commissary here unless I drive multiple hours.

The commissary used to be a good deal in some places, or for some items. Formula and diapers. Some dairy. Case lot sales. P&G sales. Dog and cat food and treats (when grocery store pet food was safe) and kitty litter. A lot of times, not for small packages for one or two people, and not after the meat quality went seriously downhill in the mid 80s.

Until the last several years we bought almost all our dairy from the commissary. Now I get almost all of that in town for less.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I guess I'm just cantankerous in my old age, but I will usually argue about any variation in price where the checkout price is higher than the shelf price. Walmart is very bad for that. I make use of my phone camera in the store and take a picture of the facings and the shelf price for any item that seems to me to be low priced. That way I have the evidence at the checkout.

Believe me, deep down I want to, but at Wal*Mart in particular I don't think they've ever corrected a price for me.

 

[3Nails4Given]

I guess I'm just cantankerous in my old age, but I will usually argue about any variation in price where the checkout price is higher than the shelf price. Walmart is very bad for that. I make use of my phone camera in the store and take a picture of the facings and the shelf price for any item that seems to me to be low priced. That way I have the evidence at the checkout.

A penny argued is a penny earned

My dearly departed mom would argue it to the penny. One day at Dairy Queen she sent the banana splits back because the bananas were upside down. I walked around the corner of the restaurant and acted like I didn’t know her.

That was probably close to 50 years ago. My sister and I still remember it like it was yesterday. But hey, when they were done we had three perfect banana splits, “Just like the picture.”

 

[mattfivefour]

One day at Dairy Queen she sent the banana splits back because the bananas were upside down. I walked around the corner of the restaurant and acted like I didn’t know her.

That is hilarious! I'm not at that point yet, brother!

 

[Margery]

That's that Dynamic Pricing tactic at work. THEFT from the consumer.

BTW I love my iPhone for the same reason, saves me traipsing back with a store employee to come back with yeah she's right to the cashier.

Here in Canada there is a consumer law that if the price is less than $10 and they charged you wrong, you get it for free. If it's over $10 you get $10 off. You have to fix them with a beady eye and recite the law to them, but they know it and will give the full refund and hand you the item.

here's the details: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/price-code-free-1.6263904

The catch is that it's voluntary, not all stores abide by it, and I think the onset of the Dynamic or Surge Pricing will probably see an end to it.

AND I think there might be some pressure due to inflation for the stores to use the Surge pricing model. Even here.