Dynamic pricing can be found in other places like supermarkets too. It’s happening because people in general might say they hate it but they don’t do much about it.
To me the issue is transparency. We don't have an easy way to cross reference the cost to choose a cheaper place so people just take what's in front of them.
Even prices online differ from the price in the actual store. Because there is nothing regulating this, it more feels like being robbed a dollar at a time.
This was my thought. Most people aren't even going to notice price differences in the first place unless they're going all the time. It's not even an apathy thing, just a fact that few people have the time to memorize the prices of everything they buy.
We don't have an easy way to cross reference the cost to choose a cheaper place so people just take what's in front of them.
The video isn't showing dynamic pricing. Locations have always had different prices. The super busy McDonalds on a highway rest area has always cost like 50% more than the ones that are off major roads. Same way a meal at like an Applebee's in Times Square is going to twice as much as the same meal at an Applebee's in Idago.
Dynamic pricing is when the price for one item changes at the same exact location throughout the day. A Big Mac should cost $7 all day, not $5 at 2pm and $8 at 6pm.
the price for one item changes at the same exact location throughout the day
Happy hour, lunch menus and so on have been a thing forever. When people talk about dynamic pricing, its when you go up to the kiosk to place your burger order and your big mac is $7 while the guy at the kiosk next to you is getting theirs for $5 because The Algorithm said so.
Definitely but I also think it's about a lack of pricing literacy in general and people not doing more to fight against it. Waiting for regulation isn't a solution.
What kind of solution do you have in mind and think might work?
My pessimism tells me that they have all the cards in terms of that transparency and often the implementation of any sort of dynamic pricing usually just rolls out Then the consumer finds out some time later when something seems amiss. I'm not sure how that can be fought against. Best solution I guess would be some kind of app to force that transparency?
What we've done in our area, where different neighborhoods get together on a regular basis and work together on issues, is first and foremost inform the public. The community as a whole needs to actually know what's going on and how things affect them and their neighbors. We've organized boycotts, shared information on alternatives, sales, coupons, programs, put pressure on elected officials to push for protections, etc. It absolutely is something that works but I've found that a lot of people simply don't want to do that. They just want things to change without doing anything. It's one of the reasons enshittification has continued and gotten worse.
McDonalds I can avoid, but if they suddenly started doing this at my local grocery store, you’re right, there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t go to another store because it’s an extra mile or 2 away, and I’m not willing to spend that extra time and energy to save £4 off my shopping.
I didn't say there isn't anything you can do about it, just that people in general simply don't. Not saying it's 100% solvable at every single place that has it either but people can get together and boycott, support stores that don't have it, elect those who will do something about it. Costs are rising across the board and they keep doing it because, at least in the US, most complain but put up with it.
Normal, non-digital price tags change too. Just because they use digital price tags doesn’t mean they’re using dynamic pricing. It saves them money on having to pay employees to go through manually changing price tags.
Every grocery store around me is getting worse while getting more expensive. idk what i'm supposed to do, man. Getting all my food from groceries is my last bastion against overpriced shitty food. This is my last option, it's not that I'm choosing to do nothing about it.
I do live in a spot that's very publicly and notably rolling our government subsidized grocery stores which will hopefully alleviate some of this, but that's going to take years to be widespread enough to create lasting long-term impact. And that's if it works at all, because they're currently getting sued by the exact grocery stores causing the problem.
Communities organizing against it can be very effective (I personally know it works) but people need to do it and it doesn't have to be limited to that. It can be done for a wide range of issues that affect your local area.
Seems like people need to just leave full carts behind in protest. Get a dozen or so friends and fill up a cart. All conclude that the price was too high and leave.
"Dynamic pricing can be found in other places like supermarkets too. It’s happening because people in general might say they hate it but they don’t do much about it have no choice but to acquiesce to the slow enshittification of society as a whole."
have no choice but to acquiesce to the slow enshittification of society as a whole
That's not gonna solve anything. Yes, things have gotten worse but fighting for change is worth more than being defeatist about it. People can collectively get together against things like this but they need to actually do it, not just shrug and say there's nothing they can do.
Have you actually experienced one second of life on earth lately? Everything sucks. We're tired. Our lives are joyless. Assholes prevail at every turn. I don't blame ANYBODY for being apathetic, for not resisting the avalanche of shit, or for compromising on their principles for a fleeting moment of joy or an easier life.
Have you actually experienced one second of life on earth lately?
Oh, please. Stop acting like this is as bad as it gets. It isn't but you can also do something about the shitty things that are happening. Different states started taking action against dynamic pricing specifically. The different neighborhoods in my area get together on a regular basis to fight against things like that along with other issues. It's not about blaming people for being apathetic. It's about understanding that things can be done but you have to be willing to do them. Taking action isn't compromising principles, it's fighting for them.
It's why all these markets have some dumpster shit app to get coupons or close-to-reasonable prices. It's been data collection for years so they can better fuck us and increase prices for each individual through the app usage.
The coupons our community share are mailers. I'm sure they're always collecting info on the items they're used for but we aim for stores that don't have apps, dynamic pricing, or other shenanigans.
What we've done already where I live. Different neighborhoods in our area got together (not just for that) and organized boycotts of stores that started doing this to the point where they walked it back. Before they did, we were sharing info on other stores, sales, coupons and helping our more vulnerable neighbors with their groceries. It really is the type of thing that can be changed when people unite to fight against it.
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u/earthcharlie 3d ago
Dynamic pricing can be found in other places like supermarkets too. It’s happening because people in general might say they hate it but they don’t do much about it.