The margins in grocery are razor thin. It’s a volume game…usually they have your cash before they need to pay the supplier with 30 days payment pretty standard in business.

I’m not saying they won’t do all you’re suggesting. I’m saying they’ll do both. Unless we prevent them with regulations and fines.

Some countries require pricing to be visible. I would assume, just like online, they will use algorithms and ai to figure out what price point gives the most profit. Its only trouble to set up. The corporate world doesn’t look at trouble. They look at cost. If the return investment is positive, they do it. If it’s high, they do it as a priority.

Not all retail is online. Much is but not all. Groceries is one that is often better in person for that evenings meal on the way home from work. It’s led to the rise of metro style supermarkets near transport hubs.

I a shop with 10 products, yes, I’d agree. In a supermarket with thousands of products, they can predict what you’re likely to buy if you’re a regular customer and you might be the only one buying those items that day.

I don’t expect them to do it overnight. First they roll them out for the cost savings. Just like they did with barcodes rather than price labels. Then they start to look at other savings or profit centres.

After a while it becomes, why wouldn’t they do it?

They don’t currently, but they could.

Take brand x on the shelf. Sold for $5 at a profit of $1. They sell 10 per week. You buy 2 if those every week, on Wednesday at about 6pm. Why not make them $5.50 next Wednesday and see what happens. Normal price on other days as no pattern identified.

Then once that’s successful, why not have beacons detecting your phone, or even the stores app feeding your location. Then they can update just for the hours you are there.

Oh, but you’ll say you swore it said $5 when you picked it off the shelf. The worker will say they have to charge what’s there now and what it scanned as. Your choice to purchase it or go look for something else.

They’ve already started all this crap with online purchasing. It’s just moving it to retail.

Better to be called a Nazi than to aid a Nazi.

Does that count? Or is the family home still the primary place of residence?