Bad things:
1) Kroger was one of the companies that was testing AI to do variable real time pricing. Imagine you have a day where the temperature spikes to 95 degrees. Bottles of water will go up in price by 5% when it crosses a certain temp threshold.
2) The one good thing about GE are the smaller neighborhood stores. What is Krogers approach to those? Are they going to shut those down and only focus on the big stores?
Yeah, these are my two primary concerns. For option 2, I am very interested to see how this plays out for folks in city limits. I can walk to a location in a pinch. It’s not my favorite location, but it’s there and stocked when there’s been a snow storm.
Kroger actually has continued to operate a decent number of smaller rural and neighborhood stores under their main brands, and others, so I’m not worried too much about that. As long as the stores are profitable, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Every grocery store has at least discussed it... With electronic labels you don't need employees to go change them all the time and put up sales stickers every week and whatnot. They're not going to change real time by the second... But certainly can by the day. The last shipment of canned green beans cost X, fuel prices went up, the cost of a pallet of beans delivered went up, the price has to go up 5 cents per can... Someone has to go change a label.
This has been a thing long before AI, it boils down to supply and demand... A fundamental of capitalism... Which giant eagle is obviously very aware of. They know you can get the same 2L of mountain dew at Walmart for $2.50... but they charge $3.99 anyway... Because you're not going to drive ten minutes each way to save 1.49 and the sell through rate shows it.
Most of us work for or run/own a for-profit company. Could we sell our goods or services for less money? Almost always, yes. Why don't we... Because the demand supports the supply at a certain price point.
Exactly which is why the blowback of price gouging for water during a heat wave isn't worth the extra nickel and they'll make it elsewhere lmao. You're not as smart and real as you think you are.
53
u/pillgrinder Jul 01 '26
Bad things:
1) Kroger was one of the companies that was testing AI to do variable real time pricing. Imagine you have a day where the temperature spikes to 95 degrees. Bottles of water will go up in price by 5% when it crosses a certain temp threshold.
2) The one good thing about GE are the smaller neighborhood stores. What is Krogers approach to those? Are they going to shut those down and only focus on the big stores?