Automation in Retail Is Even Worse Than You Thought
New technology is not just making shopping more challenging for workers and consumers—it’s poised to rip off the most vulnerable.
www.thenation.com
Kroger using facial recognition tech to change prices based on your ability to pay
- Thread starter cowman82
- Start date
www.thenation.com
Mrcopier
Well-known member
Wow now that's fair 
simme
Old Dumb Guy
The link takes you to a liberal article that quotes the wisdom of Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Senator Elizabeth Warren - concerned that technology can be used to discriminate against poor people and cause price gouging.
Here is a snippet of info from the article that sort of tells me the intent. Claims that these electronic labels are heating up the stores and causing climate change.
"Technology that functions as intended may still be cause for concern. Tom Geiger is the special projects director of Local 3000 in Washington. He told The Nation that employees at Fred Meyer (a chain owned by Kroger) have complained about electronic labels heating up stores. "These digital strips that relay this information, they literally emit heat that makes the stores warmer than it would be otherwise." Geiger cited the negative impact to people and the planet. "I don't know how much energy that is using. Wouldn't you want shoppers and workers to be comfortable? And how much is it costing?" He believes that the public deserves to know the real costs of store automation."
Here is a snippet of info from the article that sort of tells me the intent. Claims that these electronic labels are heating up the stores and causing climate change.
"Technology that functions as intended may still be cause for concern. Tom Geiger is the special projects director of Local 3000 in Washington. He told The Nation that employees at Fred Meyer (a chain owned by Kroger) have complained about electronic labels heating up stores. "These digital strips that relay this information, they literally emit heat that makes the stores warmer than it would be otherwise." Geiger cited the negative impact to people and the planet. "I don't know how much energy that is using. Wouldn't you want shoppers and workers to be comfortable? And how much is it costing?" He believes that the public deserves to know the real costs of store automation."
Ky hills
Well-known member
Bottom line a price should be the price.
Not less or more expensive for somebody else, that's outright discrimination, and predatory business practices.
We have a Krogers grocery here locally, and it's our preferred place to buy milk, meat and produce.
There is Krogers milk plant here that bottles their milk as well as the milk for our local Save A Lot grocery. The milk plant also makes cottage cheese and other dairy products there. Regional milk truck drivers used to get aggravated by their quality control, as they would often be rejected and had to go to other plants in southern KY or West Virginia with their milk. We think it to be the best milk currently available here.
I have noticed that it is really aggravating the way that Krogers is currently displaying sale prices.
They have a sale price marked for most items, usually with some kind of gimmick like 10 for 10, of participating items, now it's changed to 4 for 4 or 5 for 5 and the items are more specific and sometimes advertisements for the sale are I believe purposely placed over other products not included in that particular sale. You have to literally stop and read the fine print word for word at each item if you want the discount. A while back we saw a sale displayed over some Coca Cola products and thought we would get in in that to donate to our church for a fellowship meal that was coming up . We get to the checkout counter and the sale was for a six pack bottles rather than for the 24 pack of cans that the sale display was sitting on top of.
That sort of thing happens a lot there and it's pretty aggravating. I think it's done on purpose with the intention that most people will probably go on and make the purchase whether they get the sale price or not.
Then there's the way they started doing digital coupons and codes instead of in store which is more complicated for a lot elderly folks who don't have the phones to access it.
I've become increasingly not impressed with Krogers business model.
Not less or more expensive for somebody else, that's outright discrimination, and predatory business practices.
We have a Krogers grocery here locally, and it's our preferred place to buy milk, meat and produce.
There is Krogers milk plant here that bottles their milk as well as the milk for our local Save A Lot grocery. The milk plant also makes cottage cheese and other dairy products there. Regional milk truck drivers used to get aggravated by their quality control, as they would often be rejected and had to go to other plants in southern KY or West Virginia with their milk. We think it to be the best milk currently available here.
I have noticed that it is really aggravating the way that Krogers is currently displaying sale prices.
They have a sale price marked for most items, usually with some kind of gimmick like 10 for 10, of participating items, now it's changed to 4 for 4 or 5 for 5 and the items are more specific and sometimes advertisements for the sale are I believe purposely placed over other products not included in that particular sale. You have to literally stop and read the fine print word for word at each item if you want the discount. A while back we saw a sale displayed over some Coca Cola products and thought we would get in in that to donate to our church for a fellowship meal that was coming up . We get to the checkout counter and the sale was for a six pack bottles rather than for the 24 pack of cans that the sale display was sitting on top of.
That sort of thing happens a lot there and it's pretty aggravating. I think it's done on purpose with the intention that most people will probably go on and make the purchase whether they get the sale price or not.
Then there's the way they started doing digital coupons and codes instead of in store which is more complicated for a lot elderly folks who don't have the phones to access it.
I've become increasingly not impressed with Krogers business model.
Travlr
Well-known member
From a quick google search: Ad Fontes Media rates The Nation in the Hyper-Partisan Left category of bias and as Mixed Reliability/Opinion OR Other Issues in terms of reliability.
And yet I don't automatically discount the idea that nefarious practices exist, or will, in the future. The more we give our own authority away by our lax attitudes and a willingness to take whatever is given to us, the worse it will be and the more difficult to recover.
Even words like these, written on a public forum, could become a reason to change a price. True 1984/Big Brother stuff, but it is what it is.
And yet I don't automatically discount the idea that nefarious practices exist, or will, in the future. The more we give our own authority away by our lax attitudes and a willingness to take whatever is given to us, the worse it will be and the more difficult to recover.
Even words like these, written on a public forum, could become a reason to change a price. True 1984/Big Brother stuff, but it is what it is.
whisperingpinesnh
Well-known member
This is another case of overuse of technology for no other reason than to implement technology. It's way out of hand, and we only see the tip of the iceberg. None of this is improving lives, as they claim. It's a foolish waste of money and other resources. We don't have many box stores within a 50 mile radius, and I couldn't tell you where the nearest Kroger or Costco is, but every time I see stuff like this, I'm satisfied with my choice to grow/raise my food and preserve it, limiting the need for any visits to the outside world.
Spot & Bubby
Well-known member
It doesn'tsay "based on ability to pay." They might be social profiling, a la Sixth Sense tech. I imagine it's come a long way by now! 15 years.
Example at 6:49.
Example at 6:49.
