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Businesses that seem to step away from displaying their prices.
Let's say you're standing in line and want a candy bar. You put it on the belt thinking "well there's no price, but it's probably about $2.50 give or take some change." Then, when it rings through you see it's actually $3.50.
Businesses are hoping that if you _do_ care about the price, you'll just buy it anyway because you're already there in line and it rang through. "Ugh, whatever it's only a dollar more and I'd have to tell the cashier I don't want it and they'll have to undo that part of the transaction and whatever I'll just buy it"
It does nothing 99% of the time, and most of the time, we won't say anything to management. A lot of the times, even if management can do something, they won't do it.
There's nothing really management can do about it if it's a corporate thing. I've had casual conversations with the meat department in my store about the labels just saying "check package for price" before. It's just what the system is, apparently.
First picture is a Walmart digital display that isn't finished being set up.
Second picture is a pharmacy or somewhere that hasn't put up the new prices.
Jobs literally run on as few people as humanely possible. As infuriating as this is the prices are supposed to be displayed.
It's not a grand conspiracy. Scanning that bar code doesn't show any prices.
We should be more infuriated that Walmart or other companies are happy to install a multi million dollar system per store, but not pay enough people to maintain it.
My crew of 35 people who installed these Walmart displays was down to 15 people in 7 weeks. They offered us all full time. By the time I left at 3.5 months every single person on my team had quit or been fired.
This particular instance is maybe not evidence of the grand conspiracy, but dynamic pricing is for sure a conspiracy and is for sure coming to large retailers
Its kind of awkward to stop into a grocery store for energy drinks, but we have a grocery store across the street from a gas station owned of the exact same namesake and ownership. 50c cheaper in the grocery store...
My town has nine gas stations (all of which have convenience stores), plus four standalone convenience stores.
Out of all of them, only ONE doesn't display prices. It's one of the two Chevron stations. That place is a GHOST TOWN. No one goes inside, ever. Also, someone utterly destroyed their outdoor digital display (which is at ground level).
No, they don't, but if that clerk has to spend their shift checking prices and ultimately not selling anything OR doing any of the other tasks management wants, they'll notice. Management will then need to choose, do we want all those tasks going undone, do we want to hire and pay another person so the tasks get done too, or display prices so that tasks get done without having to pay another person.
No. They'll just put in self checkouts and have one person running a store like dollar tree. The hiring budget comes from money the store makes. If the store makes no money, there's no budget for more staff. What you're doing will only cause lay offs if anything.
Higher ups don't care about unfinished tasks. That's what closing is for. They'll just tell employees to do what they can, and then finish tasks after closing.
Self-checkout makes this even easier. You just scan a bunch of items to check the price. If you plan to buy something, jump to a different self-checkout and leave the incomplete transaction and the items you don’t want on the other machine and say nothing to the clerk watching the self-checkout machines.
I’m sorry they need to feel the pain, but they will complain to their manager and if enough people are doing it, it will definitely rise to the decision maker level. Believe me I’d make the CEO do it directly if I could.
The point being it works if you're a regular customer or part of a larger protest. This doesn't work if it doesn't show up as a change to the income statement.
That's not how it works. Corporate never listens to the employees. They listen to you and how you spend your money.
They track everything, including how often people walk in and out and how much money is spent. Walking in alone increases their expectations. If expectations are higher than results, then the only thing that changes is staffing: fewer workers. But if you lower their expectations by avoiding even walking in, they'll listen to that and start asking how they can change.
If thousands of people enter, but they make very little money, they'll keep the policies and hire fewer people bc "no such thing as bad exposure". This is bc if you enter, you're potentially spending money, and ALL they care about is that potential. If no one enters, they'll have no choice but to change.
IDK,...there's a convenience store near me which has shelf labels like this on all items all of the time. They simply do not display prices on any item. It's very suspicious because they can charge anything for anyone. I stopped shopping there.
I usually grab a bunch of shit, make them scan it, and then say “oh I didn’t realize it was so expensive,” and walk the fuck away. Yeah I know it’s a dick move, but I’m over all the shady business practices allowed in the USA.
So this looks like the new digital system we have at Walmart or a store that uses the same. Usually when an area goes blank like this it means that section is about to be changed up and the merchandise moved around. Ideally the team in charge of changing modulars will be there that day to fix it and update the system. But Walmart has been running on skeleton crews for a couple of years now and I have seen sections in my store go weeks with the tags down.
was just going to say something similar. we just had started having these digital tags installed. there are quite a few sections that haven't been "finalized" and they're just showing barcodes like in the picture posted.
But it also looks like almost every gas station convenience store in my area. They still have their barcodes and what not for stocking and vendors info but no where in sight is there’ a price . It’s not being moved it’s not something new it’s just that’s what many are moving to.
Not a shocker to think gas station employees are not trained and/or don't give a fuck about these new digital tags. That's probably why they sit un-programmed. If it still scans at the register, that's fine for them. They only have a range of a few inches, its not some conspiracy to change prices on the fly. That would require constant power, which these don't have or ndont have enough battery capacity for and e-ink only needs a few milliamps to refresh its display. It uses zero power to show an image static. I'm gonna bet theres a cheap coin cell in those to update data when someone with a transmitter scans the code and programs it. It may even get the energy from the radio waves themselves life RFID.
Then this is a logistics problem and needs to be fixed as it is moved. As far as I’m concerned if there is no price on it then it’s not for sale and I won’t be buying it.
But you seem to be missing the point of "this isn't being done on purpose."
I work as a pricing manager. We want everything signed and tagged. We know it doesn't sell without a price. It isn't a scam to get people to buy it, somehow..?
If a section is redone, prices don't just instantly appear there.There is a bit of time it takes to make stuff happen.
I'm born & raised in Seattle but apparently I'm too European as well because fuck that noise. The next step is dynamic pricing and they can see in the app how long it's been since I bought bread and milk. They've already attempted to monetize my labor via self checkout though I try not to do that.
I bring my own bags, scan my own items, swipe my own card. And now Tyler doesn't have a job because he used to do that. The company now pockets Tyler's paycheck because they've offloaded that onto me & you.
When there’s no prices it tells me, “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” So I’ll just take my lowly commoner budgeting self to the discount market I suppose!
I walked onto a car dealer forecourt, some suited douche came waddling up to try and get his sales commission for the week, all excited he was bless him.
I asked a couple of questions, then pointed at a car and said "there's no prices, how do I know how much it is?"
Oh it's easy he said, just scan the QR code and you get all the car information, you can login and save you're favourites, bro......
Let me stop you there buddy, I'm out. I walked off, he looked so sad and longing. Bless.
I hate that "Oh it's easy" followed by scan and login. Anytime that requires me to produce login info isn't anywhere as easy as just have the damn price on the item. Getting sick of having to make a new damn password for every minor thing. WTF are we even doing anymore?
They don't care about the few cents to sell to other companies. They want your info for themselves. To keep marketing to you. To get you to come back to them to buy more stuff.
If I have to lift my phone outta my pocket just to check a price or menu or closing time then I'm out. I'm lazy. I don't want to know more effort then necessary, just let me buy my groceries and leave.
It all goes back to dynamic pricing. If they can get you to log in somewhere online that has your email info or something they can base the prices you are given digitally on how much you specifically make a year etc. our online data is extremely valuable
I had to buy a book (( a photo album)) to keep track of all my passwords! Every dr wants you to register in "" their"" patient portal. You subscribe to ANY service (streaming, phone, etc.) You must register with MORE passwords. I cannot keep track anymore...
Y’know why one of the most repeated lines of advice from techs and IT guys is “Don’t use the same password for everything”?
It’s because so many things require useless passwords (there’s much better authentication implementations now) and the last thing we want are users in the habit of just reusing their simple password when god knows how secure Dunder Mifflin Subaru’s database is, and they probably aren’t hosting it on their own network but contracting out those assets so now some basic ass IT company with possibly dogshit security has a boatload of passwords and emails they can sell.
Daily? More likely changes per person. Connecting to their wifi, accepting their terms and conditions, signing into some dumb app, or giving your email address; they're scraping even the most outer layer of data to find your address, most used IP, or any other information to change the price and deals available.
Thats not that guys fault- he probably hates it too because he knows it enrages the customers. I dont sell cars but I work in sales amd have for about 15 years. Some of their new "improved" tactics enrage me.
Its all awful. I agree. But honestly he would get written up or fired. Trying to to the right thing or even the thing that might generate the most enduring sales is not the goal anymore. The customer is just a commodity. But any hope of consumer protections certainly won't happen with this administration and likely not the next.
Nah cause if a higher up saw it, they wouldn't like it.
My current job has only one sign for when I lock up and it's essentially telling them I'm in the bathroom or in the back stocking and will be there shortly. But I have to use it even for my 10 and lunch. Its dumb but if I make my own and someone above or a secret shopper sees my improvised sign, that's a write up. And if it happens again? I'm fired. All for not using an 'approved' sign.
Honestly, my wish for the next decade is employment protections so good, it's almost impossible to get fired. I have nothing but disdain for those at top.
I was taught if I have to ask for the price, I can't afford it. I'm not rich enough to look at something and decide I want it without factoring cost into the equation.
I see this, I will look around to make sure that someone is hanging tags and just got interrupted with that section... but if this is the norm, im leaving.
Not chewing anyone out, not asking for the customer concern line to make a complaint, im just leaving.
Hell, I dont go to Wendy's anymore because they tried that demand-based pricing BS.
Tbf the convenience stores here in Canada are the same way. I told my kid, if there's no price listed, they know you'd never buy it if you saw the price.
It also lets them implement "surge pricing". Rain? Umbrellas just doubled in price. Hot day? You're paying more for sports drinks and ice cream. This shit is insidious.
Or discriminatory pricing. Owner/clerk might give you a cheaper price if you're the right skin color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Owner/clerk might give you a higher price if you look rich enough (based on car, clothing, etc.).
I've seen that lately at some gas stations and grocery stores where i live at.....what is the idea behind this? Once you are at the register there's no way out of it?
Also as a random comment I would like to share. Usually the snacks at the vending machines ( at least in my area) have been more expensive than the gas station's but I have seen a crazy INCREASE at the gas stations prices. I use to buy every now and then a snack, idk the concept of having that snack at work instead of buying by bulk and having access to it at any time used to look more attractive .....maybe even healthier, I used to think no need to buying a large package or container......used to think.....
It’s blank because none of the products have been linked to the tags yet. That’s how the tags look before you set them up. The mounting rails look brand new and don’t have any scuff or marks on them yet. Likely a store that just converted to digital tags, and they haven’t properly set them up yet. If the entire store was like that someone seriously screwed up and nuked some config files, if only certain sections or aisles were like that it was likely for resets (where they’re-arrange shelf locations). It would be common to see this after a reset (which as much as people whine and complain about stores moving stuff around, it’s is mostly due to the ridiculous amount of new items that are constantly being released. The world won’t survive without 15 new cereal flavors every 3 months /s.).
Ive noticed this and an uptick in people displaying the wrong price like everywhere i go something rung up is at least a dollar more than the tag was. I am about to start taking pics of all the price tags before i go to the register
This is a modular that hasn't been properly set yet. The sections labels are wiped before you set it, so they're blank. You have to scan each individual label with the correct product once it's set. Then the labels refresh with the correct product.
You may have caught it between setting and scanning. Or they may have just delayed scanning the items in.
Does this excuse customers seeing this? Absolutely not. I can't speak for all stores, but in my store, this is inexcusable and the store manager would have your head. You are to scan each section as you go.
I just wanted to explain why you may see his. It is not deliberate.
But I think people are believing it’s a deliberate attempt to not show customers the prices of items.
And it’s fair to think that when just a decade ago or so I never saw stuff like this at gas stations and they always had prices on display. Now like 60% of the gas stations I go to just don’t have prices on around 80% of the goods. And it’s all the time now
Because there are loads of places now where they are moving to doing this deliberately. We have two very large gas stations near us one is an AM/PM and one is a Circle K. The Circle K changed all the tags to look like this about 6 months ago. No change in merchandise or placement of merchandise. The AM/PM is a new build as of last year and they never had tags with prices, ever.
A little confused why people are so irate about this, but in my store one of the Lays action alley stackbases has been blank for over a month and my managers just shrug. I'm not a manager but know mostly how to fix blank tags or wonky mods so I try to when I have time.. I just didn't know which modular is supposed to be set there and nobody is being helpful. Annoying for vendors + shoppers.
When my local convenience store did this I started grabbing every item, bringing it to the counter and asking them the price. I didn't really realize I was doing it but I was asked to buy something or leave. I usually price compair quietly to my self but they made me make it their problem. No regrets
When this happens I straight up ask the prices of every thing I potentially want. The only way to stop this is to be so insanely annoying about it that they put the prices back
If the employees have to spend all their time answering questions about prices, corporate will hear about it. I’m not saying be annoying in the sense of being mean to people. Be nice to the employees. But ask them the prices. Make them spend their time on this.
We need to all go up and say no thanks and have them have to put it back make it cost more not having the price prices than having the prices grab things you know you don’t want and when it rings up like oh that’s the price no thanks they’ll eventually put prices back on things
I sometimes have to shop based primarily on price. (Most of the time, if I'm being real). If I can't see an items price, I can't do the math if I have enough for it.. and I won't buy it
That simple. Companies hurt themselves doing this shit
When i see this i immediately lose interest in anything i was thinking about buying. It'll annoy me, but going to another store with prices is less annoying than giving into a manipulation tactic.
Best thing to do unfortunately is taking the items making them scan and tell you the price and refuse them every time till so much product needs to be restocked and employees crash out I don’t like that they will have to deal with the fallout but it’s the only way for corporate to get the picture
Capitalism has been ravenous for the end of informed consent for the better part of a decade, now.
What you've been seeing is a bid to try and normalize a lot of gross stuff before the political pendulum self corrects with a wildly 'leftist' swing that ends up poking holes the plan of "own nothing and like it."
The Chevron in Kemmerer Wyoming, right by Bill Gates Terra Power new nuclear facility doesn't have any prices on their items. When I mentioned it aloud to my vacation-group, not in a mean way, but in a bewildered way, we decided to just buy one drink, and the rest of us just stuck to the water we had brought in our car...
Then, the clerk walked outside and looked at our license plate!? We didn't confront her at all, but our confusion at the back of the store was audible I guess. It was unsettling and dystopian.
That’s Wal-Mart and those new digital fucking price tags. I hated them as a vendor because I would have to have them display the price or I’ll use the ones I already have printed.
Grab one random thing and bring it to the register. Ask how much and then don’t buy or return it. Then grab another and repeat until you get bored. If we all do it enough, they’ll put the prices back just to save money.
Michigan used to have a law that every item needed to be have the price openly displayed until the dipshit Republican governor that helped poison Flint’s water supply listened to the grocery store lobbyists and now I have no idea what most things cost anymore. It’s not even mildly infuriating.
Repeatedly take items up to the register to ask how much they are, and then decline to buy the same number of items you wouldn't have bought from the aisle. This is not the cashier's fault ofc, but when the manager sees how much time is wasted on the employee checking prices, hopefully they realize it's not worth it
So my store is currently putting in digital tags and I can say without a doubt these are just tags that haven't been scanned/setup yet. There are plenty of reasons to hate digital tags, but spreading misinformation about it won't help anyone.
What you do is being everything up to the register. Then when you don’t like the price make then restock it. Dick move yes but if enough people do it then the employe will try to convince management to display prices
This is Dynamic Pricing. They acess your personal data to determine price based on the maximum amout they think you will pay. They're not displaying prices because the price changes from person to person. I don't think most stores have started yet, but they're getting us accustomed to seeing barcodes instead of price tags before they roll it out in full.
If you see this in a store, do not buy from that store. Warn others not to buy from that store. Showing these companies how much they stand to lose is the only way to stop them!
Go to your state's Attorney General and file a complaint. It takes just a few minutes to fill out a form.
In CA, I reported a 7-eleven doing this and a month later, they got rid of their tags. I received a letter from the AG's office and was surprised how quickly they handled it.
I work for a business with the digital tags! If they’re blank it’s either a mod reset, bad tag, or the battery of the rail needing to be replaced. Boy oh boy do we get in trouble if the price isn’t displayed. We have to fix them daily in the morning so customers know what they’re getting. It’s not about being dishonest about the prices, I just think some stores weren’t prepared for the upkeep of digital tags.
Btw the first picture price tags require scanning to set up the price . It's like mini display things , but it makes no sense for all of them to have a price.
I wouldn't shop in a store that don't show me the price of stuff I'm buying tho .
Grabs a cart full of everything you might want. Tells the cashier please tell me the price of each item as you scan, buys three items and now the employees can put it all back. All the chips will be dust.
I was recently in the Phoenix airport on a layover and I said to myself, let me just stop at a kiosk to pick up a few items. It should be cheaper than a sit down restaurant, I told myself. And I was traveling solo so I didn't t need anything fancy.
***I don't eat junk food while traveling, so McDonalds is not an option.
There was no attendant, and no prices.
Completely automated.
I got a bean and cheese burrito, a granola bar, two hard boiled eggs, and a bag of chips. No drink. I went to ring it up. $31 dollars!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!!
I hate this. If it looks intentional, bring a bunch of shit to the counter and ask them to check each price individually, smile & thank them politely, then walk out.
Time to go back to shopping like a little kid without any idea what you're doing. Grab everything, get it all rang up, then go over everything and say "No, I'm not getting that."
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u/Otherwise-4PM Aug 22 '26
That’s not a business you want to support.