Instacart variable pricing

[Axtremus]

Study confirms that different Instacart shoppers who picked the same item from the same store at the same time have been charged different prices.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/business/instacart-algorithmic-pricing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7U8.ID3Z.eW_vHBG0G4lS

Instacart says the stores are running pricing experiments. Some stores denied this. Other stores stayed mum.

Maybe Liz and Bernie have a point about retailers price gouging after all.

[jon-nyc]

I’m all for differential pricing to clear shortages but when they do it because they think person A or person B is willing to pay more I get miffed.

[RealPlayer]

I’m so old I had to look up what Instacart is.

Yeah, surveillance pricing. The Times had a little video presentation about it the other day. I don’t like it. For online shopping I guess you could shop in Private mode or use a VPN? I think?

[jon-nyc]

In some cases. If you need to log in to shop then they know who you are.

[Amanda]

How could they not know who you are if you have to provide your address for delivery and ID yourself to pay for it via whatever payment you use? (Might they base their charges by zipcode?)

[Daniel]

Instacart is a minor miracle. You can do your shopping at Publix (and many other places including hardware stores) and they bring your order to your home.

It is very expensive, however.

@realplayer I'm guessing you don't do a lot of shopping at large grocery stores.

[Daniel]

I think the concept much like the concept of hyper-surveillance is very unpleasant.