Althouse: "The price of a can of soda in a vending machine can now vary with the temperature outside."

April 21, 2017

"The price of a can of soda in a vending machine can now vary with the temperature outside."

"The price of the headphones Google recommends may depend on how budget-conscious your web history shows you to be, one study found. For shoppers, that means price — not the one offered to you right now, but the one offered to you 20 minutes from now, or the one offered to me, or to your neighbor — may become an increasingly unknowable thing."

22 comments:

Matt Sablan said...: When soda is priced like apartments.; 4/21/17, 9:46 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: The price of the headphones Google recommends may depend on how budget-conscious your web history shows you to be, one study found.

Is that because they are changing the price of the specific model of headphones? Or do they recommend different headphones based on your shopping habits? If the latter, it sounds pretty reasonable.

Note that even the former is similar to the way many non-commodities are sold. Salesmen are always adjusting prices based on how much they think a customer can pay, which depends on how much money the customer has, and how badly they want your product, among many other factors.; 4/21/17, 9:50 AM
rhhardin said...: It's how the poor got medical care before insurance.

The rich got charged more, the poor less.

It was the 50s textbook econ 101 example of a market where price does not clear it.

Non-transferable products was the key. You can beat it by making the product transferable.; 4/21/17, 9:51 AM
traditionalguy said...: Capitalism without pity.; 4/21/17, 9:51 AM
richlb said...: I shop Amazon frequently (using AmazonSmile to help a charity that does work for my niece - sorry, Althouse) and use a price checker. It's stunning how wildly some items can swing. Season items especially.; 4/21/17, 9:53 AM
Sprezzatura said...: "Capitalism without pity."

Not quite.

To go all the way the machine needs to use cameras to see how fat the customer is. Charge more for the big boned folks looking for a sugar fix.; 4/21/17, 9:54 AM
Gahrie said...: So would it be OK for bakers to triple their prices on wedding cakes for gay weddings?; 4/21/17, 10:03 AM
Just asking questions (Jaq) said...: To go all the way the machine needs to use cameras to see how fat the customer is.

You sure despise a lot of the people you are trying to convince to vote for your side... It's almost as if you were not too bright or something.... Naaah!; 4/21/17, 10:10 AM
Left Bank of the Charles said...: Just wait until you are able to book your soda on a hot day in advance using an app on your phone. Then some companies will start overbooking their soda machines. The police will be called in. Angry thirsty customers will be beaten and dragged away.; 4/21/17, 10:13 AM
traditionalguy said...: We will need a Federal Judge to enjoin sale of Pepsi Cola. It's not good for you, like an ice cold Coke.; 4/21/17, 10:18 AM
320Busdriver said...: "It's how the poor got medical care before insurance.

The rich got charged more, the poor less."

Isn't that the way it works now?

https://www.change.org/p/end-predatory-healthcare-pricing; 4/21/17, 10:22 AM
Oso Negro said...: Blogger Gahrie said...
So would it be OK for bakers to triple their prices on wedding cakes for gay weddings?

4/21/17, 10:03 AM

Sure! The cake for a gay wedding must be absolutely fabulous.; 4/21/17, 10:26 AM
David Baker said...: "We will need a Federal Judge to enjoin sale of Pepsi Cola."

Yes, because it's not fair to pineapple juice in Hawaii.; 4/21/17, 10:27 AM
M Jordan said...: Price, the most important signal in economics, is already bound and gagged in healthcare. If Repubs did nothing other than free price back into the marketplace, they would have done a great service.

When price is silenced, tyranny rules.; 4/21/17, 11:02 AM
n.n said...: It varies with demand and volume. Perhaps CAGW is a front for a class action lawsuit targeting carbonated soda producers.; 4/21/17, 11:23 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: n.n said...

Perhaps CAGW is a front for a class action lawsuit targeting carbonated soda producers.

If Big Soda had good lobbyists they'd already be getting government subsidies for their carbon sequestration.; 4/21/17, 11:46 AM
Sebastian said...: "It's how the poor got medical care before insurance. The rich got charged more, the poor less."

It's how college pricing works now, except that the Asian non-rich also get charged more.

Of course, the rich will also pay double through taxes, as the non-income-tax-paying non-rich default on their loans.; 4/21/17, 11:51 AM
Fred Drinkwater said...: Tossed this idea at a business / finance pro. Her immediate reaction was that software tools would immediately appear to bypass such price variation, by identity spoofing, price-match guarantees, etc.; 4/21/17, 12:35 PM
Owen said...: The spoofing and price-protection and machine-mediated arbitrage will be formidable. Also why should I bargain with somebody who will not tell me the "real" price? The brand equity will be damaged. Maybe within an announced range (see "surge pricing" for Uber) but I think
It is highly problematic at least for commodity products and services.; 4/21/17, 1:42 PM
Drago said...: "To go all the way the machine needs to use cameras to see how fat the customer is. Charge more for the big boned folks looking for a sugar fix"

Not so loud!! As if the dems in NYC, Philly and elsewhere need MORE ideas to control your lives.

BTW, the Venezuelans living in their leftist-paradise don't have to worry about. Or any other food or drink item either. Or medicine. Or electricity. Or fuel. Or even going to school very much (since those wonderful kids are passing out due to Global Warming and lack of food, but mostly lack of food).

Thanks lefties!

#LeftistWinning!; 4/21/17, 2:02 PM
Gospace said...: rhhardin said...
It's how the poor got medical care before insurance.

Our veterinarian in SC charged more to people who brought in purebreds then people who brought in mutts. Also charged more to those who drove Mercedes then those who drove in old pick-ups. Prices weren't posted on the wall. My wife noticed the disparity in pricing through observation on many visits. We paid middle of the road prices.; 4/21/17, 4:33 PM
walter said...: Interesting..
Whenever I discuss flat tax with those opposed, I ask them if they think it would be "fair" to have store prices and sales tax rate calculated based on an income check.; 4/21/17, 6:28 PM