Will Texans Buy Into Walmart's New, Weird Pricing Scheme?

I really don't think this is going to go over well.

Image by Gerd Altmann/ Htc Erl/tommy pixel from Pixabay

Self Checkout

Some self checkouts are being removed and remodeled at Walmart. The store didn't get ahead of all of those people complaining about "working for the store". They really should have done a better job about stressing about the speed and convenience that self-checkout has. This has resulted in a step back in most stores and a return to hopefully more regular checkout lanes.

New Pricing

Now think about owning a store as big as a Walmart. Imagine having to put a price tag on every single item in the store. Now expand your thinking and think about changing those price tags on large groups of items in well over 10,000 stores. That, is something Walmart has decided to change.

How It Will Work

When it's all said and done, and it should take a while, you will see a small L.E.D. screen on the shelf below the item. These are digital shelf labels. They will be where the paper labels used to be but with a screen that can can be changed in seconds. It actually sounds kind of neat if they function properly.

Will It Work?

Personally, I'm more skeptical of this than I ever was about self-checkouts. There will be a real problem with customers accusing Walmart of "dynamic pricing" and charging more for items when they are in high demand (people have already begun to float that idea). Then again, people are always skeptical of new technology and some are always prone to conspiracy theories and there's not much that can be done to change that.

The Verdict?

Until new information comes out on this plan, I'm giving it a thumbs down. Like many, I think this system will be used to raise prices more often than lower them. The claim that it save associates time is another way of saying they'll need less associates. They also claim this system will "reduce operational waste", but I think that paper tag probably hurts the environment less than manufacturing digital readouts. Yeah, let's go ahead and make that two thumbs down.