Imagine finishing your weekly grocery shopping, only to realize you forgot a few items. When you return to the store later that day, you’re struck by the fact that many of the products you just purchased have different prices than they did that morning. Or worse, in the time it takes to pick an item off the shelf and head to checkout, the price has already changed.  
 
This may seem improbable if your grocery store still uses paper price tags, but with the rise of the digital price tag, stores are able to instantly update their prices, sometimes multiple times every day. This strategy, commonly referred to as “dynamic pricing,” involves adjusting prices in real time or near real time based on fluctuating market factors like demand or timing, frequently using algorithmic or AI-based systems. For instance, prices may be higher on goods favored by senior citizens shopping during the day or increased on goods preferred by families shopping after getting off of work.
 
The goal is simple - to charge the customer as much as possible. With the adoption of new technology, these pricing strategies are becoming more common across the economy. When consumers have no meaningful ability to anticipate or avoid sudden price changes, especially on essential goods like groceries, the practice becomes predatory and a form of price gouging.
 
When buying the essentials you shouldn’t be forced to play a game to avoid paying more than the next person for the same product on the same day. Our market economy only works if buyers can make informed decisions about the goods they purchase without the fear of rapid uncontrolled price changes between the store shelf and the checkout. Pennsylvanians should be able to trust that the price they see on the price tag reflects a fair value of the product, otherwise making well-reasoned purchasing decisions becomes impossible.
 
I will soon be introducing legislation that prohibits the use of dynamic pricing on essential goods, like groceries, to safeguard our constituents from exploitative pricing practices. I hope that you will join me in supporting this important legislation.