Netizens Outraged After TikToker Reveals How ‘Digital Pricing’ Is Turning Grocery Shopping Into A Game Of Survival

The shocking truth about real-time grocery price hikes.

Jesse

• Published in News
• December 13, 2024

When you stroll into your neighborhood grocery store, you expect the usual routine—grab the basics, fight hard to avoid the snack aisle, then brace yourself at checkout for the total. 

But imagine walking into the store, list in hand, only to discover you’ve entered the Hunger Games of pricing. Each aisle now feels like a mini stock market, where prices rise and fall in real-time, depending on demand. 

It’s not just the avocados that are ripe—so is the pricing strategy. Welcome to 2024, where even your bag of chips has an algorithm monitoring its worth.

It’s not enough that inflation has already turned grocery shopping into a wallet-emptying experience. Now, some stores are employing digital price tags synced to Wi-Fi, designed to fluctuate prices based on demand, inventory, and even time of day. 

What used to be a straightforward (although pricey) task has morphed into a retail dystopia that feels like something straight out of Black Mirror. 

Sound absurd? TikToker Kenneth Munoz thought so, too. That’s why his recent video documenting this bizarre pricing model has gone viral, sparking outrage and concern across social media. 

Kenneth’s footage reveals just how these digital screens work—and why they’re making grocery shopping feel more like bidding at an auction. Here’s what went down and why it’s a wake-up call for consumers everywhere.

Meet Kenneth Munoz, the modern-day whistleblower we didn’t know we needed

Kenneth Munoz’s video begins with an innocent observation: digital price tags at his local store. But as he explains their function, the story takes a bizarre turn. 

According to Kenneth, these tags are connected to the store’s Wi-Fi and registers, and allow prices to shift dynamically based on demand. 

Behind the scenes of the retail revolution—dynamic pricing at work. Is this the future of shopping or a dystopian nightmare?

“So, for example, right now, these are 90¢.” “Let’s say around 6:00, or during the busier time, these will go up to a dollar. They’ll fluctuate based off of demand. So these are connected to the WiFi and to the registers,” Kenneth explains in his clip.

These digital price tags are about to make grocery shopping a whole new adventure—and not the fun kind

This isn’t just a theoretical scenario—he returned later in the day to confirm his theory, showing the prices adjusting in real time. 

Spot the sneaky little “plus 10% at the register.” Where does it end?

As if that weren’t enough, Kenneth also highlighted a hidden 10% surcharge added at checkout, which many shoppers may miss in the fine print. Viewers were outraged, calling the practice predatory and unethical. "Dynamic pricing should be illegal," one commenter declared. 

Kenneth’s video has shoppers everywhere asking, 'Wait, is this even legal?'

Others pointed out that similar systems are already common in gas stations and ride-share apps. Kenneth agreed but emphasized how invasive it feels when applied to basic necessities like food.

People are livid

Commenters everywhere had some pretty strong feelings on the issue.

Economic expert Michael Ashton, aka “Inflation Guy,” weighed in on the matter, explaining that dynamic pricing isn’t entirely new. He noted that restaurants and other industries have already begun adopting digital menus to adjust prices quickly. 

While he acknowledges that frequent price shifts could benefit savvy shoppers, Ashton warns that it creates more stress for the average consumer.

Kenneth chimed in to share his thoughts.

Viewers tore into the controversial new system, with one person tagging it “the final stage of capitalism.”

As prices rise and change faster than ever, Kenneth’s video serves as a sore reminder: grocery shopping is no longer just a routine chore—it’s a real-time negotiation with a system designed to keep us on our toes. 

What do you think—brilliant innovation or a step too far? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Jesse