Intro

The price you see online might not be the real price.

A new investigation found that Instacart was quietly running pricing experiments—charging different customers different prices for the same groceries at the same time.

This week, Paul and Goldy talk with Groundwork Collaborative Executive Director Lindsay Owens about how companies are using AI and massive data sets to run experiments on consumers—testing exactly how much each of us is willing to pay.

And if every shopper sees a different price, one big question follows:

Do markets still work the way economists say they do?

Lindsay Owens is the Executive Director of the economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative and author of the forthcoming book, GOUGED: The End of a Fair Price in America.

Further Reading: 

Same Cart, Different Price: Instacart’s Price Experiments Cost Families at Checkout

We Had 400 People Shop For Groceries. What We Found Will Shock You.

Gouged: The End of a Fair Price--and What That Means for Your Wallet

Social Media:

BlueSky: @lindsayowens.bsky.social

Instagram: @lindsayowensphd

TikTok: @lindsayowensphd

Twitter: @owenslindsay1

BlueSky: @groundwork.bsky.social

Twitter: @Groundwork

Organizations developing policy on surveillence pricing: 

American Economic Liberties Project

Economic Security Project

Tech Equity

Consumer Reports 

More Perfect Union

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