FC/OT: Jon Stewart's 'The Weekly Show' really interesting and rage inducing this week....

[Midnighter]

I know JS is a lightning rod for some, but economics are economics. His guest this week details how AI is helping to exacerbate the current cost of living crisis with real time surveillance pricing and enabling collusion amongst companies to keep costs of everything from French fries to gas to rent as high as possible. Worse is when she gets into the patents being filed by companies like Wal-Mart, which, for example, filed a patent for scan card technology (essentially grocery shopping where you scan items into your cart and pay for everything without having to go to self check out or any check out....) that prices items based on what you are purchasing; example used in the patent claim was that if you scanned in a can of tuna fish, it is highly likely that you will go for mayonnaise as well, and the price for mayo will increase based on this algorithm. You're not being paranoid, everyone is out to rip you off. Fun times.

 

[razpsu]

That is damn smart by Walmart etc using algorithm to figure out what you buy with what.
cereal and milk,peanut butter and jelly, etc.

I do find it funny that they think that Walmart gouges people.

went to giant here in sc and a gallon of milk is 3 dollars more than milk in north Myrtle,sc.

Gas is one dollar more a gallon than South Carolina.

so what is going on in pa and the northeast with prices is crazy.

 

[IoffendwithTruth1]

That is damn smart by Walmart etc using algorithm to figure out what you buy with what.
cereal and milk,peanut butter and jelly, etc.

I do find it funny that they think that Walmart gouges people.

went to giant here in sc and a gallon of milk is 3 dollars more than milk in north Myrtle,sc.

Gas is one dollar more a gallon than South Carolina.

so what is going on in pa and the northeast with prices is crazy.

PA is the 5th highest gasoline & 3rd highest diesel taxed states in the USA per August 2026. Trailing only CA, IL, IN(for some reason) and WA. Roughly 83% of the gas tax goes toward road construction. I am unsure as to why everything here is much higher than SC.

 

[BobPSU92]

For f*ck’s sake.

 

[Midnighter]

That is damn smart by Walmart etc using algorithm to figure out what you buy with what.
cereal and milk,peanut butter and jelly, etc.

I do find it funny that they think that Walmart gouges people.

went to giant here in sc and a gallon of milk is 3 dollars more than milk in north Myrtle,sc.

Gas is one dollar more a gallon than South Carolina.

so what is going on in pa and the northeast with prices is crazy.

It's one thing to suggest 'hey, maybe get some mayo to go with your tuna' and another to jack the price up on mayo (and not tell you) knowing that you are likely going to buy it with your tuna.

 

[razpsu]

It's one thing to suggest 'hey, maybe get some mayo to go with your tuna' and another to jack the price up on mayo (and not tell you) knowing that you are likely going to buy it with your tuna.

Cmon. Walmart does not jack the price up. I buy twice a week from them for the restaurant for goods like milk etc. same price as the store if you walked through.

go to giant here or food lion in South Carolina. They are way more expensive than Walmart, giant here is way more expensive than food lion In sc. just sayin.

 

[Midnighter]

Cmon. Walmart does not jack the price up. I buy twice a week from them for the restaurant for goods like milk etc. same price as the store if you walked through.

The point is they are planning to jack prices up based on AI algorithms and surveillance. If you're good with that then ok.

 

[Big_O]

Walmart is way cheaper than Publix here in Florida since Publix has a near monopoly in the state, at least in SW Florida where I live. Winn Dixie is almost non-existent and Walmart is practically the only competiton, but way fewer locations. For some things Walmart has a better selection.

 

[razpsu]

The point is they are planning to jack prices up based on AI algorithms and surveillance. If you're good with that then ok.

Yea but you’re talking cents if that is true compared to dollars.
Giant milk here is 5.80. Sc it is 2.80. How is that possible. That is just one item. How is that possible. 3.00 more on an item that is only 2.80. That is what you should be checking out.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Walmart is way cheaper than Publix here in Florida since Publix has a near monopoly in the state, at least in SW Florida where I live. Winn Dixie is almost non-existent and Walmart is practically the only competiton, but way fewer locations. For some things Walmart has a better selection.

Publix is expensive in general, isn’t it? They’ve just moved into my area n the last year or two and they’re more expensive than Kroger and Meijer.

 

[Tgar]

I know JS is a lightning rod for some, but economics are economics. His guest this week details how AI is helping to exacerbate the current cost of living crisis with real time surveillance pricing and enabling collusion amongst companies to keep costs of everything from French fries to gas to rent as high as possible. Worse is when she gets into the patents being filed by companies like Wal-Mart, which, for example, filed a patent for scan card technology (essentially grocery shopping where you scan items into your cart and pay for everything without having to go to self check out or any check out....) that prices items based on what you are purchasing; example used in the patent claim was that if you scanned in a can of tuna fish, it is highly likely that you will go for mayonnaise as well, and the price for mayo will increase based on this algorithm. You're not being paranoid, everyone is out to rip you off. Fun times.

John is the best truth teller there is. John and the rest of the folks on the show, Desi, Ronny, Kosta, Johnson, Klepper, etc. brilliant. That is all.

 

[MtNittany]

Walmart is way cheaper than Publix here in Florida since Publix has a near monopoly in the state, at least in SW Florida where I live. Winn Dixie is almost non-existent and Walmart is practically the only competiton, but way fewer locations. For some things Walmart has a better selection.

Again, Publix is affordable if you manage the sales and the BOGO's. I normally buy chicken breasts at Doris' Market down in NPB and they're great @ $2.99/lb.

This week Publix chix breasts are BOGO @ $5.50 lb. and a half mile from my house.

Same w/ everything pantry from mayo, ketchup, mustard, paper towels etc. Buy it when it's BOGO, store the rest in the pantry, and it's cheaper than walmart. Every single time.

 

[PSUFTG]

 

[Bison13]

Funny, the Food Lion here in MD always has better prices than any other store including Wal Mart for a majority of things.

 

[Nittering Nabob]

I know JS is a lightning rod for some, but economics are economics. His guest this week details how AI is helping to exacerbate the current cost of living crisis with real time surveillance pricing and enabling collusion amongst companies to keep costs of everything from French fries to gas to rent as high as possible. Worse is when she gets into the patents being filed by companies like Wal-Mart, which, for example, filed a patent for scan card technology (essentially grocery shopping where you scan items into your cart and pay for everything without having to go to self check out or any check out....) that prices items based on what you are purchasing; example used in the patent claim was that if you scanned in a can of tuna fish, it is highly likely that you will go for mayonnaise as well, and the price for mayo will increase based on this algorithm. You're not being paranoid, everyone is out to rip you off. Fun times.

Did she talk about those new electronic price labels that are being adopted by Wal-Mart and other retailers? Instead of the old "dumb" price labels on the front of the shelves that had to be manually changed, these are tied into the store's inventory system which can change the displayed price almost instantly.

 

[Bvillebaron]

PA is the 5th highest gasoline & 3rd highest diesel taxed states in the USA per August 2026. Trailing only CA, IL, IN(for some reason) and WA. Roughly 83% of the gas tax goes toward road construction. I am unsure as to why everything here is much higher than SC.

83% of the taxes goes to road construction. Best joke of the year so far. Typical sight at PennDOT construction site is 5 guys standing around and “supervising” the one guy manning a shovel.

 

[razpsu]

I would also be more outraged at the utility companies like santee cooper in South Carolina etc who are jacking up prices every year by 6-30 percent at least. My electric bill for the restaurant last winter went up 600 bucks over prior year that went up 500 bucks. So 1100 over two years increase. Was 2500 now 3700 a month. That is crazy. They started a new thing which is peak demand for 4 hours 5-9 am. They take the highest kWh for 30 minute increments. So in that 30 minutes it may be a one to two minute demand. So out of about 1500, 30 minute units a month they charge you on the highest 30 minute demand Because they have to have that power ready assuming you use it for all 1500 increment 30 minute times. It is always on the coldest day of the month. A total scam, that is with me upgrading all hvac units and hood units etc I. The store.

 

[IoffendwithTruth1]

83% of the taxes goes to road construction. Best joke of the year so far. Typical sight at PennDOT construction site is 5 guys standing around and “supervising” the one guy manning a shovel.

Just stating as to why our prices are among the highest in the USA. It is impressive to see different states start and finish projects in a short amount of time compared to PA, lol.

 

[Moogy]

That is damn smart by Walmart etc using algorithm to figure out what you buy with what.
cereal and milk,peanut butter and jelly, etc.

I do find it funny that they think that Walmart gouges people.

went to giant here in sc and a gallon of milk is 3 dollars more than milk in north Myrtle,sc.

Gas is one dollar more a gallon than South Carolina.

so what is going on in pa and the northeast with prices is crazy.

"Damn smart" ... but is it ethical? Legal?

Do you want to charge different people different prices for their food, based on ... whatever criteria you find meaningful? ... one guy has a nice watch and shirt, his family should be 2x the normal price for pancakes? One guy has on a Michigan shirt, that guy should charge 3x the normal amount for his french toast? One guy is talking about donating to a political party you don't like, charge him 4x the normal amount for his coffee?

It's all the same principle.

Do you want to raise the price of toast for a customer who says they want eggs, because toast often goes with eggs?

 

[PSU Mike]

It's one thing to suggest 'hey, maybe get some mayo to go with your tuna' and another to jack the price up on mayo (and not tell you) knowing that you are likely going to buy it with your tuna.

#buythemayo1st

 

[bbrown]

That is damn smart by Walmart etc using algorithm to figure out what you buy with what.
cereal and milk,peanut butter and jelly, etc.

I do find it funny that they think that Walmart gouges people.

went to giant here in sc and a gallon of milk is 3 dollars more than milk in north Myrtle,sc.

Gas is one dollar more a gallon than South Carolina.

so what is going on in pa and the northeast with prices is crazy.

Milk prices have always been very weird. I think everything and everyone including dairy farmers in pa are gov. by whats happening in Wisconsin.
PA already has incredibly high gas tax.

 

[MtNittany]

I would also be more outraged at the utility companies like santee cooper in South Carolina etc who are jacking up prices every year by 6-30 percent at least. My electric bill for the restaurant last winter went up 600 bucks over prior year that went up 500 bucks. So 1100 over two years increase. Was 2500 now 3700 a month. That is crazy. They started a new thing which is peak demand for 4 hours 5-9 am. They take the highest kWh for 30 minute increments. So in that 30 minutes it may be a one to two minute demand. So out of about 1500, 30 minute units a month they charge you on the highest 30 minute demand Because they have to have that power ready assuming you use it for all 1500 increment 30 minute times. It is always on the coldest day of the month. A total scam, that is with me upgrading all hvac units and hood units etc I. The store.

My FPL electric bill has nearly doubled in 5 years. They explained the increases away a few years ago by bragging on their investment in solar farms and car charging stations.

The FL sun destroys the lifespan of the panels - leading to incredible maintenance and replacement costs, and no one wants an electric car.

Thieving jacka*ses.

 

[DaytonRickster]

Just stating as to why our prices are among the highest in the USA. It is impressive to see different states start and finish projects in a short amount of time compared to PA, lol.

I-95 in Philly is perfect example of the problems with never ending road construction. They have been working on many of the same stretches of I-95 since the 70s. Florida can complete multiple lane highways in very short periods of time.

 

[CFLion]

#buythemayo1st

 

[Bwifan]

My FPL electric bill has nearly doubled in 5 years. They explained the increases away a few years ago by bragging on their investment in solar farms and car charging stations.

The FL sun destroys the lifespan of the panels - leading to incredible maintenance and replacement costs, and no one wants an electric car.

Thieving jacka*ses.

My friends up north are cringing when they get their heating oil tanks refilled this fall. Literally might need home equity loans to fill them. Especially some of my friends have 1,000 gallon tanks. Ouch.

 

[WillyMO]

We buy almost all our groceries from Costco. Anything that's not sold there we can usually find at Aldi. I can't remember the last time I stepped into a Walmart in the US.

 

[Bison13]

I-95 in Philly is perfect example of the problems with never ending road construction. They have been working on many of the same stretches of I-95 since the 70s. Florida can complete multiple lane highways in very short periods of time.

Same with the Baltimore beltway

 

[bbrown]

Same with the Baltimore beltway

OMG yes. Are they still working on that area from the 83 merge to Liberty Road? I think thats been ongoing for 10 years.

 

[Bison13]

OMG yes. Are they still working on that area from the 83 merge to Liberty Road? I think thats been ongoing for 10 years.

Yes still that exact spot. That’s what I call government collusion. The government gives a contractor a big payday to build the road in the contractor. Make sure he continuously gives part of it back

 

[olelion]

Publix is expensive in general, isn’t it? They’ve just moved into my area n the last year or two and they’re more expensive than Kroger and Meijer.

Yes

 

[bbrown]

Yes still that exact spot. That’s what I call government collusion. The government gives a contractor a big payday to build the road in the contractor. Make sure he continuously gives part of it back

I hated driving around that area when I was there. Absolutely hated it. You would have to start around 5:00 Am and 2:00 Pm to avoid rush hour and god for bid you were driving towards Bel Air, the sun was brutal.

 

[northwoods]

Walmart is way cheaper than Publix here in Florida since Publix has a near monopoly in the state, at least in SW Florida where I live. Winn Dixie is almost non-existent and Walmart is practically the only competiton, but way fewer locations. For some things Walmart has a better selection.

One big difference with Publix is that in Florida BOGO (buy one get one free) requires a consumer to buy two of the same item, paying full price for one to get the second one free. Here in South Carolina a consumer can buy just one BOGO item and get it at half price. A wise consumer will shop the BOGOS and save a lot. Also, unlike some supermarkets, Publix does not increase the price of items that are on BOGO.

 

[o_PSUALREADYKNOW]

Again, Publix is affordable if you manage the sales and the BOGO's. I normally buy chicken breasts at Doris' Market down in NPB and they're great @ $2.99/lb.

This week Publix chix breasts are BOGO @ $5.50 lb. and a half mile from my house.

Same w/ everything pantry from mayo, ketchup, mustard, paper towels etc. Buy it when it's BOGO, store the rest in the pantry, and it's cheaper than walmart. Every single time.

You can counter the whole argument by using AI to shop competitively and with strategy. AI is coming-you can choose to watch it and die on the vine or use it and reap the benefits of the advantages it provides. Like most things in life-it’s partially about attitude and largely about perspective. Wal-Mart is one option of dozens…

 

[WanderingSpectator]

Our local Fry's (Kroger) just installed new digital price tags on every shelf and item in the store. This lets them dynamically price items. I'm not suggesting that they will raise prices on a whim, but they certainly could with the press of a button. If you haven't seen this yet, check out the tags at Wal-Mart.

 

[MtNittany]

One big difference with Publix is that in Florida BOGO (buy one get one free) requires a consumer to buy two of the same item, paying full price for one to get the second one free. Here in South Carolina a consumer can buy just one BOGO item and get it at half price. A wise consumer will shop the BOGOS and save a lot. Also, unlike some supermarkets, Publix does not increase the price of items that are on BOGO.

In some counties in FL, that's the policy as well (not mine). Regardless, ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. don't age. Get 2. Watch the circulars online. They even tell you what sub is on sale in the deli.

 

[DaytonRickster]

My friends up north are cringing when they get their heating oil tanks refilled this fall. Literally might need home equity loans to fill them. Especially some of my friends have 1,000 gallon tanks. Ouch.

Not good.

 

[DaytonRickster]

Same with the Baltimore beltway

So I've heard.

 

[wptlion]

Yea but you’re talking cents if that is true compared to dollars.
Giant milk here is 5.80. Sc it is 2.80. How is that possible. That is just one item. How is that possible. 3.00 more on an item that is only 2.80. That is what you should be checking out.

That's an easy one to answer---it's state minimum pricing in PA. I am a milk wholesaler so when I sell to a restaurant or store the cheapest I can sell it for is $4.90/Gal

 

[Bwifan]

You can counter the whole argument by using AI to shop competitively and with strategy. AI is coming-you can choose to watch it and die on the vine or use it and reap the benefits of the advantages it provides. Like most things in life-it’s partially about attitude and largely about perspective. Wal-Mart is one option of dozens…

One big difference with Publix is that in Florida BOGO (buy one get one free) requires a consumer to buy two of the same item, paying full price for one to get the second one free. Here in South Carolina a consumer can buy just one BOGO item and get it at half price. A wise consumer will shop the BOGOS and save a lot. Also, unlike some supermarkets, Publix does not increase the price of items that are on BOGO.

I found Publix just getting ridiculous here in Florida. I feel like I spend $100 there and walk out with 3-4 items. I rarely go there anymore. I use The Boys market here in Delray Beach or Costco. Aldi is also a good option

 

[ApexLion]

Yea but you’re talking cents if that is true compared to dollars.
Giant milk here is 5.80. Sc it is 2.80. How is that possible. That is just one item. How is that possible. 3.00 more on an item that is only 2.80. That is what you should be checking out.

The point is they are planning to jack prices up based on AI algorithms and surveillance. If you're good with that then ok.

Correct. They are testing at some Walmart locations.