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Does the average american, when naming a price of any given item, takes into account taxes or disregards it? (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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Watching a documentary, there was aremark from the journalist on how, due to how wildly taxation on goods may vary, from area to area, in the US, most retailers do not put the full prices on the shelves and instead just tally it at checkout.

This made no sense to me, a european, as when I go to any regular shop, prices already include all taxes applicable to the product.

There are specialty stores where VAT and other taxes may not be applied on the price on the shelf but those are usually wholesellers, selling for professionals, that already know what additional taxes will be added and at which rates, at checkout.

Not having the full price you'll be paying, on display, seems very underhanded and a bad practice. The client should know how much they are going to pay from the moment they pick an item.

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[โ€“] [S] 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, electronic price tags have been introduced in the market.

It's these small e-ink devices that are tethered to a central input station in the backroom, where a person inputs prices.

I've seen tags change in front of my eyes, updating price, adding promotional info or changing the product available on shelf.

Inventory movements are not an excuse, I'd say. Regardless the end sale price, if a product is not sold, it is just inventory, which value is fixed for the company.

Lidl moves tons of non perishable inventory from central wharehouses to stores, daily, and they could not care what the end price was at the store. A given item may cost an X amount in a given season, disappear for a couple of months, then return to the shelves with a different price. The inventory value does not oscilate.

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  • [โ€“] 10 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I've seen tags change in front of my eyes,

    I don't understand how that's better in any way? If customers should know how much an item costs, the cost shouldn't change during store hours at all.

    In the US, we're using those tags to implement surge pricing. Even if we included tax on the tag, you still don't know how much it costs until you check out, because these tags let companies change the price at will.

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  • [โ€“] [S] 9 points 1 year ago

    I've seen a tag change price but that price would only take effect the next day, as the store would be having a promotion on peaches. I simply asked for a clarification and the tag was rolled back.

    On the day price changes are only done to clear perishables that otherwise will end in the trash, like fresh pastries or bread. And such changes can only take effect near to the closing hours of the store. Price variations throughout the day is a crime and stores have been heavily fined for it.

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