The red sticker showed two prices. Nina held the jar of coffee in one hand and the sticker in the other. Sam, who owned the market, stood behind the counter with a folder of test cards.
The cards belonged to a new price tool. It could look at a shopper's past buys and set a price for that person. One card offered a lower price to a new parent. Another gave a regular shopper a smaller discount. Sam said the tool could help the market sell more food.
Nina ran the market with him. She knew some shoppers counted every dollar. She also knew a person might pay more simply because the tool guessed they could.
Sam tapped a note from the Federal Trade Commission. The note said a public debate was open about prices shaped by personal data. The comment date had moved to September 25. It asked how stores should tell people when data helped set a price.
'People want a deal,' Sam said. 'If the tool finds a way to give one, why leave it on the table?'
Nina set the cards in two piles. One pile held the same price for every shopper. The other held a lower price for people the tool picked. A lower price could help a family buy what it needed. A hidden price could make a neighbor wonder what the store knew.
'We can show a note at the door,' Sam said. 'It can say prices may change with your shopping history.'
Nina pictured the line on Saturday. One shopper might save ten dollars. Another might pay the shelf price for the same jar. Both might ask why.
She thought of Mrs. Hall, who bought rice on Tuesdays and kept coins in a tin. She thought of Jake, who hated being watched by any store. One deal could help one person and unsettle another.
Sam placed a blank card beside the register. 'Choose the rule for the first month,' he said.
Nina picked up the marker. The two price cards waited on the counter.