🛒 Why big grocers are texting you

Mayor Wilson’s Proposed Ban on AI-Pricing Explained

Last week, Mayor Katie Wilson and City Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster announced a new policy that would stop large online and brick-and-mortar grocery retailers from setting different prices for the same item based on the personal data of who is buying it. ‘Surveillance pricing’ uses data like employment status, race, gender, social media posts, browsing history and more to decide how much to charge someone for identical items. This bill is called The Fair and Transparent Pricing policy. [City of Seattle]

• Seattle would be first in the nation to ban AI-assisted pricing: A recent Consumer Reports investigation showed local Seattle shoppers on Instacart paid different prices for identical baskets of goods because of AI pricing experiments. The ban would apply to large grocery retailers defined as chains with 20 or more global locations, such as Safeway and QFC, and major delivery platforms like Instacart and DoorDash. The ordinance also prohibits using electronic shelf labels to display algorithmically altered prices. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog]
• Does this endanger grocery store discounts? Coupons that are available to everyone and discounts for seniors, veterans, and other similar groups are protected under this ordinance. However, big grocery chains have been sending out texts warning shoppers that their discounts are at risk. This campaign is tied to the “Protect Seattle Savings Coalition” which is backed by major grocery corporations and industry trade groups. It’s specifically linked to the Northwest Grocery Retail Association which represents national grocery chains like Kroger, QFC, Fred Meyer, and Albertsons/Safeway. In a similar case, the Washington State Attorney General recently filed suit against Albertsons for raising shelf prices at the same time as they offered discounts to make the final price paid at the register the same. [Capitol Hill Seattle Blog]
• What are people saying? On Friday the City Council Human Services, Labor, & Economic Development Committee met to discuss the ordinance. Seattle Channel has a recording of the public comment and testimony on the policy available on YouTube (public comment airs for the first 55 minutes, Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster begin discussion of the policy around 01:25:20). To hear fill-in host Marcus Harrison Green discuss the policy with contributors Hannah Krieg and Ryan Packer tune in to today’s podcast:

🚉 Amtrak between SEA and PDX suspended: After a fire in the vacant Centennial Mills warehouse left the structure at risk of collapsing, train service between Seattle and Portland is on hold indefinitely. Substitute buses are running between the cities to replace some trains, while other lines are canceled completely. Amtrak has full details on refunds, rescheduling, and replacement lines here. [Seattle Times]

💲Old Rainier Brewery for sale: You know that building holding up the iconic Rainier “R” along I-5? It’s for sale, for the low, low price of $29 million. The complex is currently home to local businesses like Fantagraphics Books publishing, work/live lofts, music venues like The Mountain Room, and art and music studios. [KIRO 7]

“A tragic breakdown in systems” led to student’s death: Tra’veiah Houfmuse, who was a senior when he was shot and killed at a bus stop near Rainier Beach High School in January, had a safety plan in place with the school which was not followed. The plan said he could not leave campus without an adult, yet he was able to leave at least three times. [Seattle Times]