UFCW 3000 Applauds Seattle for Passing Strongest Grocery Surveillance Pricing Ban in the Country
/***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Media Contact: UFCW 3000 Communications Director Rich Smith | rsmith@ufcw3000.org | 816-289-4520
UFCW 3000 Applauds Seattle for Passing Strongest Grocery Surveillance Pricing Ban in the Country
SEATTLE – Today the Seattle City Council passed Mayor Katie Wilson’s Fair Pricing and Transparency ordinance with no corporate amendments that open the door to algorithmic pricing or weaken enforcement, making Seattle home to the strongest ban on surveillance pricing in the country.
“Passing the strongest ban on AI-powered price-gouging on groceries feels historic. My coworkers and the customers we serve proudly stood together to stop the grocery industry from imposing this scheme here in Seattle. Today that worked paid off for families who just want to know they’re paying a fair price and for workers who want to focus on customer service instead of defending some algorithm making decisions in a black box.” – Seattle Grocery Store Worker Kristen Wilder
This win for Seattle families comes thanks to the leadership of thousands of grocery store workers and customers, Mayor Wilson, and Seattle City Council Members Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Dionne Foster, and Rob Saka, who organized to stop corporations from deploying this dystopian pricing scheme.
Surveillance pricing uses AI software to mine personal data – including browsing history, time spent in stores, and demographic information – to charge different customers different prices for the same product.
A 2025 Consumer Reports investigation found the practice could cost an average-sized Seattle family $1,200 per year more on groceries. Industry lobbyists campaigned for carve-outs to the legislation that would have created giant loopholes and gutted enforcement. The Council rejected their efforts.
We believe that today’s vote means that Seattle shoppers will pay the same price for the same product when they’re shopping at the same store, and that grocery store workers won’t have to spend time trying to explain secret algorithmic decisions to customers expressing understandable frustration and confusion over paying different prices for the same items.
"Today’s vote demonstrates the immense power of working people standing together with the communities we serve. When we work together, we can protect our neighborhood stores from predatory practices that put profits over people. We hope the passage of this legislation helps us all return to the work of feeding our communities instead of feeding Wall Street’s greed.” - UFCW 3000 Secretary-Treasurer Sean Embly
