Re:this would be really cool for inventory control (Score 2)

What you fail to realise is that the dream of retailers in the 21st century is "dynamic/variable pricing". What this means in reality is that retailers, in their never-ending desire to increase profits in stagnant industries, are working towards their nirvana of first-degree price discrimination. There will be no fixed prices for goods in places like your supermarket anymore. All that information on your purchasing habits, your marginal propensity to consume for each item, has been carefully squirreled away thanks to your 'loyalty' card. In effect, what retailers are working towards is determining your 'maximium willingness to pay' for each item and then charging you that. Good for the very poor, bad for everyone else, possibly efficient from an economist's point of view. So when you say "Jeeze, won't it be neat when I can go round the store and not have to stop at the checkout", it won't, because you'll be paying far more for the basket of goods than you ever used to pay. And you won't know what other people are paying because items won't be visibly priced anymore. Firms are moving towards this now. Amazon tried variable pricing, now you know why. Other firms are starting you off on the weak stuff, second-degree price discrimiation, before they get you onto the hard stuff, first-degree price discrimination. As evidence of the later, supermarkets have trialed peak and off-peak shopping, cash rich but time poor (pay more), and time rich but cash poor (pay less), respectively. The thing with psychology is if you're asked for a donation of 5 bucks and you say no and then you're asked for a donation of 1 buck you give it. That's because the request has been 'framed'; 1 buck don't seem so bad in comparison to 5. The clever person asks for the 5 bucks first when really they want the 1 buck all along. So, first-degree price discrimination won't seem so bad when compared to second-degree price discrimination. You heard it hear first folks. It's coming. It most certainly won't be neat. Finally, don't underestimate the strength of your adversary. You people seem to consistently do that.