Brief
Lindsay Owens releases 'Gouged' on data‑driven price discrimination
The book, published today, details how tech enables firms to squeeze consumers by tailoring prices to personal data.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Lindsay Owens' book Gouged: The End of a Fair Price—and What That Means for Your Wallet was released today, exploring how companies use personal data to set individualized prices for consumers.
Owens, CEO of Groundwork Collaborative, cites the 2024 Instacart case where shoppers were charged up to 25% more for identical items based on their data, and notes that Kroger earned at least $527 million from its precision‑marketing division in 2024, representing 35% of its net income.
The book also references historical pricing experiments, such as Coca‑Cola’s temperature‑based vending‑machine pricing in 1999 and the early‑20th‑century Phoebus cartel that shortened light‑bulb lifespans to boost sales.
Key facts
- Lindsay Owens' book "Gouged" was published on 2026-09-29. (gizmodo.com)
- The book examines data‑driven price discrimination, citing Instacart's 25% price variance. (gizmodo.com)
- Kroger generated at least $527 million from its precision‑marketing division in 2024, 35% of its net income. (gizmodo.com)
Sources
- [1] gizmodo.com — originally reported as “If You Use Money to Buy Things, You Should Read This Book”
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