Connecticut has enacted legislation prohibiting retailers from using personally identifiable data to set customized prices for individual shoppers, becoming the second U.S. state to do so after Maryland. A similar bill is currently awaiting action from New York's governor. The laws are a direct response to growing concern about AI-driven and data-enabled pricing practices at grocery and retail outlets.
Dynamic pricing — particularly the use of shopper loyalty data to charge different prices to different customers — has been a flashpoint for regulators and consumer advocates. For produce specifically, where margin management and promotional pricing are already complex, restrictions on data-driven pricing tools could affect how retailers deploy their category management technology and loyalty program infrastructure.
If New York signs its bill, three major markets will have active restrictions in place. National retailers operating across state lines will need to navigate a patchwork of rules — worth monitoring how chains like Ahold Delhaize, which has major Northeast exposure, respond to the compliance requirements.