> I'm not making an argument about market mechanics. No, but I am :-D. Pretty obviously the motive for these cost savings is _cost savings_. But that extra pr

> I'm not making an argument about market mechanics. No, but I am :-D. Pretty obviously the motive for these cost savings is _cost savings_. But that extra profit has to go somewhere. Sometimes it'll go into lining the pockets of whoever owns the store, which kinda sucks. Go advocate for higher capital gains taxes. I'll be happy to help. Past a certain point, though, stores that just pocket the extra profit won't be around for long. Someone who's willing to make less money as a grocer will come along and start a cheaper store across the street. Most of that savings has to go to somewhere. Either there's more checkout lines or a better selection or cheaper goods across the board or whatever. Sometimes a store will be profitable where it otherwise wouldn't be. At this point, the savings are mostly priced in. We are already benefiting massively from this automation. Everyone hates these automated checkout terminals, but I doubt many people really want to have their neighborhood grocery store close and all the rest in their town get more expensive.