Here's the thing- if it's based on location, social data, influence, hair color, none of that is illegal. Two things are illegal: 1) discrimination in the -ism

Here's the thing- if it's based on location, social data, influence, hair color, none of that is illegal. Two things are illegal: 1) discrimination in the -ism sense of the word, and 2) price discrimination based on proximity to competitors in the markets wherein the company doing the price fixing holds a monopoly. #2 is what Staples could be running afoul of here. In the US, it's not illegal to have a monopoly (ie be the only Staples in a small town without an Office Depot/OfficeMax etc). It's also not illegal to engage in anti-competitive (ie under-cutting your competition in price, signing exclusivity contracts etc.) or anti-consumer (ie price discrimination, restriction of choice, etc.) practices. What IS illegal is engaging in anti-competitive practices in situations where you hold a monopoly, and that's what Staples may be in danger of doing here. And yes, I know Staples doesn't hold a monopoly over the entire internet but the value of brand identification / trust and convenience of in-store pickup shouldn't and won't be overlooked by regulators.