Customer tries to buy snacks at convenience store, realizes store has no prices: 'I'm not buying something if I don't know how much it costs

Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor

Apr 1, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

More and more stores are opting out of labeling the prices of their products, and it's no surprise that customers don't care for this strategy at all

When you're at a store and you don't see prices, just go ahead and assume you're going to get drastically overcharged. It's unfortunate, and it shouldn't be allowed, and yet so many store operators get away with it.

There's a lot of convenience stores around my neighborhood that do this. One place where I go to buy candy will charge me $2.50 (half price more or less) for Sour Patch Kids if I'm alone. But if they see me with a guy, they'll charge me full price, which is like $4.50. They do this all the time, so when I want cheap food, I go there alone and watch as they ring me up for like, 5 items for $7. Is this fair or ethical? Well no! I get a good deal out of it sometimes, but perhaps it's at the cost of other customers who are getting overcharged every time.

Apparently, a lot of stores have stopped putting labels on their foodstuffs because of the constant market changes that make the prices rise and fall. As soon as they label a food, it goes up in price the next day. Or, and perhaps this is worse, some big chains have taken to using those electronic labels. That's so they can change the prices at will, multiple times per day, if they felt so inclined.

This person had a choice to make when faced with a lack of gas station snack prices… Do you think they made the right choice? Read their short tale below, and see what you think about it.

via Carol Oliver

Convenience store customer holds soda bottle and considers whether or not to purchase it.
_{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}
“Convenience” store with no visible pricing

via -DiceGoblin-
via -DiceGoblin-
via Vitaly Gariev

Woman looks concerned at lack of food price labels as she shops.
_{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}
via -DiceGoblin-
Yeah, I get this

via -DiceGoblin-

You can't just ask the cashier how much each individual item costs as you peruse!
I bet some customers are really annoying about it though, and probably do just that. It's an unfair burden to put on a cashier, since it probably makes customers irritated and adds to that cashier's workload.
via Yunus Tuğ

Customer at convenience store searches for price tag on a snack item.
_{The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.}
Guess what? They're not the only person to encounter this problem. Here's what other people did:

via CNAHopeful7
via AtmosphereCreepy1746
This person is onto something!

via capjustcap

Sorry about the 5-years-expired Reeses, because that is not ideal. They highlight another issue, though, which is that if you're not changing out the prices as often, employees might overlook the chance to notice things like dusty, out of date food.
via Davy_Ray
via SirSkot72
via Glittering-Score-258