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Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by Terr_ on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @08:22PM (#39912309)
> After ton of investment investors are finally looking for returns now.

We need a quippy phrase for this, but unfortunately "Pump and Dump" is already taken for a kind of stock-market manipulation.

Instead, I would like to coin/nominate "Tease and Squeeze".

First consumers are teased by the idea that the disruptive new service has invented a magic new secret to low prices and great value... But after the company as achieved some kind of market strangehold, those consumers are squeezed with price-hikes and quality-drops as the investors--who bankrolled the early predatory pricing [0]--try to recoup their investment plus additional profit.

[0] Note that the term "Predatory Pricing" usually refers to artificially low prices to destroy competitors, although I can totally understand why some may assume it means preying on customers with high prices.

Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by rainbowzootsuit on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @09:19PM (#39912651)
I've been hearing of scams labeled "pig butchering" — fatten the pig and then slaughter it. The euphemism is pretty close.
Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by lupire on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @11:02PM (#39913206)
It's called "dumping and monopolization" and is ancient and standard antitrust (illegal) and VC (highly rewarded) technique.
Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by CaptainZapp on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @10:06PM (#39912897)
What's wrong with enshittification[0]?

Granted, Tease and Squeeze has a nicer ring. Then again, the enshittification neologism became standard langue in no time and is understood by everybody.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification

Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by Terr_ on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @11:49PM (#39913437)
I did consider the term when writing my post, but they only partially overlap.

First, the issue of intent and overall history. Tease and Squeeze implies it was the plan all along, but an "enshittified" product doesn't have to be that way. For example, a company could have been successful without any "Tease"--no predatory pricing or monopolistic behavior--and then taken a nosedive later when the founder retired and sold it to a new owner, meaning it's Squeeze-only.

Second, "Squeeze" can technically be only a higher price while keeping quality high (although I admit a both getting worse together is far more likely) whereas "enshittified" products almost always mean a drop in quality, regardless of whether prices rise or not.

Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by gruez on Tuesday April 02, 2024 @11:43PM (#39913397)
It's arguably less descriptive. "enshittification" only really says "things getting worse", whereas "Tease and Squeeze" describes the whole cycle.
Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by Dylan16807 on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @04:23AM (#39914831)
The original definition of enshittification is a platform that squeezes the users then squeezes the suppliers.

But at this point I'm not sure exactly what it's supposed to mean.

Re:Amazon Ditches 'Just Walk Out' Checkouts at Its Grocery S... by ufmace on Thursday April 04, 2024 @10:29AM (#39930865)
> "Tease and Squeeze"

I for one like it