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From AI companions and personalized pricing to smart retail and sustainable food production, six stories explore how innovation is reshaping the way people shop, spend and connect.
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00:08indulgence or abstinence what does the future of consumption look like even now
00:16we get personalized shopping offers based on the data we leave online but what if
00:21those offers see you paying more or less than others for the same product why is
00:28product size shrinking while the price stays the same which brand names are
00:35actually protected and why and when is a product considered sustainable how do you
00:42sell electronics and what can happen when you form a relationship with a bot
00:47consumption 2.0 today on made
01:01booking a flight this summer has been a guessing game every time you check the
01:05price has changed I thought it was all about timing book on the wrong day pay
01:10more but timing is only part of the story people have seen the same thing on ride
01:16hailing apps in Kansas City in the US 55 people requested the same route at the
01:22same time they were quoted 29 different prices and another test quotes for the
01:27same ride ranged from $25 to $65 I think about the trip was different the only
01:34thing that changed was who was holding the phone the practice goes by different
01:38names in the United States it's often called surveillance pricing in China it's
01:44known as big data swindling using customer data to charge loyal users more
01:50than new ones personalized pricing is about using all the data you have at your
01:56disposal to go down to the single unit of a consumer and adapting dynamically
02:04pricing for this customer we no longer go from one size fits all or segment by
02:11segment we have enough data and insights to be able to give the right price at the
02:18single customer level the story goes back to the year 2000 when Amazon shoppers
02:24discovered different prices for the same DVDs the company refunded nearly 7,000
02:30customers and said it had been a random price test what's changed since then is
02:36the sheer amount of data companies can collect and the AI powerful enough to
02:41process it today prices can be tailored to individual customers in real time and
02:46more people are noticing what's going on the same thing is happening on dating
02:51apps one company was found offering the same subscription at 36 prices from
02:59around three euros a month to about 33 euros travel platforms are raising
03:04questions too in one test using 22 devices searches for the same hotels return
03:10prices hundreds of euros apart although there was no pattern the
03:15researchers could detect airlines are going even further one American carrier
03:21told investors AI was helping price about 3% of its domestic network and that it
03:27wanted to reach 20% in India passengers reported paying more for a cab ride or an
03:34iPhone than on an Android and it's not just the price the order of what you see can
03:40be personalized to an EU study found more than 90% of travel sites use
03:45personalized ranking faced with these findings the companies have mostly denied
03:51it they say prices move with demand not with the identity of the person paying so
03:57what exactly goes into your price because of the massive information is
04:01your price of the country that you see in a future of the country that is caused by tracking and
04:05profiling companies can identify vulnerabilities of of every consumer
04:11basically companies know about our personal circumstances our health
04:18conditions our prevalence of preferences so in theory each consumer can can be can be exploited
04:31The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has been investigating that question.
04:35It found that companies can track how you move your mouse and what you browse,
04:40whether you hesitate and which products you leave sitting in your basket.
04:45Algorithmic pricing first started as a way to fill empty seats and boost sales.
04:51Revenue optimization is key, which then leads to profit optimization.
04:56And really dynamic pricing came from more of the hospitality and airline businesses
05:03where, you know, yield management was very important
05:07because you need to fill high-fixed industries.
05:10They need to fill the hotel. They need to fill the plane.
05:13Changing prices with demand is legal. But where's the line?
05:17I'm servicing the customer differently with more value, then they're going to pay more.
05:21But if I have two ladies, same age, same level of income,
05:27why are we paying different prices at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.?
05:32Then you would have to argue that there is different value at these different times, right?
05:38But that's where it gets a little complicated, the line between legal and ethical.
05:43So there are still gaps.
05:44A company may have to tell you the price was personalized,
05:47but it doesn't have to say which data changed the price
05:51or what everyone else was charged.
05:53And by then, most of us have already checked accept.
05:57They should tell people, and they are legally required since 2022,
06:03at least in the European Union,
06:05to disclose if they are personalizing prices.
06:11However, they don't have to disclose which data they are using
06:15or how they are personalizing the prices.
06:18The question is just whether they actually understand what they're consenting to.
06:23Because usually they declare that they consent with the long terms of conditions,
06:27which most people don't read.
06:29Now Europe wants to close that gap.
06:31The EU is working on a new law,
06:34the Digital Fairness Act,
06:35that could restrict pricing built on tracking and profiling.
06:38But consumer groups expect it could take years
06:41before any new rules are enforced.
06:44In some parts of the world, some rules are already stricter.
06:49In New York, companies must disclose
06:51when an algorithm uses a customer's personal data to set a price.
06:56China cracked down on personalized pricing in 2021.
06:59But most of what we know still comes from people testing these systems,
07:03running the same search on dozens of accounts or devices at once.
07:07In much of Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia,
07:12those tests are far less common.
07:14But even as the rules tighten,
07:16experts warn that personalized pricing could spread beyond our screens.
07:21Once we get into, for example, dynamic labeling in stores,
07:25where you would have labels, price labels,
07:28on the shelves that are going to be electronic versus paper or plastic,
07:34you will see prices changing daily.
07:37And it happens already in vending machines,
07:39depending on, you know, the temperature outside, the location,
07:43you will see, and if there is only two water bottles out of 20 left,
07:46you will see the price change.
07:48So this is where consumers will start getting furious.
07:51Booking a flight is still a guessing game,
07:53but consumer groups recommend a few practical checks,
07:57and I use them now.
07:58Check the price on a second device,
08:00clear my browsing data,
08:02check again before paying.
08:04That still won't tell me exactly how my price was calculated,
08:07but it might produce a different price quote,
08:10and I can choose the better deal.
08:15Not only are prices being manipulated,
08:17but the products themselves are getting smaller and smaller,
08:21without you, the customer, being able to tell right away.
08:25Deceptive packaging is becoming more and more common in supermarkets,
08:29even from well-known brands.
08:32But how can we spot the con?
08:35And what are governments doing to combat it?
08:40You buy the same chocolate as always,
08:42the packaging looks the same,
08:44the price looks the same,
08:46but then you realize the package is empty much quicker than usual.
08:51What's happened?
08:52You're the latest victim of shrinkflation.
08:55This is when manufacturers shrink the quantity of their product
08:58while keeping the price the same or even increasing it.
09:02That's where the term shrinkflation comes from.
09:05The package size and design remain virtually identical,
09:09so it's a sneaky trick.
09:11In 2025, Milka was caught as its chocolate bar went from 100 grams to 90,
09:17and yet it was more expensive,
09:201.99 euro instead of 1.49 euro,
09:23a whopping 48% price increase.
09:26This package was ruled unlawful in court,
09:29as the labeling of the reduced quantity was deemed insufficient,
09:32but the manufacturer has filed an appeal and the case is ongoing.
09:37And there are many other examples,
09:39muesli, chewing gum, sweets, margarine, Coca-Cola, even tampons.
09:45Manufacturers want to use this tactic to mask price increases
09:48so that customers don't switch to competing products.
09:51One effective way to protect yourself?
09:53Pay attention to the base price at the supermarket.
09:56How much does the product cost per kilogram?
09:59Countries like France and Austria have already required manufacturers
10:02to clearly label changes on packaging.
10:09Parmigiano-Raggiano may only come from Parma or the surrounding area.
10:13Genuine feta only from Greece.
10:15And Nuremberg bratwurst exclusively from Nuremberg,
10:19while the name champagne applies only to sparkling wine from that French region.
10:24Those are the EU's rules.
10:26But what happens when two countries dispute the name of a product,
10:30as with basmati rice?
10:33Can you own the name of a type of rice?
10:36Right now, the European Union is expected to decide exactly that.
10:43Two countries, one shared region, Punjab.
10:47On both sides of the border, the same soil and the same rice grown, basmati.
10:53Basmati, I would say, is both important for India and Pakistan
10:57because of cultural values and economic values.
11:00It brings a lot of income to the two countries.
11:04It's a cash cop as well.
11:07Basmati is one of the most expensive rice varieties in the world,
11:10sometimes costing twice as much as standard white rice.
11:14So naturally, there's a lot at stake in securing right to the name.
11:18And the EU already protects hundreds of regional products.
11:23Trademark protects just a brand, but other labels link a product to a specific place.
11:29To earn a protected geographical indication, or PGI, at least one stage of production must take place there,
11:36as is the case with Dresner Cristollen or Darjeeling Tea.
11:41A protected designation of origin, or PDO, means the entire production process must take place in that area,
11:47like Kalamata olives, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Halloumi.
11:52We're talking about a monopoly, a monopoly over a brand.
11:54Of course, having a monopoly helps, a monopoly over a brand helps, but it's not sufficient.
12:01Markets will have to react positively.
12:05And getting this protection isn't always easy.
12:08India and Pakistan both seek it for Basmati, but they haven't applied for it together.
12:14In 2018, India filed for EU protection.
12:18Pakistan objected, then submitted its own claim in 2023.
12:22Eight years from the first claim, there still be no decision.
12:27Basmati presents a particularly interesting GI problem,
12:30because its historical, cultural, geographical identity predates the present India-Pakistan territorial boundary.
12:39Such a joint application is difficult to operationalise in the case of Basmati.
12:44Now, this is because it presupposes a level of coordinated, bilateral, administrative engagement
12:52that has not been sustained in this instance.
12:56But there are examples showing that even in a conflict, cooperation on geographical indications is possible.
13:03Cyprus has been divided since 1974, with two governments that don't even recognise one another.
13:10The south of the island is predominantly Greek.
13:13The north, Turkish administered.
13:15In 2021, the EU granted PDO protection for halloumi cheese.
13:20By 2023, producers across the whole island were certified under the same system.
13:26In the EU, halloumi can only be produced on Cyprus, regardless of which side of the divide it comes from.
13:33Very diplomatic, but a very good example in order to see the beauty and the importance of this registration as
13:42geographical indication.
13:43I think it's a success story with halloumi.
13:46Why? Because they needed to reach an agreement between different territories in Cyprus.
13:51Finally, with the help of the European Union, they reached an agreement between the different countries.
13:57So could Basmati do the same?
14:00Things seem to be getting much more complicated.
14:03There has not been any meeting recently.
14:06So without any meeting between India and Pakistan, no progress can be achieved.
14:13So I can't even say that the negotiation would fail, because there are just no negotiation anymore.
14:20Back in 1996, the EU encouraged India and Pakistan to pursue a common GI for Basmati,
14:28granting both countries a tax duty exemption on the understanding that protection would follow.
14:34Three decades later, it still hasn't.
14:39Something like 10 times more volumes of rice with the name Basmati is sold on the market compared to the
14:48rice cultivated in the area of Basmati in India and Pakistan.
14:52So it means 90% of fruits on the name Basmati worldwide.
14:58For the time being, rice from anywhere can be called Basmati.
15:03And if people start to see the name as generic, getting it protected may not be possible anymore.
15:09It's already happened to other products like cheddar cheese.
15:18And what about shrimp?
15:19They aren't protected by trademark law and come mostly from aquaculture farms in Asia and South America.
15:26But they're often farmed in massive numbers in cramped conditions and fed fish meal and antibiotics which pollute the water.
15:33And then they're shipped to Europe.
15:36But a startup in Germany is trying to redress the balance by farming premium shrimp.
15:44These shrimp are nearly 10 centimeters long and ice blue.
15:48That's because they've adapted to the pitch black pool lining in the 29-degree warm water.
15:54Aquaporna plans to produce 100 tons of them this year, all without antibiotics.
15:59Unlike many other breeders, they keep the so-called broodstock here.
16:03And when the females are ready to spawn, they are placed with the males for mating.
16:09Basically, here in Aquaporna, we operate a closed-loop system where we produce our own larvae.
16:15From the egg stage right through to harvest, everything is produced in-house.
16:21The larvae are raised in separate tanks and monitored around the clock.
16:26Then they are transferred to larger tanks to mature into shrimp ready for the market.
16:31When it comes to growing conditions, Aquaporna wants to outperform its more than two dozen competitors in Europe.
16:39Huge pumps circulate 1.2 million liters of salt water produced here through the tanks for it to be cleaned
16:46and reused.
16:50One advantage of this location is the range of synergies we can benefit from.
16:54We have our own power plant, so we can use industrial waste heat and reduce our operating costs.
17:00Electricity is a bit cheaper too.
17:02And we've developed our own salt plant.
17:04We're located in the center of Germany, so we can deliver across the country quickly and cost-effectively.
17:11The shrimp farm was built near Hanover, on the site of a former potash mine owned by K&S.
17:19It too invested in the project and helped it get up and running.
17:24But does indoor shrimp farming in Europe really stand a chance?
17:29What we're seeing around the world is that shrimp farms, or the production facilities, are increasingly being hit by climate
17:37change.
17:38And that's adding to losses that are already high, with mortality rates often reaching 50 to 60 percent.
17:45In some cases, entire stocks can be wiped out.
17:49That could give indoor farms an edge.
17:51Modern recirculating systems operated in closed environments are much less exposed to those kinds of risks.
18:00Europe consumes around 500,000 tons of shrimp annually.
18:04And the over two dozen indoor shrimp farms in Europe can only produce a small fraction of that.
18:10I don't think we'll ever be able to replace shrimp imports from Asia.
18:14The volumes from there are just too big.
18:16But we can carve out an attractive niche for our product.
18:21The startup sells its gamba zambas to restaurants and some supermarket chains.
18:27A 200 gram pack costs 11 euros 99.
18:31So who can actually afford that shrimp?
18:34A treat is probably the right word.
18:37Our goal was always to farm premium shrimp at a price people can afford as an occasional indulgence.
18:42It's certainly not for every day, but it's within reach for a family meal, having friends over, or a special
18:48weekend.
18:49Aquaporna is confident about its future and plans to expand production to 500 tons of shrimp as early as next
18:57year.
19:02Do you prefer to shop online or on the high street?
19:06Online might be convenient, but you can't get a feel of the products or try things on for size.
19:12In a shop, you can do all that.
19:17One Chinese retail giant is combining both worlds to create what's known as digital selling.
19:26This may look like the set of a sci-fi movie, but it's a mall opened by JD.com or
19:32Zhengdong, China's largest online retailer with over 700 million active customers.
19:39Located in the heart of downtown Hong Kong, the 30,000 square feet space carries international brands as well as
19:46lesser-known Chinese brands.
19:48Zhengdong says this is their first step of expansion into international consumer markets.
19:53Despite China's e-commerce dominance, Zhengdong wants to bring its immersive, experience-led retail model to the city.
20:01From giant TV screens, to final players, or a whole gaming table setup, it's all about letting customers try before
20:11they buy.
20:12And if they like it, they can scan a code, place the order online, and get the product delivered within
20:18the same day.
20:21When you're at the physical store, there's actually someone there explaining to you the difference between products.
20:27When you buy online, you just don't know as much details, so you don't feel as confident about the purchase.
20:34Wendy Wong is a consultant at WGSN, which forecasts trends.
20:38She says Zhengdong is trying to cater to young consumers who want to shop in digital environments, which combines physical
20:45and digital retail.
20:47Gen Z really love this trend is predominantly because of the fact that they can have this immersive, multi-sensory
20:54experience that really captures both what they want emotionally, but then also what they're interested as well.
20:59So instead of creating this proposition where people have to choose one over the other, you're going to see that
21:05brands are increasingly going to be able to offer different types of experiences in both types of environments.
21:12China is spearheading this shift towards intelligent retail, where AI and robots are integrated into the shopping experience.
21:23With dedicated zones for more goers to interact with robots, and brands that have dished the screen-based self-service
21:31kiosks to physical robot-operated stores.
21:35According to state-backed media reports, China's unmanned retail market is expected to surpass 29 billion U.S. dollars this
21:42year.
21:43But for some shoppers, no technology beats the human touch.
21:49AI cannot replace real people.
21:51The warmth of an interaction shared between people is far more important than what you share with a machine.
21:57A machine can't really feel what you need.
21:59It can only answer questions.
22:02As tech and touch meet on the shop floor, successful go-to brands that choreograph a delicate dance between digital
22:10intelligence and human connection.
22:16Feeling lonely, can't find a partner, then AI might be able to help with a virtual companion tailored entirely to
22:25your needs.
22:27The market for digital dream partners is booming, especially in China.
22:32Its major tech companies offer flirting, phone calls and role play.
22:36But these services are now under threat.
22:41It's date night from Mia Yu.
22:43A romantic affair.
22:45Roses prepared carefully are laid out for her boyfriend.
22:49I'm preparing a surprise because today is my anniversary.
22:56They may look cute together, but this relationship is unlike many others.
23:01That's because her boyfriend is a video game character.
23:05Or, in this case, an actress paid to dress up as the virtual lover.
23:11When I'm not busy, I usually log into the game every day, feel emotionally connected to this character.
23:19Mia is among a new generation of Chinese opting for a digital relationship.
23:24It's a rising trend, as popular video games like this one called Love and Deep Space take off.
23:30The experience is amazing.
23:32It genuinely felt like the character from my phone and tablet had come to life in the real world.
23:37I've spent roughly 20,000 to 30,000 RMB playing the whole game, including commissions and dating events.
23:44We better make the most of our time before dawn.
23:48The game has made more than 825 million US dollars.
23:52It's a lucrative business, so much so that China's AI companies also wanted a slice.
23:58In 2024, China's digital human industry was worth more than 600 billion US dollars.
24:05AI chatbots mimicking friendships, dead relatives, and even relationships have exploded across China.
24:13But for many, their love story ends in a tragedy.
24:18Authorities in China are now forcing companies to stop offering AI companionship services.
24:23They say AI tools shouldn't induce emotional dependence or damage users' interpersonal relationships.
24:30China is believed to be the first government to make the move, and it could now be followed by other
24:35countries.
24:35AI could be, you know, like a pandalus box can be opened and then we all lose control.
24:40We need a good regulation, good, you know, how to govern this AI development, which is an open frontier for
24:49that.
24:49Nobody has done that before.
24:50Beijing's new rules also come as China faces rising demographic issues.
24:55High-end robots, AI, and all those things are growing.
25:00I mean, I think the data doesn't look very well.
25:02It's the decline of population.
25:04In 2025, China's population shrunk for the fourth year in a row.
25:08Economists say the aging population is putting a strain on pensions and could hit economic growth.
25:14New rules could therefore also encourage young Chinese to find love in person, rather than on their screens.
25:22Back at the day, Mia and her partner exchanged love letters.
25:27She tells us you shouldn't bring your expectations of a video game into your actual dating life.
25:33Her digital romance wouldn't stop her from finding a real boyfriend, she says.
25:38She's just waiting until she finds the right one.
25:43And that's all from Made on the Future of Consumption.
25:48From personalised pricing, to deceptive packaging, and trademark rights.
25:54All the way to sustainable shrimp and AI companions.
25:59Consumption 2.0.
26:01See you next time.