Cost of Living·Listen

What do people pay when they decide the price?

PWYW, or pay-what-you-want, gives customers the option to pay nothing. So why would anyone pay? We explore when this idea works — and when it fails miserably.
This pay-what-you-want thrift store opened in Calgary in 2021. And in Vancouver, a "Pay What You Feel" grocery store opened as well. (Danielle Nerman/CBC)

What if you could go into a grocery store, grab some food, and leave without paying? Pay-what-you-want (PWYW) is not new, but it has seen some growth during the pandemic.

  • The Cost of Living ❤s money — how it makes (or breaks) us.
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Our producer Danielle Nerman looks at how PWYW businesses keep their lights on when everything is, theoretically, free. 


Listen to the segment above  — or download and subscribe to the Cost of Living podcast.