Instacart is facing scrutiny from the FTC over its AI-driven pricing tool, Eversight, which has raised concerns about price discrepancies in grocery delivery. A recent study indicated that some customers are paying up to 23% more for the same organic granola, prompting the agency to issue a civil investigative demand to understand these price differences. Instacart defends its pricing strategy, stating that the variability is due to randomized price tests, not algorithms targeting individual shoppers based on their behavior.
While dynamic pricing is common across industries like airlines and hotels, the context of grocery pricing, especially during economic hardships, raises red flags. Consumers already struggling with basic food costs are likely to be sensitive about perceived inequalities in pricing. The FTC’s inquiry aligns with growing scrutiny of data-driven pricing models in an evolving digital marketplace, highlighting the need for transparency and fairness in essential goods pricing.
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