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June 5, 2026 / 7:00 AM PDT
/ CBS LA
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Consumers trying to score the best deals online may be facing a moving target as retailers increasingly use dynamic pricing. It's a strategy that adjusts prices based on factors including demand, inventory and consumer behavior.CBS California Investigates reviewed online shopping carts at three major retailers selected randomly. We found prices fluctuated significantly over a period of weeks, making it difficult to determine when the best price is.Dynamic pricing allows retailers to adjust prices in real time using data about supply, demand and consumer purchasing habits, according to Anthony Dukes, a marketing professor at the USC Marshall School of Business.Dukes says dynamic pricing takes into account factors like shopping habits, demographics and other consumer characteristics because it knows consumers have different price sensitivities and willingness to pay.Dukes says retailers may charge higher prices to consumers with a history of paying more while offering lower prices to shoppers who are more price-conscious."Companies use this a lot, and it's been accelerated by virtue of algorithms and data," he said.Retailers may also consider factors such as gender, time of day, day of the week and even the type of device a consumer is using, Dukes said.
