As Amazon heats up the grocery store wars with new discounts at Whole Foods — which has been bringing in more shoppers since the companies became one — Target is fighting back by promising to cut prices on thousands of items. [More]
prices
That Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte May Cost You More This Year
By 9.5.17
It’s that time of year again: Starbucks is kicking off pumpkin spice latte season by raising its prices for some U.S. customers. [More]
Skyrocketing Avocado Prices Could Mean Bad News For Chipotle
By 8.25.17
As if Chipotle needs any more bad news right now, industry analysts are now warning that there may be more tough times to come for the beleaguered company: Namely, soaring avocado prices could hit the chain right where it hurts — its bottomline. [More]
Report: Mylan Offered Discounts To States If They Made It Harder For Patients To Get Alternatives
By 6.22.17
Controversial pharma company Mylan offered several states participating in Medicaid purchasing pools discounts on the EpiPen if they could ensure competitors’ products weren’t readily available to patients, according to a new report that raises additional concerns that the drugmaker engaged in anti-competitive practices as it raised the price of the life-saving drug nearly 400% in just 10 years. [More]
How Aldi Plans To Beat Walmart’s Prices On Groceries
By 5.11.17
For many of us, the most important thing about shopping for groceries isn’t the technology at the checkout line, or the number of artisanal ketchups available; it’s about getting a decent product for the best possible price. Aldi is hoping these pragmatic shoppers will help it win a price war with America’s largest supermarket chains, including Walmart. [More]
Report: Amazon Blocked Walmart’s Shopping Bots From Getting Pricing Data
By 5.10.17
In the crowded arena of online shopping, speed is of the essence if you want to keep up with your competitors’ prices: If you aren’t quick enough, your rival could undercut you. A new report claims that Walmart is trying its hardest to automatically track Amazon’s prices, but it’s not having much luck. [More]
In Battle For Supermarket Shelf Space, Big Brands Losing Ground To Fresh Food
By 5.1.17
For decades, your typical supermarket had one wall of produce, and a corner deli counter, with the core of the building given over to boxed, canned, and bottled products from recognizable brands. But as grocery stores revamp stores to attract shoppers looking for fresher food, companies like Kraft, Mondelez, and Kellogg are losing ground. [More]
Beef Prices Are Dropping Just In Time For Grilling Season
By 4.17.17
It wasn’t that long ago that red-meat-loving Americans were paying more for beef because of shortages. Now the pendulum is swinging in the other direction, meaning there should be more — and more affordable — burgers and steaks at the supermarket this summer. [More]
Amazon Vs. Walmart Battle Means Lower Prices For You; Headaches For Manufacturers
By 3.31.17
Amazon can now deliver many things in one or two days, so Walmart has to have lower prices for the many customers who can wait. Similarly, Amazon has to undercut Walmart’s grocery prices if it’s going to stake out any significant portion of that $800 billion market. For shoppers at either of these two retail giants, this can mean lower prices, but it’s also forcing manufacturers and suppliers to rethink how they do business. [More]
Restaurants Adding Surcharge To Customers’ Bills Amid Rising Labor Costs
By 3.9.17
Restaurants are taking a cue from the cable industry: Rather than raise menu prices to cover the higher cost of paying wages, some eateries are tacking on “labor surcharges.” [More]
Get Ready For Cashew Prices To Go Up Amid Spike In Popularity
By 11.1.16
The good news, for cashews, is that they’ve recently become a lot more popular than other tree nuts like pistachios and walnuts (sorry, pistachios and walnuts). But the bad news, for consumers, is that that spike in popularity is putting a strain on the global cashew supply, which could cause an uptick in prices for consumers. [More]
Watch Out For Cheap Wild Blueberries After Unexpected Bumper Crop In Maine
By 9.20.16
Despite an ongoing drought in New England, Maine’s wild blueberry growers have found themselves with a bumper crop of berries on their hands this year. That could translate to cheaper prices for consumers cruising the grocery store for fresh produce. [More]
Survey Says: Most Netflix Customers Would Be Willing To Pay More For The Service
By 9.1.16
Despite any grumbling customers might have done amid Netflix’s recent price hike, a new survey shows that the company could probably raise rates again and most customers would be fine with paying more. [More]
Video Claims To Show Price Discrepancies Of Up To 78% At L.A. Zara Store
By 8.30.16
Last week, a Zara customer filed a lawsuit against the company accusing it of misleading customers by posting some prices in euros and others in U.S. dollars, and of making up its own exchange rates to charge more for those items with price tags in dollars. The plaintiff’s lawyers now say they have even more proof of this pricing switcheroo. [More]
Lawsuit: Zara Misleads Customers By Listing Prices In Euros, Making Its Own Exchange Rate
By 8.23.16
While it’s not entirely unheard of to see prices listed in euros stateside, a new federal class action lawsuit claims that retailer Zara’s practice of doing so — and allegedly making up its own exchange rate — has tricked shoppers into paying more than they should. [More]
Senators Demand Mylan Lower Cost Of Life-Saving Epipens, Call For Congressional Hearing
By 8.23.16
The cost of a life-saving EpiPen from drug maker Mylan increased as much as 600% in just nine years. That’s simply too much, lawmakers say, with some legislators now calling on the pharmaceutical giant to drop its price immediately, while others are pushing for a congressional hearing on the matter. [More]
Starbucks Annual Price Increase Showed Up Early Thanks To Glitch
By 7.5.16
For the third year in a row Starbucks will dig its hands a little deeper into customers’ wallets, once again raising the prices for many drinks on its menu. [More]
Uber Nudging Users Toward Carpooling With Test Of “Upfront Pricing” Feature
By 5.27.16
In some cities, Uber customers can choose to get a ride with UberPool, which allows users to share a car with strangers who are traveling along (or close to) their route. It looks like the ride-hailing company is trying to nudge folks toward selecting that option, with a new test of an “upfront pricing” feature that displays prices for both UberPool and the more expensive option, UberX. [More]
