According to TechCrunch, a recent study by Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative alleges Instacart is using AI-led dynamic pricing experiments that drastically inflate product costs. The research found the tests are happening at major retail partner locations like Kroger, Albertsons, Costco, and Safeway. In some specific cases, consumers were paying as much as 23% more than other shoppers for the exact same item. The software behind this is called Eversight, a SaaS product marketed to grocers to “unlock revenue growth.” Instacart’s own Eversight page discloses that some shoppers “may see slightly higher prices,” though a 23% hike seems more than slight. The company, when asked for comment, stated only a small subset of 10 U.S. retail partners use this technology for limited online pricing tests.
The “Slightly Higher” Problem
Here’s the thing: calling a 23% price increase “slightly higher” is, frankly, ridiculous. It’s a masterclass in downplaying. This isn’t a few cents on a loaf of bread; we’re talking about a significant markup that directly impacts a household’s grocery budget, which is already stretched thin for many. Instacart’s defense—that it’s just a digital version of what physical stores have always done—feels like a dodge. Sure, stores test prices. But the scale and opacity of an AI doing this algorithmically, potentially targeting users based on data we can’t see, is a different beast entirely. It creates a marketplace where there’s no longer a single fair price, just your personal, optimized-for-profit price.
The Broader Dynamic Pricing Creep
This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a worrying trend. As mentioned, Amazon has faced similar accusations that its dynamic pricing led to U.S. school districts overpaying for basic supplies. Uber and Lyft have normalized surge pricing for rides. Now it’s coming for your groceries. The promise is always “efficiency” and “optimization,” but the outcome, from the consumer’s chair, is just higher costs and a sneaking suspicion you’re getting played. When the price isn’t fixed, how can you ever trust you’re getting a deal? You can’t. That erodes the fundamental trust required for commerce.
Transparency and What’s Next
So what’s the solution? Full transparency is the only answer, but it’s the one companies are least likely to offer. If Instacart and its partners are running these tests, they should be forced to disclose it clearly and in real-time—not in a buried help page. A banner that says “You are currently in a pricing test group paying higher rates” would be honest. It would also kill the test, which tells you everything you need to know about its fairness. For now, the best defense is awareness and comparison shopping, which defeats the whole convenience premise of delivery apps. Instacart does have a page on its “commitment to affordability,” but actions speak louder than PR. Charging someone nearly a quarter more for the same cereal isn’t a commitment to affordability; it’s a commitment to profit-maximizing algorithms.
