Overview
- Reuters reports the FTC issued a civil investigative demand to Instacart seeking information on its Eversight pricing tool, opening a formal probe that does not itself allege wrongdoing.
- A study by Consumer Reports, Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union found different shoppers were shown prices that varied by up to 23% for the same items, with an average basket gap of about 7%.
- Researchers estimated the observed differences could cost a typical family roughly $1,200 per year, based on household spending patterns across 437 volunteer shoppers in multiple cities.
- Instacart says only about 10 U.S. retail partners ran limited, randomized tests via Eversight, that retailers control prices, that prices do not change in real time, and that no personal or demographic data is used to set prices.
- Separately, Instacart agreed to pay $60 million in refunds to resolve FTC allegations of misleading 'free delivery' claims, deceptive subscription enrollment and restricted refunds, which the company denies.