Overview
- Consumer Reports and Groundwork Collaborative documented shoppers being charged up to 23% more for identical items during Instacart-run pricing tests.
- Across multiple baskets, the investigation found average price differences of about 7%, with item ranges including Skippy at $2.99–$3.69, Wheat Thins at $3.99–$4.89, and Cheerios at $7.34–$7.99.
- Tests were observed across several major retailers using Instacart, including Albertsons, Costco, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Target.
- Based on typical spending patterns, Consumer Reports estimates the variations could add roughly $1,200 per year for a family of four.
- Instacart says about 10 U.S. retail partners run limited Eversight-driven experiments without using personal data and that customers in tests do not pay more on average, while the FTC monitors such pricing practices and experts warn of potential evolution toward individualized pricing.