Most UK shoppers oppose dynamic pricing for groceries

Most UK consumers oppose the use of dynamic pricing in consumer goods, according to a survey of 2,000 adults by HyperFinity.

The research found that 65% of shoppers dislike dynamic pricing, including 33% who said they hate the idea. Only 4% said they love it, while 91% said clear and transparent pricing matters to them.

Price and fairness also ranked highly. The survey found that 88% of respondents want the best possible price, while 82% value fairness and want everyone to pay the same price.

The results point to resistance to pricing models that have become more common in sectors such as travel and ticketing, where prices can shift according to demand, timing or other factors.

Thomas Hill, co-founder of HyperFinity, said the strength of consumer opposition makes a broader move into groceries and other everyday retail categories unlikely in the near term.

“Dynamic pricing is not coming to consumer goods or grocery for the foreseeable future,” Hill said. “Supermarkets understand the risk of backlash from prices that change with the weather or other factors. Core staples such as bread, milk and cheese are tied to customer needs, not demand elasticity. Any perception of exploiting that would be catastrophic for trust and loyalty.”

The study also highlighted differences by age and location. Londoners and younger shoppers were more open to dynamic pricing than the wider population, though support still fell short of a majority.

In London, 37% of respondents said they like dynamic pricing, while 51% said they dislike it. Among consumers aged 18 to 34, 41% expressed some level of support, compared with 6% of those aged over 55.

Even among younger adults, however, scepticism outweighed support. In the 18 to 34 age group, 46% still said they dislike dynamic pricing.

Retail divide

A separate snapshot poll of more than 40 retail leaders suggested a gap between what executives think drives loyalty and what consumers say matters most. While 88% of consumers said price is important to loyalty, only 13% of retail leaders agreed.

Most retail leaders placed greater emphasis on other factors. The poll found that 81% prioritised brand and experience, 56% pointed to offers and discounts, and 50% cited product.

The contrast suggests retailers may be placing less weight on value and pricing clarity than their customers do. The findings come as households remain sensitive to living costs and retailers look for ways to retain repeat shoppers.

Hill said some leadership teams may be misreading what matters most to consumers when designing loyalty strategies.

“Retailers may be overestimating the role of brand and experience, and underestimating the continued power of price, particularly during this time of continued economic uncertainty,” he said. “Consumers are telling retailers loud and clear that fairness and clarity come first. If leadership teams don’t recalibrate around that, they risk building loyalty strategies on the wrong foundations.”

For retailers, the findings point to a tension between margin management and customer trust. Dynamic pricing can help businesses respond to changes in demand, but consumer goods differ from event tickets or hotel rooms because they are regular household purchases that shoppers expect to be stable and easy to compare.

That matters especially in categories such as food and everyday essentials, where consumers often make quick decisions based on habit, promotions and price memory. Frequent or opaque price changes risk making those choices harder to assess and could fuel a sense of unequal treatment.

The survey suggests predictable pricing still carries more weight with British consumers than flexible pricing models. With only a small minority saying they welcome dynamic pricing, the clearest signal in the data is demand for clarity, fairness and consistent pricing on everyday goods.