Dynamic Pricing: Who Profits?

Everyone wants to get the best price they can when they buy, whether that’s a product, a service or an experience. But the ‘best price’ can look different for different people, and at different times.

Surge pricing, tiered prices, off-peak discounts, time-of-use pricing- technology has enabled more industries to employ dynamic pricing to get the best prices for their products by altering them depending on a range of sophisticated considerations.

But this has made pricing less predictable and left customers feeling like the prices are often stacked against them; most notably after the Oasis reunion tour ticket sales in 2024.

Is dynamic pricing really as bad as we all think? Evan and guests look at the psychology behind consumer perceptions of dynamic pricing, and ask how different industries can utilise the pricing model to benefit themselves and their customers.

Guests: Richard Howle, founder of RH Insights Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy for Business Marco Bertini, Professor of Marketing at Esade Business School

Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Mhairi MacKenzie Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: Daniel Fox and Steve Greenwood Editor: Matt Willis

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University