Amazon Makes 116,509 Price Changes in One Year, Leads Major Retailers in Dynamic Pricing

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3.7.2026

Quick Facts

Amazon made 116,509 price changes in 2025 with average discounts of 35.3%, leading all major retailers
Walmart ranked second with 68,926 price adjustments and 10.6% average discounts, followed by Kroger with 55,601 changes
Study of 1.5 million data points shows about half of all price changes resulted in lower prices for shoppers

Amazon changed prices more than any other major retailer in 2025, making 116,509 adjustments with the deepest average discounts at 35.3%, according to a new study from pricing intelligence firm Decodo.

The analysis tracked over 1.5 million data points from 120 ecommerce websites across 40 countries, recording prices every four hours between January and December 2025. Walmart ranked second with 68,926 price changes and 10.6% average discounts, while Kroger made 55,601 adjustments with 9.1% average reductions.

Target and Best Buy rounded out the top five with 39,386 and over 30,000 price shifts respectively. The U.S. led globally with 542,946 total price changes, split almost evenly between increases and decreases.

“Dynamic pricing is widely used across modern commerce to help businesses align prices with demand, manage inventory more efficiently and remain competitive in fast-moving markets,” said Vaidotas Juknys, Decodo’s chief commercial officer.

Fashion led all sectors with 427,340 price changes, followed by electronics with over 351,000 adjustments and groceries with 319,000 changes. The data shows optimal shopping days vary by retailer: Amazon offers best discounts on Wednesdays, while Walmart and Kroger shoppers find better deals on Mondays.

The findings come as retailers face mounting regulatory pressure over dynamic pricing practices. Maryland lawmakers introduced legislation requiring prices to stay fixed for at least one business day, while Pennsylvania proposed banning dynamic pricing on essential goods.

“When consumers have no meaningful ability to anticipate or avoid sudden price changes, especially on essential goods like groceries, the practice becomes predatory and a form of price gouging,” wrote Pennsylvania State Senator Nick Pisciottano.

The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general are investigating algorithmic pricing models that use personal data for individualized pricing. New York requires retailers using personal data for pricing to display: “THIS PRICE WAS SET BY AN ALGORITHM USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA.”

Despite regulatory scrutiny, industry experts note consumer benefits. Gabriele Vitke, senior product marketing manager at Decodo, said “about half of all price changes are decreases,” challenging perceptions that dynamic pricing primarily raises costs.

Walmart plans electronic shelf labels at all 2,600 stores by end of 2026, though both Walmart and Kroger maintain they won’t employ surge pricing. The technology enables faster price adjustments as retailers respond to supply fluctuations and competitor moves in an environment where food inflation has flattened.