FTC orders Target, Walmart to provide details in personalized pricing inquiry

The agency sent the order to nine companies to examine how personal data is being used, even through loyalty programs, to potentially alter price tags.

By Dani James • Oct. 29, 2026

Albertsons launches new subscription program

Albertsons for U+, which replaces FreshPass, costs less and bundles existing loyalty membership benefits with unlimited delivery and pickup services.

By Peyton Bigora • Oct. 27, 2026

Better personalization starts with meeting customer needs — not marketing’s

Good personalization needs the right foundation. “Start with what customers define as useful, not simply what the campaigns produce,” Deloitte Digital’s Trinadha Kandi said.

By Bryan Wassel • Oct. 12, 2026

Grocery trade groups caution FTC on overly broad pricing enforcement

Both FMI and the NGA called for the agency to distinguish between personalized pricing and personalized promotions.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Oct. 8, 2026

When the drive-thru feels fast and friendly, satisfaction grows

Dutch Bros Coffee, Chick-fil-A and Starbucks ranked as not just the friendliest brands, but the ones with the highest overall satisfaction, a QSR and InTouch CX study found. 

By Bryan Wassel • Oct. 8, 2026

McDonald’s disputes reports that it uses AI to set prices

The chain provides franchisees with tools, resources and recommendations for pricing, but operators ultimately make menu price decisions. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 7, 2026

Walmart defends pricing practices, again

The retailer says it won't renew a key patent that could leverage scan-and-go tech to personalize prices. It's one of several that has drawn the attention of a progressive advocacy group.

By Dani James • Oct. 6, 2026

Walmart CEO addresses personalized pricing concerns

John Furner issued a letter attempting to dispel pricing concerns about digital shelf labels and Sparky, but some say a Walmart patent leaves the door open.

By Dani James • Sept. 28, 2026

Costco aims to build loyalty with younger shoppers

Improvements to personalization and partnerships with delivery companies are helping the retailer appeal to members under 40, executives said on an earnings call.

By Bryan Wassel • Sept. 25, 2026

Consumers turn a critical eye toward how retailers set prices

More than three-quarters of consumers say they have seen retailers or shopping platforms list an identical product at different prices in the past year, an Akeneo survey found.

By Kristen Doerer • Sept. 23, 2026

Both ineffective and invasive personalization turn customers away

More than 2 in 5 of consumers say they have stopped doing business with a brand when its personalized marketing felt too repetitive, personal or off-base, a Site Impact survey found.

By Bryan Wassel • Sept. 14, 2026

Rent the Runway forges ahead with discovery upgrades as it names new CEO

The subscription retailer introduced tools that let customers view entire outfits and enable virtual try-ons, but its financial results remain under pressure.

By Bryan Wassel • Sept. 11, 2026

Ticketmaster puts personalization at the core of its app

As the company addresses unsold tickets, it sees its app as the vehicle to improve discovery of events tailored to the individual. 

By Kristen Doerer • Sept. 8, 2026

Nearly all consumers find some kind of personalization intrusive

Three-quarters of consumers say that retailers collect too much data, a Thoughtspot survey found.

By Bryan Wassel • Sept. 4, 2026

How AI is powering Target’s back-to-school push

The mass retailer is utilizing AI for wish lists and recommended actions on its e-commerce site as it works to introduce more personalization to improve CX.

By Dani James • Sept. 4, 2026

When pricing practices become a customer experience issue

Consumers generally accept dynamic pricing as basic demand and supply, but once a business starts to layer in an individual’s data to determine the cost of a product, consumers lose trust.

By Kristen Doerer • Aug. 24, 2026

The FTC is turning its sights on personalized pricing. What does it mean for CX?

Consumers are anathema to what they see as unfair pricing practices. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is giving businesses yet another reason to be wary of implementing personalized or surveillance pricing.

By Kristen Doerer • Aug. 21, 2026

What grocers need to know about the pushback against dynamic pricing

Retailers are facing uncertainty as states block them from using consumer data to set individualized prices and the FTC directs attention to the issue.

By Sam Silverstein • July 31, 2026

PNC’s new mobile banking app built on personalization

The Pittsburgh-based bank wanted to debut a customizable app with more features and functionality “without making it heavy,” said Alex Overstrom, the lender’s head of retail banking.

By Caitlin Mullen • July 9, 2026

Stitch Fix expands AI image generation to improve personalization

With Stitch Fix Vision, users can now create photos of themselves on demand in recommended outfits. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 2, 2026

Connecticut becomes latest state to ban dynamic pricing

The law prohibits retailers from using personally identifiable data to customize prices for shoppers.

By Sam Silverstein • June 9, 2026

Petco improves personalization, online checkout experience as it achieves sales growth

The retailer is letting associates access customer purchase history to help them cross-sell products and personalize conversations, CEO Joel Anderson said.

By Bryan Wassel • June 4, 2026

What CX leaders need to know about Gen Alpha’s influence

Most companies still design customer experience strategies for a single user moving through a linear path, but that model doesn’t reflect how households now make purchasing decisions.

By Ali Furman • Updated May 13, 2026

Duolingo improves free user experience to drive word of mouth referrals

The company made more features available to free users to improve stickiness and drive daily active user growth, CEO Luis von Ahn said.

By Kristen Doerer • May 6, 2026

Shoppers say they’ll share data with retailers — but they want to see a payoff

About half of respondents to a poll said they find personalized suggestions from retailers to be “highly helpful,” according to Dunnhumby.

By Sam Silverstein • April 27, 2026