Have shortages conditioned us to pay more for groceries?
The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.
Why we asked about surge pricing: Dynamic pricing has existed on the secondary ticket market for ages but is starting to creep into the primary market as well. We’ve seen it in ride-hailing. And now there’s some indication we’ll see it in the grocery aisles as well. So how willing are people to pay a premium?
What we found: We’ve asked this question before about a variety of goods and services. For topics we had asked about in previous waves, like enhanced functionality, customization, upgrades, etc., support remains consistently low. Better seats at concerts and sporting events are the thing people are most willing to pay extra for (28%). Even ride-hailing, where dynamic pricing in the norm, few want to pay for it. Similarly, this wave we asked about restaurant reservations or delivery at peak times, and only 7% said they would pay extra for surge pricing for that.
However, the interesting finding is that people reacted to groceries or food items facing shortages more like upgraded materials for other forms of premium products, with 19% saying they would pay more for items in short supply.
More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:
When it comes to retirement, people are dreaming small
Fewer Americans say they have flexibility in where they work
Half of Americans never think they'll get COVID again
Why America's childless cat ladies are more than just Taylor Swift
The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?
