Inflation-strapped shoppers are becoming ever more skeptical about companies’ justfications for price hikes. Pars Sahin on Unsplash September 3, 2026 Shoppers are less peeved by cost hikes due to scarcity – but retailers more often blame their own rising costs Hoorsana Damavandi, University of Tennessee; Kersi D. Antia, Ivey Business School, and Praveen K. Kopalle, Dartmouth College Shoppers are increasingly hunting for value, which puts the onus on businesses to tread carefully when justifying price hikes.
