New Study Reveals Walmart, Kroger, and Publix All Do Their Biggest Price Shift

Dynamic pricing is a controversial strategy in today’s day and age. What once seemed to only increase your taxi fare during rush hour has expanded into new industries, frequently fluctuating the prices of flights, concerts, clothes, and now groceries. 

While the concept raises questions and sparks debate, one thing’s for sure: Top grocery retailers engage in the strategy. Data recently released by Decodo shows which fan favorites have adopted the technology and use it very often. (The data was collected by analyzing 1.5 million data points across over 120 different e-commerce sites throughout 2025.)

Walmart, Kroger, Target, Lidl, and Publix were listed in the top 10 e-commerce websites that adjusted prices most frequently last year. Here’s how it’s impacting prices at these grocery stores. Plus, the “best day” to shop.

Interestingly, the study found prices that actually decreased more often than increased at Target, Walmart, and Publix. And while Kroger and Lidl increased prices more frequently, both retailers still decreased prices more than 46% of the time. The study also revealed each retailer has a “best day” of the week to shop — and it’s not necessarily the day you’d expect. 

To figure out the best shopping days, the folks at Decodo tracked 1,500 products to see when prices actually hit their lowest. Turns out, the optimal day to maximize savings at Walmart, Kroger, and Publix is Monday. Target’s “best day” is Saturday, and Lidl’s is Wednesday.

Another interesting result from the study was how frequently the United States participated in dynamic pricing over other countries. The study reported that the U.S. had 542,946 price changes, while Germany (the next leader) only had 81,554. 

Whether they admit to it and you like it or not, dynamic pricing is happening in grocery stores. Now that you know the best days to shop at these popular retailers, make sure to look at the calendar before your weekly shopping trip.

Did this grocery store news surprise you? Tell us about it in the comments below.