The Invisible Auction: How ‘Black Box’ Algorithmic Pricing Is Changing How Canadians Buy Everything

People pay for their items at a grocery store in Toronto in a file photo. Reuters/Carlos Osorio/File Photo

Analysis

If you’ve ever refreshed a shopping website and seen the price of an item increase, you’ve likely come across a system called “algorithmic pricing.” Not many Canadians have ever heard of algorithmic pricing, and fewer know what it could mean for affordability and fairness in the country.