National retailers charging differently online based on consumer zip code
An investigative report by the WSJ has uncovered that major retailers, including Staples, Home Depot, and Discover Financial Services, charge consumers different prices online based on the zip code where they live. After years of thinking of the Internet as the great equalizer, this understandably rubs a number of people the wrong way. These price differences have nothing to do with shipping costs or any other tangible cost to the company’s bottom. Rather, it comes down to the presence of local brick-and-mortar competition and what research shows the consumer is willing to pay. In other words: shop around, and do your homework. [Source: WSJ]
