Free Republic

Wendy’s is preparing to test an “Uber-style” surge-pricing model where prices will fluctuate throughout the day based on demand — meaning a Dave’s burger will cost more during the lunchtime rush. Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner — who rose to the chief role earlier this month — announced the new system on a call with investors, noting that the pricing menu will begin testing in 2025, Daily Mail earlier reported. With the dynamic pricing model, the chain’s iconic Dave’s Single could increase by as much as $1 at lunchtime and drop down by the same amount after the lunch rush. With...

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With Wednesday’s release of the environmental assessment for New York City’s proposed congestion pricing program, drivers got an in-depth look at how much they could be charged to drive into Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD).The comprehensive report outlines seven different tolling scenarios, with higher tolls rates, up to $23 during peak hours, in the scenarios that offer additional credits, caps and exemptions to certain vehicles.These vehicles could see E-ZPass rates ranging anywhere from $9 to $23 during peak periods and from $5 to $12 during overnight hours, depending on the selected scenario.Higher rates would also be...

A little-discussed but transformative patient protection policy put into place by the Trump administration is proving to be an extremely effective tool in unwinding the tangled mess of American medical pricing. Under the orders, hospitals must provide the federal government with records on all the prices they negotiate with private insurers.Some hospitals banded together to sue the administration (they lost…twice), and the insurers’ trade association wrote a 57-page letter to the government calling the Transparency Rule “unconstitutional” and insinuating that too much transparency would not be helpful to the average health consumer.Every American should be able to get the health...

The price of lumber in the U.S. has tripled during the coronavirus pandemic, adding thousands of dollars to the cost of a new house. Framing lumber was priced at $1,200 per thousand board feet as of late April, a 250% increase from the year-ago period when the price was about $350, according to an analysis from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). For house hunters, that adds an average of nearly $36,000 to the price of a home.Homeowners, stuck indoors during the pandemic, have recently been buying up lumber to complete renovations or additions on their house, Jannke told...

<p>The busiest days create frustrations for visitors such as long lines and temporary gate closures when parks get too full. The company is expanding the parks with new attractions based on popular franchises such as “Star Wars” and “Frozen.”</p> <p>The shift to demand-based pricing is designed to help spread out crowds at Walt Disney World in Florida and at Disneyland Resort in California, Disney said in a blog post.</p>

U.S. President Barack Obama tried to convince the King of Saudi Arabia to coordinate actions in the oil market to reduce world oil prices, the main source of Russia's export revenues, and "punish its behavior" in Crimea. Experts estimate that if the prices are reduced by as little as 12 dollars per barrel, the Russian Federation will lose $40 billion in revenue. There has been a precedent, because this is precisely how the USSR collapsed. Before Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. media was discussing options of "punishment" for Russia with sanctions for its "behavior in Crimea." The first...

Do you think you can find the lowest prices by shopping online? Think again. More FTC Mandates Refunds for Online Backorders Over 30 Days 7 Ways to Shop Online with Friends NYC Ebola Patient in Stable Condition, Officials Say NBC News Slain Canadian Soldier Takes 'Highway of Heroes' Home NBC News 'Fortunate and Blessed': First Ebola-Infected Nurse Heads Home NBC News A new study by researchers at Northeastern University confirmed the extent to which major e-commerce websites show some users different prices and a different set of results, even for identical searches. For instance, the study found, users logged in...

Cost based pricing is relatively simple; you figure out your cost of goods, set a desired margin for each unit, add that margin onto your costs and you have your price. Cost based pricing doesn’t require the detailed level of analysis and value measurement necessary to employ a value-based pricing strategy. Because it’s simple, many companies fall into a trap of cost-based pricing. But as far as smart pricing goes, cost-based pricing strategies are anything but. So if it’s simple, why does it suck? Here are three reasons why:

(CBS News) CBS News has uncovered a serious pricing problem with HealthCare.gov. It stems from the Obama administration's efforts to improve its health care website. A new online feature can dramatically underestimate the cost of insurance. The administration announced it would provide a new "shop and browse" feature Sunday, but it's not giving consumers the real picture. In some cases, people could end up paying double of what they see on the website, CBS News' Jan Crawford reported Wednesday on "CBS This Morning." As President Obama promises to fix HealthCare.gov, his administration is touting what it calls "improvements" in design,...

Rush-hour commuters could pay nearly $5 a day in tolls to travel back and forth on a seven-mile stretch of express toll lanes set to open next year along Interstate 95 east and north of Baltimore, according to proposed pricing approved Thursday by the board of the Maryland Transportation Authority. The new lanes, scheduled to open late next year, would offer a quicker travel option for commuters willing to pay. The suggested tolls vary by the time of day and the type of vehicle, but a car traveling on the toll lanes during peak hours would pay between 25 cents...

What if when you bought a new Macbook, the price was higher because your tweets constantly referenced your love and devotion for Apple? What if Orbitz used the fact that your Facebook Likes include "Party Rocking in Miami" to charge you more for a flight to Miami? This is called online behavioral pricing. It's a consumer's worst nightmare as it uses the traces of your online identity to maximize prices on the products and services you want most. It's also an ecommerce merchant's dream.

Memorial Day normally kicks off the summer vacation and heavy driving season, but with gas prices at the pump more than twice as expensive as they were two years ago, American families are being forced to stay close to home and pull back on normal family expenses.   The cost to fill up the tank is consuming 40% more of the family budget than it did last summer.  According to AAA, 17 cents of every consumer dollar is spent at the pump, up from 12 cents one year ago.  That has consequences, of course.  "Dining, shopping, museums, and gambling are taking...

Companies Stock Up As Commodities Prices Rise By LIAM PLEVEN And MATT WIRZFeburary 3, 2011 Companies contending with rising commodity prices are stockpiling rubber tires, cotton clothing and other goods, a maneuver that is aimed at insulating them from inflation but also could contribute to it. John Anton, founder of Anton Sports, with his surplus supply of cotton T-shirts in Tempe, Ariz., last month. Spice-maker McCormick & Co. stocked up on some ingredients and Monro Muffler Brake Inc. bought extra tires and motor oil, assuming prices of those goods will keep rising. Anton Sport, a small athletic-wear wholesaler in Tempe,...

Can a market-based health care system work? We can begin to answer this question by looking at Lasik, a medical procedure that's not covered by health insurance. And has gotten better—and cheaper—over time. "How to Fix Health Care" proposes three simple reforms that will put us on a path to a health-care system that's better, more affordable, and more accessible. And get this—these market-based reforms can be implemented without creating new government programs or raising taxes.

At a time when the trade is questioning USDA’s 2009/10 prospective demand for US corn, especially in the feed use column, it is refreshing to note the continued upward demand for corn for ethanol. According to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the United States is expected to manufacture 12 billion gallons of ethanol for calendar year 2010, or 14.3% more than a year earlier requirement of 10.5 billion gallons in calendar year 2009. As you are able to view the trend increase for corn use for ethanol continues to be impressive vs feed use and equally important...

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Thursday abandoned a 96-year-old ban on manufacturers and retailers setting price floors for products. In a 5-4 decision, the court said that agreements on minimum prices are legal if they promote competition. The ruling means that accusations of minimum pricing pacts will be evaluated case by case.............. "The only safe predictions to make about today's decision are that it will likely raise the price of goods at retail," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in dissent......... Joining Kennedy in the majority were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. With...

WASHINGTON, June 28 — Striking down an antitrust rule nearly a century old, the Supreme Court ruled today that it is no longer automatically unlawful for manufacturers and distributors to agree on setting minimum retail prices. The decision will give producers significantly more leeway, though not unlimited power, to dictate retail prices and to restrict the flexibility of discounters. Five justices said the new rule could, in some instances, lead to more competition and better service. But four dissenting justices agreed with the submission of 37 states and consumer groups that the abandonment of the old rule would lead to...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Apple Inc. will have plenty of room to eventually reduce the retail price of its upcoming iPhone, according to preliminary gross margin estimates by a market research company. The iPhone, the combination cell phone-iPod media player that Apple unveiled last week, will yield gross margins of more than 50 percent at the current set of retail prices, iSuppli Corp. said in an analysis of presumed component and manufacturing costs. The 4-gigabyte version of the iPhone, with a retail price of $499, will cost Apple $245.83 to make, iSuppli estimated. The 8-gigabyte version, priced at $599, will...

You always thought those mysterious fees at closing were a total scam. Congrats! You were right. Here's what you can do to avoid paying through the nose. Technology has magically lowered the price of buying everything from stocks to airline tickets. But home buyers now pay eight times the closing costs they paid 40 years ago. Here's how residents of one Minnesota street were overcharged again and again on their home purchases, many by thousands of dollars. And why your street probably isn't all that different. When Lewis Leung was buying his two-bedroom ranch in St. Louis Park, Minn. in...

Eliot Spitzer is taking on the music industry again, this time over the pricing of digital downloads. Warner Music Group disclosed Friday that it had received subpoenas. A source at Sony BMG said the company also received a subpoena and said it was cooperating as well.