It was produced by Diamart Group, consulting firm specializing in retail and organizational transformation, et PricingHub, SaaS Price optimization solution : a study on pricing (pricing practices) in 2026 analyzes the level of maturity of brands in a context marked by the end of the inflation suffered and the entry into a logic of value management. It highlights the strategic priorities of decision-makers, the real integration of data and artificial intelligence in organizations, without forgetting the persistent gap between technological conviction and operational deployment.
Conducted with decision-makers in pricing functions, supply and finance, the study highlights a persistent paradox : if 83% of brands declare that they attach major importance to consumer price sensitivity, only 11% of them actually manage to integrate it into their practices. This gap remains in 2026, less due to lack of conviction than due to difficulty in having the resources and tools capable of analyzing prices with sufficient precision. In this context, price management is part of a hybrid logic. Artificial intelligence does not replace human decision-making but is primarily used to simulate scenarios and inform the choice of experts. : the machine calculates, humans decide. The most advanced tools thus make it possible to go beyond the question “What is the right price? ? » to refocus on the real impact of pricing decisions on volume, margin and consumer perception of value. As the discipline becomes structured, for the most mature brands, the challenge is no longer just to better calculate prices but to automate the analysis in order to free up team time. Category managers can thus focus on assortment strategy and value construction rather than on calculations that are impossible to carry out manually..
A data-driven strategy
If the equipment with pricing and data collection tools is progressing significantly – almost 94% of retailers say they are equipped with a data collection tool –, survey also highlights growing trap : the FOMO of data. Many brands today collect far too much competitive data to use it all effectively.. This “data bubble” creates an illusion of control, while the real competitive advantage lies in the ability to react. Reduce a price change cycle by several days or even hours, this has much more impact than monitoring dozens of competitors daily without associated operational capacity. The key issue for 2026 is therefore no longer the quantity of data collected but the quality of matching, the relevance of signals and the automation of execution : it’s about letting humans decide where value is really created.
