E-Commerce Inflation Emerges as Online Prices Post First Annual Increase Since 2023
Online shoppers face a new reality as e-commerce prices ROSE 0.8% year-over-year in September—the first increase since 2023—according to fraud prevention firm Signifyd. The reversal ends a nearly two-year streak of deflationary pressures that saw prices fall as much as 3.7% last October.
Merchants appear to be passing rising costs and tariffs to consumers, with price declines shrinking across nearly all product categories since January. "It's an e-commerce-wide trend," noted Signifyd analyst Phelim Killough, signaling tighter margins may force retailers to abandon discount-heavy strategies.
The shift undermines a key advantage of digital commerce: the ability to easily compare prices across platforms. While online transparency once drove competition and lower prices, structural cost pressures now outweigh these dynamics. Deal hunters may need to adjust expectations as the era of consistent web-based bargains fades.
