The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis in December, after rising 0.3% in November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The all items index rose 2.9% for the 12 months ending December, after rising 2.7% over the 12 months ending November.
Matt Pavich, senior director of strategy and innovation at Revionics, which specializes in pricing optimization, says numerous factors could impact pricing in 2025, including policy changes, avian flu and crop challenges on key products like Brazilian coffee or cacao from West Africa.
“We’re in an interesting time as next-gen AI empowers retailers to make swifter, more informed price moves,” Pavich says. “For retailers to protect, and even grow, their market positions in these uncertain times, they must consider evolving their pricing practices with dynamic processes and data-driven pricing solutions using cutting-edge tools. Understanding the key value items they can price low and borrowing margin from inelastic product categories is one example of smart business in response to these challenges.”