Wendy’s issued a statement Tuesday that it would not implement measures to raise prices during periods of high traffic. The move followed consumer backlash to reports the company was considering implementing dynamic pricing, described by many news outlets as price surges during high-traffic periods, as early as 2025. Some consumers went so far as to call for a boycott, according to Delish.
Two weeks ago, Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner said during the company’s Q4 earnings that as soon as next year, the company would use digital menu boards to “begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling.”
Now, the company argues the discontent expressed by consumers on social media was misplaced.
“We said these menu boards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items. This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants,” Wendy’s said on Tuesday. “We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most.”
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request to clarify what it meant when it claimed media reports miconstrued its declared intent to pursue dynamic pricing tests. The company didn’t clarify whether it intended to implement a form of dynamic pricing.
In its Tuesday statement, the burger chain said the menu boards “could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day,” which could be construed as a form of dynamic discounting.
Other burger brands were quick to capitalize on consumers’ outrage. Burger King emailed Restaurant Dive to say it was “keeping [Whopper] prices steady and celebrating our Guests with a deliciously special (and topical) offer.” The email’s subject line reads “Surge Pricing? Not at Burger King! Get a Free Whopper with Purchase Instead.” Through March 1, Burger King customers who spend $3 or more on an in-app purchase can earn a free Whopper. When asked to clarify if the promotion was a direct response to the Wendy’s dynamic pricing moves, the brand’s representatives responded with a side-eye emoji, an ambiguous signifier of emphasis.
