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Home Research Thought Leadership FT Chinese Column
Price Manipulation with Algorithms: Think Twice

Price Manipulation with Algorithms: Think Twice

3 Jul 2025
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用演算法拿捏消費者? 「割韭菜」之前,請三思

網購時代,「舊用戶與狗不得享受」的優惠,往往讓忠實的消費者感到無奈。許多電商平台實施「一人一價」策略,甚至基於用戶的購買習慣和瀏覽記錄「看人下菜碟」,讓不同的消費者為同樣的商品支付不同的價格。此外,機票價格也不斷波動,越搜越貴已成常態。許多消費者發現,同一班機在不同時段價格差異龐大,甚至剛查看的票價,片刻後便上漲了。沒錯,你被演算法操控了──身為消費者,我們對商家的這些套路早已見怪不怪。

商家的演算法套路看似是與消費者的零和博弈:商家試圖透過演算法拿捏消費者,本該由消費者享有的利益卻被商家納入彀中。從商家角度來看,自然是資料越多越好,演算法越精準越好,但事實果真如此嗎?

其實不然。儘管演算法定價極具吸引力,但盲目開發應用,不僅未必能拿捏消費者,反而可能踩坑。下面,筆者從三個角度分析演算法定價常踩的坑。

首先,演算法定價常會加劇企業間競爭。 演算法的確能幫助壟斷企業「榨乾」消費者價值,但在競爭市場中效果可能截然相反。以「殺熟」為例,假設中國電信和中國聯通都透過新用戶優惠價鼓勵對方用戶“跳槽”,結果恐怕只會加劇價格戰。甚至那些原本忠誠的用戶也會受到刺激,蠢蠢欲動,試圖透過「跳槽」獲取低價。在這種情況下,企業只能兩敗俱傷——用學術語言說,它們陷入了「囚徒困境」。

第二,企業在用演算法拿捏消費者時,消費者也不會「坐以待斃」。 聰明的消費者甚至能「以彼之道還施彼身」,「反向馴化」企業演算法。在社群媒體哭窮以獲得更低票價,用搖步器篡改手機步數換取更低保費,換便宜手機或重裝APP搶優惠券——網上充斥著消費者成功「反向馴化」企業的案例。這場消費者的狂歡給企業上了一課:過度收集數據以榨取消費者價值,可能適得其反。企業在開發演算法、分析數據時,必須洞悉消費者心理,將「反向馴化」納入考量。或許雙方可以各退一步:企業少些「割韭菜」,消費者也不過度沉迷「薅羊毛」,找到數字時代的最大公約數,實現互利共贏。

第三,消費者追求公平感。 若消費者得知自己支付的價格高於他人,自然會心生不滿,甚至抵製商家。因此,商家往往試圖隱藏價格歧視,例如發放不同額度折價券,讓消費者難以察覺他人的實際支付價。但隨著消費者對套路日漸熟悉,這種手段終難持久。筆者的研究發現,當消費者追求價格正義時,價格歧視不僅損害消費者利益,也可能侵蝕企業利潤,導致雙輸。

綜合上述情況,筆者建議企業三思而行,謹慎權衡演算法對長遠經營的利弊得失,在精明計算與永續經營之間尋求最佳平衡。

李曦教授
港大經管學院市場學教授、亞洲案例研究中心總監、數字經濟與創新研究所副總監

(本文同時于二零二五年七月三日載于《FT中文網》「明德商論」專欄)

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Prof. Xi LI

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