Zilliant Survey Reveals Pricing Chaos in Manufacturing and Distribution
Event summary
- 99% of manufacturing and distribution executives adjusted prices in response to economic volatility, but only half confidently understand the financial impact.
- 62% of organizations lost 6–10% of customers due to pricing changes, highlighting customer friction from reactive pricing strategies.
- 49% reported negative customer reactions to frequent pricing adjustments, with 61% reworking pricing decisions three or more times per year.
- Only 23% of companies use AI-enabled pricing solutions, while 18% still rely on spreadsheets for pricing management.
The big picture
Zilliant's survey highlights a growing disconnect between pricing activity and control in volatile markets. As executives take greater ownership of pricing decisions, the lack of governance and consistency is leading to margin erosion and customer loss. The shift from annual to quarterly pricing cycles is straining organizational resources without delivering stability.
What we're watching
- Governance Dynamics
- How organizations will establish unified pricing governance to reduce margin leakage and customer attrition.
- AI Adoption
- Whether AI-enabled pricing tools can improve control when layered onto fragmented systems.
- Customer Retention
- The pace at which companies can align pricing strategies to maintain customer trust amid frequent adjustments.