Pricing is a signal, a strategy, and often the reason a customer says yes or no to a purchase. When your product exists in a crowded market, being price-competitive necessitates knowing where your offer sits, who you're up against and how your customers see your product's value. Below is a detailed guide to how competitive pricing works and how to set prices without lowering your profit or losing your edge.

What's in this article?

• What is competitive pricing?
  
• What makes a price competitive?
  
• How to analyse competitor pricing
  
• How to build a competitive pricing strategy
  
• Examples of competitive pricing strategies
  
• Risks of competitive pricing
  
• How do you measure the success of your competitive pricing strategy?
  

What is competitive pricing?

Competitive pricing is the practice of setting prices based on what others in your market charge. It's a strategy built on awareness: what are customers willing to pay and how does that compare to the going rate for similar options? If most businesses in your space are charging £50 for a product, pricing yours at £150 with no obvious difference is risky. But pricing at £48 doesn't automatically win you sales either – customers might assume your offering is of lower quality.

Customers can easily compare prices while shopping online, and 72% of adults also compare prices on their phones while shopping in-store in North America. Being competitive on price means landing in the range where customers feel the trade-off between cost and value makes sense. This approach is most useful in markets where products are relatively similar and price plays a major role in the customer's decision (e.g. consumer goods, software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscriptions, or services such as shipping and insurance). When the cost to switch is low and customers can easily compare other options, your price is part of the story they tell themselves about your product.

What makes a price competitive?

A price is competitive when it makes sense to customers relative to the alternatives, the value they expect and the overall deal they're getting. That can mean pricing lower than competitors, matching them or even charging more, as long as the perceived value holds up. To answer the question, assess these three considerations.

Where the market has anchored expectations

Customers usually approach a purchase with a price range in mind, even if it's subconscious. If every major player in your space is charging £40–£60 a month, pricing at £120 will feel out of step unless you offer a strong differentiator. If you price too far above or below the norm, customers might just opt out. Staying competitive means being aware of these invisible benchmarks.

How your value compares to that of others

Price is always weighed against value. A higher price can be entirely competitive if customers believe what you're providing is meaningfully better due to:

• Features competitors don't have

• Greater reliability, faster delivery or better support

• A brand that signals quality or reliability

• A pricing model that's easier to understand or more predictable

• Transparent billing without surprise add-ons

• More flexible cancellation terms

At the same time, pricing lower than the market only works if you don't create doubt. Customers need to believe the lower price isn't hiding trade-offs that matter to them.

Whether the price supports your margins

A price that wins customers but loses you money is a liability. You must know:

• Your cost structure

• The margin you need to run the business sustainably

• What pricing flexibility you actually have before profitability starts to erode

A price is competitive when it hits the overlap between what your customers expect, what they value, what the market already provides and what your business can sustain. Staying in that zone requires awareness of how buyers view your product and how it compares to those offered by the rest of the industry.

How to analyse competitor pricing

If you want to stay price-competitive, you need a clear view of what others in your space are charging and why. You must understand how your market behaves, where you're positioned in the industry and where you have room to move. Here's how to get started.

Identify your competitive set

First, list:

• Direct competitors that sell the same type of product to the same type of customer

• Indirect competitors that sell different products that solve the same problem or meet the same need

For example, a gym's direct competitor might be another gym across town, and an indirect competitor could be a fitness app or at-home equipment brand. Both influence how customers think about the gym's pricing.

Gather the numbers

Compile data to inform your pricing. Look for:

• List prices on websites, product catalogues or app stores

• Discounting behaviour (e.g. seasonal promotions, loyalty pricing, volume discounting)

• Terms and conditions (e.g. minimum commitments, cancellation policies, fees)

Pay attention to what each offering includes at that price.

Compare the value

Similar products priced at £49 and £79 might look very different once you look closer. Ask yourself these questions:

• What features or benefits justify the higher price?

• Does the cheaper option cut corners in ways customers will notice?

• What is the target audience of each brand?

You might realise you're already providing more value than a product at a lower price.

Map the market

Once you have pricing and value data, look for patterns:

• Who's positioned as the low-cost option?

• Who's leaning towards premium?

• Are there gaps (i.e. price points no one is claiming)?

As a helpful visual, a simple matrix of price vs value can quickly show where your brand fits and where competitive pressure is strongest.

Monitor over time

Markets shift, new players enter them and existing competitors might run aggressive promos or quietly raise their prices. Establish a cadence (e.g. monthly, quarterly, whenever fits your sales cycle) to review your findings and watch for:

• Sudden price changes or promotional trends

• Shifts in how competitors bundle or tier their products

• New value adds or differentiators that justify higher pricing

Train yourself to recognise patterns early so you're not caught off guard. There are platforms that can help you track competitor pricing, but you'll still need to interpret the changes.

As you conduct this work, keep these questions in mind:

• Why is a competitor lowering prices?

• Is it signalling a major shift or just getting rid of inventory?

• What does it mean for your market positioning?

How to build a competitive pricing strategy

Being price-competitive means understanding your position in the market, setting prices with intent and knowing exactly what trade-offs you're making. Here's how to build a competitive pricing strategy.

Know your numbers

Before you look at the market, understand your own data by answering these questions:

• What does it actually cost to sell your product or run your service?

• Where do your margins need to be, both today and as you grow?

• What does your sales history say about pricing behaviour (e.g. how often you discount and why)?

This gives you your pricing floor: the point below which your business starts facing difficulties.

Study the market with context

Look beyond your own business. Use your earlier analysis to understand:

• Who's competing at which price points

• Where your offering fits

• What customers expect to pay for something like yours

Listen closely to your customers and sales team. Why are deals being won or lost? What's being said about price in the moment?

Set clear goals for what your pricing needs to achieve

Different goals require different strategies. Are you trying to:

• Acquire new customers fast?

• Maximise revenue from existing ones?

• Shift the perception of your brand?

• Win deals more consistently in a crowded field?

Each of these demands a different pricing posture.

Decide how you want to position yourself

Once you've done the groundwork, choose your positioning:

• Price lower to increase volume or break into the market.

• Price at parity to blend in and compete in areas other than price.

• Price higher if you've built up real differentiation and want to signal quality.

This decision shapes the story your pricing tells about your brand. You can also layer in dynamic pricing, where price adjusts based on demand, supply or competitive shifts. Just be thoughtful about whether that makes sense for your company.

Set boundaries before pressure rises

Clarify internally how far you're willing to bend. That could involve:

• A hard floor on margin thresholds

• Rules for discounting or price matching

• Exceptions for important accounts or limited campaigns

When competitive pressure increases, these guardrails can keep you from making rushed decisions that might feel right in the short term but don't hold up over time.

Ensure your whole team is on board

Your pricing should always be up-to-date wherever it lives (e.g. on-site, quotes, sales tools). Give your sales and support teams context so they can explain and defend it, and equip them with answers to common questions such as, "Why does X cost more than Y?" and "What am I getting for that price?" That consistency matters.

Monitor and adjust as needed

As you go, keep monitoring:

• Sales and margin trends

• Reasons for winning or losing deals

• Competitors' reactions

If you're pricing lower and not seeing the volume gains you expected, examine why. If you're pricing higher and still winning deals, you might have room to push further.

Examples of competitive pricing strategies

There are different ways to compete on price, depending on your goals, margins and market. Here are some of the most common and effective tactics, along with their possible trade-offs.

Price matching

You promise to match a competitor's price for the same product, which removes price as a reason to leave. Customers know they won't pay more with you, which builds loyalty.

The trade-off is you're letting competitors set the floor. If they drop prices aggressively, you have to either match or walk away from sales.

Penetration pricing

You set a low price to quickly win market share. This tactic is especially popular when businesses enter a new category or launch new products. It makes it easier for customers to try something new. And if your product delivers, you might achieve long-term customer retention.

The trade-off is you're betting on future revenue. Low initial pricing can attract price-sensitive customers who leave when rates rise.

Premium pricing

You charge more and signal that what you're offering is better, with higher-quality materials, unique features or exemplary service.

The trade-off is you need to deliver. If the product or experience doesn't feel worth the price, customers might leave.

Bundling

You group products or services together at a single price that's lower than the cost of buying each item on its own. Customers feel like they're getting a deal with more value, and it makes direct price comparisons more difficult for your competitors.

The trade-off is you have to make sure that the margin on the bundle still works or that it's offset by increased volume or retention.

Volume discounts

Volume discounts (e.g. "buy 1, get 1 free", 3 for 2, 10% off if you buy 5) nudge customers to buy more than they might have planned without lowering your standard price.

The trade-off is if you run these promotions too often, customers start waiting for deals. Overuse can also cheapen the perception of your products.

Dynamic pricing

You change prices based on supply, demand, seasonality or competitors' moves. This tactic is common in travel, retail and e-commerce, and helps you capture more value during high-demand periods and respond when competition heats up.

The trade-off is you need clear logic and guardrails. If customers see prices swing too often without a reason, that can damage the relationship.

Transparent pricing

With this model, you don't hide fees, surprise customers at checkout or use gimmicky discount structures. In industries where pricing feels murky, simplicity can be a competitive edge.

The trade-off is sometimes you're missing out on revenue by not including the necessary fees.

Risks of competitive pricing

Competing on price can drive growth, but it's not without consequences. If it's done carelessly, it can lower your margins, muddle your market positioning and create problems that are hard to unwind later. These are some of the biggest risks with pricing competitively.

Price wars

This is the classic trap: you lower your price, your competitor lowers theirs, and before long, everyone's racing to the bottom. If you're constantly reacting to competitors' price drops, you're playing a game that nobody wins – margins shrink, quality suffers and trust erodes.

Unsustainable margins

It's easy to convince yourself that thin margins are temporary and you'll recoup the losses on volume or with upsells later. But if your costs don't support your pricing, you're not gaining market share – you're buying it. Large companies might survive on that strategy for a while, but smaller ones usually can't.

Reputational damage

Low prices can signal that your product isn't good. Even if that's not true, it's a hard association to shake. If customers start questioning quality or assuming they'll get a discount if they just wait, that's a sign your pricing might be undercutting more than just your competitors.

Difficult price increases

Aggressive pricing can make future price changes difficult. If you start low to win early traction, raising prices later can trigger backlash, especially if customers came for the deal rather than your specific product. Look at your retention data and whether you're keeping customers as prices normalise. If not, you might be attracting the wrong segment.

Over-fixation on competitors

When you're constantly benchmarking against everyone else, you risk undermining your product's true value. The market should inform competitive pricing, but it shouldn't be the only factor.

How do you measure the success of your competitive pricing strategy?

Once you've launched a competitive pricing strategy, you need to assess whether it's actually working. Here's how to track its success.

Sales and market share

Start with the obvious question: are you selling more? Look at changes in sales volume since your pricing shift and track whether you're gaining market share relative to competitors. Ensure the revenue's healthy, not just a little higher.

Profit margins

You lowered your price, but did it pay off? Monitor gross and net profit, and see whether the increased volume is offsetting the lower price per unit. Know where the line is between "necessary sacrifice" and "slow bleed". You might intentionally take a margin hit for growth, but that trade-off needs to be tracked and temporary.

Customer acquisition and retention

Did your new pricing bring in more customers and did they stick around? Look at acquisition rate (i.e. "Are more people signing up or converting?") and retention (i.e. "Are those new customers staying, upgrading or renewing?"). If your pricing attracts only deal-seekers who leave fast, you're fine-tuning the price for the wrong outcome.

Deal win rates

In sales-led environments, your pricing should make a difference in how often you win. Track win-loss data, and pay attention to the reason for loss. If "price" is no longer the top objection, you're making progress. Sales teams will recognise shifts in customer sentiment before your dashboards do, so listen to their feedback.

Customer feedback and sentiment

How do customers talk about your pricing? Are they describing it as fair, simple and predictable? Do they feel they're getting strong value for what they pay? Positive pricing sentiment is a good indicator that you're landing in the right spot, especially in competitive deals.

Competitor response

If your pricing move sparks a reaction (e.g. price cuts, promo campaigns, value comparisons), you're making an impact. That tells you your positioning is visible and competitors are recalibrating.

Pricing index

Some companies track a pricing index of their prices vs the market average as a percentage. Achieving above 100% means you've priced higher, below 100% means you've priced under, and around 100% means you're matching. Tracking shifts in this index, alongside sales and margin changes, gives you a good sense of whether your pricing strategy is affecting the market.