Amazon will no longer offer specials

In a major shift for online commerce, Amazon is quietly changing how it entices people to buy, reports The New York Times.

The online retailer has begun to drop the original list price of items, meaning customers can no longer see what an item used to cost – only what it costs now.

It seems the move is to help deter dozens of lawsuits the company has faced for offering discounts that appear to be bigger than they actually are.

“When Amazon began 21 years ago, the strategy was to lose on every sale but make it up on volume,” said Larry Compeau, a Clarkson University professor of consumer studies.

“It was building for the future, and the future has arrived. Amazon doesn’t have to seduce customers with a deal because they’re going to buy anyway.”