Dive Brief:

• The perception of good online deals on Cyber Monday has been challenged by retail pricing research firm Upstream Commerce. The company found that Amazon and Wal-Mart, despite being known for bottom-barrel prices, raised many prices from Black Friday to Cyber Monday during the 2011 holiday shopping season.

• Even Black Friday saw price increases from the likes of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Upstream Commerce says the retailer raised average prices from mid-November so that many items were more expensive on Black Friday, in part because some items were out of stock.

• Upstream Commerce also looked at retailers like Best Buy, Zappos, Macy's, and others for the study. In general, the research found that retailers seem to employ no real pricing strategy at this time of year.

Dive Insight:

This study shows why consumers may be confused when trying to find the best prices around the holidays. Price-matching has remained a key method retailers use to attract shoppers. So with many ways for consumers to find the best deals, this lack of a real price strategy and the proliferation of price-matching helps savvy shoppers maintain the power when buying.