I worked on backend data systems for retailers for years. No one does. Never have and never will. Price is always variable. Price and cost estimation happen while the item has an identity already in some system. Even MSRP gets changed all the time before sale.
14.88 is not a special number otherwise. People are trying to capture the Mandela effect I guess? This is applying some old marketing logic about pricing things under a whole number when promoting a sale and using that to justify the choice. But it’s a choice. Much like offering a 4.20 dollar burger on 4/20 would be a choice.
