Why do some Internet merchants refuse to display prices on some items
until you put the affected items in your online shopping cart? I first
noticed this at BestBuy.com, but now Amazon.com and CircuitCity.com have
also picked up this practice.

Here's Amazon.com's explanation, which doesn't explain anything at all:

Price "Too Low to Display" Explained

The "too low to display" message indicates an additional discount is in 
effect, and this discount is calculated in the Shopping Cart. You can see 
this price by clicking the product name and then selecting the Add to Cart 
button on the product information page. Please be assured that simply 
adding an item to your cart does not obligate you to buy it--you can 
always delete the item from your cart if you decide not to purchase it.

So what's the real explanation? How do these stores benefit by making it 
slightly harder for shoppers to compare prices?

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