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Walmart warns consumers: Prices going up due to tariffs
May 15, 2025
Walmart will be raising prices soon due to the tariffs enacted by President Donald Trump.
The news comes on the heels of a new tariff deal with China and as both retailers and consumers are reacting in terms of spend and pricing. The White House began tariff pronouncements in January of this year.
"We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible but given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren't able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins," Doug McMillon, Walmart's chief executive, said on a call with analysts on Thursday, according to a New York Times report.
In some situations the company will maintain prices despite "the tariff pressure," said McMillon.
During the analyst call the biggest U.S. retailer reported sales had rose more than 3% in the most recent quarter, hitting $112 billion. Online sales spiked more than 20%, according to the news report.
Walmart lead the 2025 Top 50 Global Retailers list, a ranking from the National Retail Federation conducted by Kantar.
More than half of consumers, 55%, plan to prioritize products with the lowest price when shopping in the coming months and 33% of retailers believe shoppers will now look for ways to save and stack incentives when purchasing from preferred brands, according to a Rakuten study conducted with The Harris Poll.
