US retail giant Walmart has quietly increased prices on a range of household goods, defying President Donald Trump's warning to absorb tariff costs internally.
According to a report by the UK's Daily Mail, several self-identified Walmart employees have taken to social media to report price hikes, sharing photos of updated price tags. Some popular items have seen price increases of up to 80%.
Earlier this month, Walmart had announced plans to raise prices, with CEO Doug McMillon attributing the decision to the high tariffs levied on Chinese imports. During an earnings call on May 15, McMillon stated that the company had no choice but to adjust prices by the end of the month. Trump later responded via social media, urging Walmart to bear the cost increases instead of blaming tariffs. He warned that he would "keep an eye on Walmart."
On the social media platform Reddit, multiple posts by alleged Walmart employees detailed the price hikes. One post included a photo showing a price increase for a popular Hasbro toy, rising from US$34.97 to US$49.97, representing a 43% increase. Another post highlighted the price of an 8-ounce can of cocoa powder, which nearly doubled from US$3.44 to US$6.18.
Walmart sources nearly 60% of its products from China and has repeatedly warned consumers in recent months about inevitable price increases due to rising import costs.
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