U.S. Tariffs Squeeze Walmart Shoppers as Prices Climb Fast

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Thursday, May 22nd, 2025

Download this post as PDF

rki.news
LOS ANGELES – Shoppers at a Walmart Super Center in Burbank, California, are feeling the impact of rising tariffs, as concerns grow over higher prices on everyday goods.
Customers say the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported goods especially from China and Latin America are hitting their wallets hard. “Trump doesn’t have to worry about prices, but people like me do,” said Mary Duchant, a rehab counselor from North Hollywood.
Walmart, the largest U.S. retailer, has long worked to shield its price-sensitive customers from inflation. But its leadership recently warned that some increases are now unavoidable. “We haven’t seen price hikes come this fast before,” said Walmart CFO John David Rainey. The chain is already seeing cost surges in categories like electronics, toys, coffee, produce, and household goods.
“We’ve had to cut back on essentials,” said Hamad H. from Burbank. “How much worse will it get?”
Families are especially affected. Brenda and Greg S. from Van Nuys, shopping with their young children, called the increases a “nightmare,” adding, “Are we supposed to tell our kids to skip meals?”
Despite the pressures, Walmart insists it will keep prices as low as possible. “We won’t stop working to protect our customers,” the company said in a statement.
Former President Donald Trump, in a recent post, blamed retailers and exporters for rising prices. “Walmart should STOP blaming tariffs,” he wrote. However, shoppers and economists argue the effects are being felt directly by consumers.
Other major retailers like Target and Home Depot are closely watching Walmart’s response, signaling that price hikes could ripple across the broader retail sector.
For millions of Americans, the tariff fight is more than policy — it’s becoming a painful reality at the checkout counter