The retailer’s latest earnings report revealed a troublesome change in consumer behavior.
Earlier this year, Walmart’s fourth-quarter earnings report revealed a troubling shift in customer behavior, showing that its newest growth came from households making more than $100,000.
I don’t find that troubling at all. It means Walmart is stocking goods that appeal to wealthier folks. And they are the ones with money to spend.
The retailer’s revenue, in constant currency, grew 5.1% to $715.9 billion and on an adjusted basis, profit grew even faster at 5.4%.
I believe the above is a good sign too.
Amazon still owns the crown, but Walmart is officially in the race. According to new data, Walmart is growing its online sales nearly three times faster than Amazon. The Walmart vs Amazon ecommerce 2026 story isn’t about one replacing the other. It’s about how Walmart is winning in different ways by focusing on essentials, strong logistics, and customer trust.
Perhaps Walmart is winning due to implementing dynamic pricing technology that allows surge pricing?
{ dynamic or surge pricing, where retailers or other businesses quickly change the cost of products or services based on fluctuations in demand due to weather or traffic — or even using personal data like location, browsing history, and purchase patterns to set individualized prices," according to RetailWire. }
Perhaps. Maybe they’re winning because they’re conspiring with their competitors to illegally fix prices. When consumers pay more, everybody wins…except consumers!
Amazon, Levi’s, and Walmart Agreed on Increased Retail Pricing for Khaki Pants: Amazon sent Levi’s links to Khaki pants that were priced lower on Walmart.com [$25.47 to $26.99], saying it “hop[ed] these can get resolved over the next few days.” The next day, Levi’s reported that “I talked to Walmart and they have partnered with us to … take Easy Khaki Classic fit back up to…$29.99 immediately” and provided links to show the increased Walmart price. Amazon acknowledged that Walmart raised its price and confirmed it had matched that higher price: “the updated pricing of $29.99 is now showing up on [Amazon].”
Other grocery corporation are considering dynamic pricing via AI.
Dynamic pricing is not in my burg’s Walmart stores yet.
New Mexico & Oregon senators are working to ban this practice.
Electronic grocery labels are displayed at a Kroger grocery store in Monroe, Ohio. Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., introduced the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act earlier this month.
This is what happens as business sectors become oligarchical.
You link provides many products being price fixed. I noticed the common denominator in all the price fixing schemes is Amazon.
“So if Walmart knows you buy a certain brand of peanut butter every week, and knows you have money to spare, it might try to bump up the price to see if you’ll still buy, while other customers pay the old price.”
I was mentioning this to my wife and she asked the obvious question. How do they know who I am? I don’t present a debit card until after I scan all of the grocieries.
I see how they could do it if you are online shopping.
Digital price tags are on the shelving. If AI decides peanut butter can bear a price increase. The digital tag goes up at a keystone. Walmart isn’t following individuals but store demand. So the checkout is monitored by AI and AI decides if a specific product sustain a price increase. Almost instantaneous pricing change.
I see a potential customer back lash. You put the peanut butter in the basket. But before you check out the price has gone up.
My local Walmart has been a pain for ages with returns. That is no longer a problem. No receipt? No problem. The credit card is used to look up the sale. Having a brick-and-mortar close by for returns is very useful. Something Amazon is having a bit of an awkward problem with at times.
Amazon has 100% digital pricing and can easily adjust pricing to you based on purchase history and even credit score and probably income.
My Walmarts do not have digital pricing in stores. Price shown on the shelf in stores is manual. Price actually charged at checkout can be different.
Walmart has little or no back room space. When truck arrives everything goes on the shelf. Shelf space is supposed to be available. Price differences happen most often when item is placed over the wrong label showing price for a similar neighboring item.
