Amazon quietly walks back promise on Trump’s tariffs

First of all, Amazon Promised price Will not get up under President Donald Trump’s prices. Then it has quietly increased them anyway.

An analysis revealing The Wall Street Journal I found that since Trump Initial price ad In January, Amazon increased prices on a range of daily items – deodorant, pet supplies, protein shakes – on average 5%. It was despite a public commitment In April to maintain stable costs.

The price increases reach the cheapest household items in Amazon the hardest. Over nearly 2,500 products analyzed, prices increased by around 1,200. Walmart, on the other hand, reduced the prices of these same goods by almost 2%. These different approaches show how large retailers manage pricing benefits. Amazon, limited by high shipping costs and thin beneficiary margins, quietly transmits the costs to consumers.

“Amazon is struggling to take advantage of these items due to high shipping costs,” Corey Thomas seller said to the newspaper. Walmart, he said, has more capacity to absorb losses because store buyers tend to buy higher margin items.

Amazon challenged the newspaper’s conclusions, saying that the selection of products was not representative.

“We have not seen the average prices of the products offered in our store change in a sensitive or lowered way,” said the company in a press release. “Our commitment to offer low prices – not percentage changes – is the most value to our customers.”

But it was not manufacturers who did not increase prices. The manufacturers of several products told the newspaper that they had not increased their own prices. Even American manufacturing products have been affected. In January, a can from the Campbell hungry in New England costs less than $ 2 on Amazon. In July, it increased to $ 2.58, an increase of almost 30%.

Imported and mixed products have even worse. For example, a stackable metal basket from Dayglow, based in Ohio, which imports from China and other countries, was sold by Amazon for $ 9.31 in mid-February. At the end of April, it was $ 19.99 – more than double.

This is aligned with the previous relationships of Reuters And the Dataweave analysis company, which has shown that Chinese manufacturing products on Amazon increase more quickly than global inflation. The median price of more than 1,400 items made in China increased 2.6% between January and in mid-June, exceeding the inflation rate of American basic goods for this period.

The newspaper has also identified the largest price increase in one day – FEB. 15, just Two days later Asset Signed a prescription indicating that prices would soon apply to almost all American trade partners.

Related | Amazon shows Trump’s prices in action – and the White House moves

Amazon has briefly planned to label the price increases related to prices on its website but abandoned the idea after a Trump call, which called it “hostile and political”. Meanwhile, Walmart has doubled its low -cost strategy.

Amazon’s silent price increases suggest that some retailers finally react to prices and inflation by achieving the costs of buyers. The company cited seasonal changes and the availability of products as reasons, noting that numerous voor items were out of stock on competitors’ sites.

Other retailers are trying to avoid alarming customers. Target said it is based on cost reduction measures before increasing prices, and Walmart has underlined its long -standing reputation for affordability. Some have reduced the back advantages, the suppliers in a hurry and reduces the costs, but the pressure rises.

Trump advice To companies in May, he was frank: “Eat the prices”. So far, few have followed him.