Walmart Vows Transparency on Tariff-Driven Price Changes After Trump Criticism: Retail On Wait-and-Watch Mode

Walmart Inc. (WMT) plans to continue to communicate the impact of tariffs to investors, consumers, and policymakers following President Donald Trump's criticism of its plan to raise product prices.

Dan Bartlett, executive vice president of corporate affairs, said, "We don't aim to be a political figure. We are providing facts as they come,” Bloomberg reported.

The executive’s comments came in response to reporters’ question about tariff discussions ahead of the retail giant's June 5 shareholder meeting.

Walmart informed analysts on its post-earnings call in mid-May that prices across its products will gradually increase as the retailer may not be able to absorb all of the additional costs resulting from tariffs.

The move, likely to squeeze household budgets due to Walmart's status as the nation's largest everyday retailer, promptly drew fire from Trump. The president took potshots at the company, stating that it should "eat the tariffs" instead of passing the added costs onto consumers.

Bartlett said on Wednesday that Walmart will be consistent in what it shares internally among employees and externally with the public. During the earnings call, executives felt that they had an obligation to inform investors and customers about their future guidance thinking, he added.

The executive also said Walmart will raise prices gradually through the year while trying to keep them low and competitive in the market.

On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for the company remained 'neutral,' unchanged from the previous week.

Walmart is the industry's bellwether, and its actions have a bearing on the decisions of other consumer companies.

In the past month, brands such as Elf Beauty (ELF) and Nike (NKE) have also announced plans to raise prices, while retailers like Macy's (M), Target (TGT), and Best Buy (BBY) have lowered their full-year forecasts.

Walmart shares are up 10% year-to-date.

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