Walmart among retailers issuing price warnings: Full list

A number of America’s major retailers have warned that spiking fuel costs are putting pressure on their margins, an impact that could soon translate into higher prices for the country’s shoppers.

On a call with analysts after releasing its first-quarter results on Thursday, Walmart executives noted the impact of “higher than anticipated fuel costs” on their operations in the three months that ended April 30.

Walmart’s Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey predicted that if the “current elevated cost environment persists,” shoppers should expect higher prices in the second quarter and second half of 2026.

Newsweek has contacted Walmart through its website outside of regular working hours for comment.

Why Is Walmart Considering Price Hikes?

Walmart reported largely encouraging results for its first quarter, with revenue rising 7.3 percent to $177.8 billion and same-store sales in the U.S. up 4.1 percent.

However, the company said it had absorbed around $175 million in additional expenses from “higher-than-planned fuel costs.”

Gas prices in the U.S. have surged over 50 percent since the Iran war began on February 28, after which Tehran placed an embargo on shipments through the Hormuz Strait. According to AAA, the nationwide average for regular unleaded now sits at $4.55, and Walmart’s CFO said the increase was likely making shoppers more budget-conscious in 2026.

The company has stuck by its conservative full-year guidance, issued in February before the onset of the Iran war, but its second-quarter forecasts came in below what some analysts had expected.

What Are Retailers Saying About Prices?

Walmart

“If the current elevated cost environment persists, we’d expect somewhat higher retail price inflation in Q2 and the second half of the year,” Rainey said during Thursday’s earnings call.

Rainey noted that lower-income consumers were “navigating financial distress” tied to rising fuel costs—partially offset by strong spending from higher-income groups—and warned that this could worsen in the second quarter when the short-term lift from this year’s outsized tax refunds goes away.

However, in an interview with CNBC, the CFO said that the company has the “ability to navigate this environment of higher fuel prices pretty well.”

Amazon

In April, the online retailer confirmed to outlets including The Associated Press that it would be adding a 3.5 percent surcharge for third-party sellers in the U.S. and Canada, and told the agency this was due to “elevated costs in fuel and logistics.”

While not a direct price hike for consumers, the temporary measure—introduced April 17—effectively raises costs for merchants who typically pass such expenses onto customers.

“Elevated costs in fulfillment and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” the company wrote in a note to sellers that was viewed by CNBC. “We have absorbed these increased costs so far. However, similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, we implement temporary surcharges on our fulfillment fees to recover a portion of the actual cost increases we are experiencing.”

Stew Leonard’s

The regional grocery chain, which has several locations in the Tri-State Area, has similarly warned that higher fuel costs are squeezing margins and forcing it to take mitigating steps.

Stew Leonard’s told CBS News in March tat its suppliers were “knocking on the door right now with fuel surcharges,” which had trapped the company “between a rock and a hard place.”

However, the company said it was determined to “resist raising prices until the cows come home.”

Kroger

Despite customers being “wary” over rising gas prices and reining in spending as a result, Kroger’s new CEO Greg Foran has said the grocery store chain plans to cut prices “across thousands of products” in an effort to compete with companies like Walmart and Costco.

In an interview with Bloomberg published Thursday, Foran said that Kroger would be trialing lower prices in the coming months to see how these resonate with consumers, before rolling them out on a wider basis.

“Our objective is to execute what we think is a very clear, sensible plan. We want to be America’s best grocer,” Foran said.

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