(Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg News)
Walmart Inc. is doubling down on discounts, a move to drum up demand and grow market share in the face of macroeconomic uncertainty.
The retailer is rolling out “manager’s special” signs to call out price cuts on key items across departments, according to a document viewed by Bloomberg News. The goal is to match competitors’ prices on specific products, and the tags will contain details like how much items cost before, in addition to the new prices.
Walmart, long known for its low pricing, is focusing on it even more as consumers cut down on spending and tariffs threaten to raise costs. The move by the world’s largest retailer tracks with its tendency to zero in on prices even more in a soft spending environment or when there’s an opportunity to gain market share.
Walmart’s discounting practices include companywide reductions called rollbacks. Store managers have also long compared prices with competitors, then match or beat them.
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In addition to signaling such price matches, the signs point to deals in cases of extra inventory and seasonal products, a Walmart spokeswoman said. The company has been simplifying its store signage in recent years, she said.
Walmart ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest private carriers in North America.
The magnitude and fast-changing nature of tariffs have upended business operations across various industries, and companies like Walmart are assessing the expected impact of levies on everything from inventory to demand.
Retailers have said tariffs risk price hikes, and that groceries and other items with shorter supply chains could see changes quickly if levies stay in place. After seeing Walmart’s push to lower prices, other retailers are likely to take similar actions, in an effort to compete and drive sales.
Walmart struck a confident tone at its investor day this month, maintaining its sales forecast for the year despite the recent tariff turbulence. Executives said they aimed to grow market share and will work to keep prices low.
Walmart executives shared a similar message at a meeting this month with merchandising employees, according to people familiar with the matter. They said that the company is studying the potential tariff impact, the people said.
To what extent tariffs lead to inflation has emerged as a pivotal question for economists and investors in recent weeks. U.S. consumers have become wary about spending after years of rising prices.
The tariffs themselves, meanwhile, remain in flux. On April 23, President Donald Trump backed off from earlier comments about tariffs on goods imported from China following warnings from financial markets, advisers and business leaders. Executives from Walmart, Target Corp. and Home Depot Inc. met with Trump this week, part of a push by business leaders seeking tariff relief.
