Walmart employee stunned by overnight 100% price jump on popular seafood item
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Shoppers across the country have come to expect unexpected price jumps, but even with that awareness, this latest one managed to take many by surprise.
A Walmart employee recently pointed out a sudden and dramatic price increase that seemed to push the cost of a well-known dinner staple to nearly twice what it had been just the day before.
The moment was captured in real time on the store floor and eventually made its way to Reddit, where it sparked an outpouring of frustration, confusion, and shared disbelief from fellow consumers.
While the news didn’t completely shock longtime shoppers, it still left many feeling let down by yet another shift in affordability.
The product in question was Walmart’s Fresh Shrimp with Sauce, a frozen staple that had been selling for $4.98.
Without warning, the same item was marked at $9.99—a 100.6% increase that some shoppers called “insane.” That jump means customers are now paying $1.67 per ounce, compared to just $0.83 before. The original post featured a simple caption: “This is insane.”
Several commenters echoed the concern and said it sets a bleak tone for the coming season. One pointed out that the price hike coincided with the start of shrimp season, calling it a bad sign for future grocery trends.
“Doesn’t send a good message of the upcoming season,” one shopper wrote. Many others tied the change to policy decisions, specifically mentioning President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs.
“All together now: Who pays the tariffs? We pay the tariffs,” one person posted bluntly. Another added, “But… Trump promised that grocery prices would go down as soon as he was elected.”
The sentiment continued across the thread, with multiple users claiming the tariff strategy was backfiring in the form of higher consumer costs.
“Tariffs are taxes on Americans and will cause inflation that will make you beg for the Biden years,” a user warned.
Some took a broader view of how the supply chain reacts to such policy shifts. One person explained: “People don’t realize how long the supply change takes.”
Also read: Walmart revamps over 2,000 stores: What’s new for your shopping experience
“Even if he canceled the tariffs the day right after he made them, there would be impact in prices way down the line.” Others agreed that the price surge might just be the first of many. “We are going to be seeing this more and more in the coming days-weeks,” another commenter said.
Not everyone blamed the government—some suggested it could be seasonal fluctuation. “Not to play devil’s advocate—but could this be out-of-season pricing?” one user asked.
In states like Louisiana, shrimp prices are known to rise and fall with spring and fall harvest schedules. Still, the overnight increase was seen as too steep to chalk up to seasonality alone.
This isn’t the first time Walmart customers have spotted shocking price jumps in recent months. Back in May, a toy T-Rex was reported to have increased from $20 to $55 in just over a month.
Also read: The economy is flashing warning signs—and Trump’s tariff policy may be to blame
That’s a 175% hike on a non-essential item, but many saw it as a warning for essentials like food. “This is actually pretty terrifying,” one user said. “I can’t imagine what the price of food and necessities are going to be like soon.”
Workers at Walmart say the internal numbers reflect what customers are feeling at the register. One employee wrote: “What scares me is that Walmart is truly paying more for the products—I am watching our costs rise and products going up to cover us while it’s kicking everyone’s a**.”
The sentiment was echoed across retail threads, with both staff and shoppers feeling squeezed. “This will kill all businesses, big and small,” one person wrote.
Walmart CFO John Rainey had already warned that price hikes were coming this year. “We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb,” he said in a previous statement.
Rainey added that even suppliers were struggling to keep costs down. “You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June.”
Read next: What Walmart shoppers should know about expected price adjustments
What items have surprised you most, and do you believe inflation, tariffs, or seasonal changes are to blame? Drop a comment and share what’s happening in your area — other shoppers want to compare notes.
A Walmart employee recently pointed out a sudden and dramatic price increase that seemed to push the cost of a well-known dinner staple to nearly twice what it had been just the day before.
The moment was captured in real time on the store floor and eventually made its way to Reddit, where it sparked an outpouring of frustration, confusion, and shared disbelief from fellow consumers.
While the news didn’t completely shock longtime shoppers, it still left many feeling let down by yet another shift in affordability.
The product in question was Walmart’s Fresh Shrimp with Sauce, a frozen staple that had been selling for $4.98.
Without warning, the same item was marked at $9.99—a 100.6% increase that some shoppers called “insane.” That jump means customers are now paying $1.67 per ounce, compared to just $0.83 before. The original post featured a simple caption: “This is insane.”
Several commenters echoed the concern and said it sets a bleak tone for the coming season. One pointed out that the price hike coincided with the start of shrimp season, calling it a bad sign for future grocery trends.
“Doesn’t send a good message of the upcoming season,” one shopper wrote. Many others tied the change to policy decisions, specifically mentioning President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs.
Walmart employee stunned by overnight 100% price jump on popular seafood item. Image source: Walmart / Reddit
“All together now: Who pays the tariffs? We pay the tariffs,” one person posted bluntly. Another added, “But… Trump promised that grocery prices would go down as soon as he was elected.”
The sentiment continued across the thread, with multiple users claiming the tariff strategy was backfiring in the form of higher consumer costs.
“Tariffs are taxes on Americans and will cause inflation that will make you beg for the Biden years,” a user warned.
Some took a broader view of how the supply chain reacts to such policy shifts. One person explained: “People don’t realize how long the supply change takes.”
Also read: Walmart revamps over 2,000 stores: What’s new for your shopping experience
“Even if he canceled the tariffs the day right after he made them, there would be impact in prices way down the line.” Others agreed that the price surge might just be the first of many. “We are going to be seeing this more and more in the coming days-weeks,” another commenter said.
Not everyone blamed the government—some suggested it could be seasonal fluctuation. “Not to play devil’s advocate—but could this be out-of-season pricing?” one user asked.
In states like Louisiana, shrimp prices are known to rise and fall with spring and fall harvest schedules. Still, the overnight increase was seen as too steep to chalk up to seasonality alone.
This isn’t the first time Walmart customers have spotted shocking price jumps in recent months. Back in May, a toy T-Rex was reported to have increased from $20 to $55 in just over a month.
Also read: The economy is flashing warning signs—and Trump’s tariff policy may be to blame
That’s a 175% hike on a non-essential item, but many saw it as a warning for essentials like food. “This is actually pretty terrifying,” one user said. “I can’t imagine what the price of food and necessities are going to be like soon.”
Workers at Walmart say the internal numbers reflect what customers are feeling at the register. One employee wrote: “What scares me is that Walmart is truly paying more for the products—I am watching our costs rise and products going up to cover us while it’s kicking everyone’s a**.”
The sentiment was echoed across retail threads, with both staff and shoppers feeling squeezed. “This will kill all businesses, big and small,” one person wrote.
Walmart CFO John Rainey had already warned that price hikes were coming this year. “We’re wired for everyday low prices, but the magnitude of these increases is more than any retailer can absorb,” he said in a previous statement.
Rainey added that even suppliers were struggling to keep costs down. “You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June.”
Read next: What Walmart shoppers should know about expected price adjustments
