Amazon raised prices on 1,200 low-cost household items this spring, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. Amazon finds it difficult to profit from low-cost products due to high shipping expenses that eliminate its slim margins. Its rival Walmart can absorb losses on similar online items because in-store purchases often include higher-margin products. Prices fluctuate due to factors like inflation and discounts, and Amazon noted that many of the tracked products were often out of stock at rival retailers. Retailers are quietly adjusting strategies, fearing political backlash, after Trump warned companies to “eat the tariffs" in May.
