Overview
- DataWeave finds Amazon’s average online prices up 12.8% year to date through September, versus 5.5% at Target and 5.3% at Walmart, based on roughly 16,000 items per retailer.
- Amazon saw its sharpest move between January and February with a 3.7% jump that preceded the April tariff announcements, while Walmart and Target each rose by less than 1% in that span.
- Industry experts say Amazon’s heavier reliance on third‑party marketplace sellers leaves prices more exposed to tariff‑driven cost shocks than at rivals with more scale and private‑label leverage.
- Amazon disputes that prices rose beyond normal fluctuations and reports Q3 gains of 10% in online store sales and 12% in third‑party seller services revenue year over year.
- Walmart and Target emphasize selective pricing and some permanent reductions, as policymakers and inflation gauges indicate tariffs are one contributor to persistent consumer price pressures.