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How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

npr.org

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Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#11

Post by zaroth »

d--b wrote: post #7

the cart doesn't make sense, it's too small and has too specific things in it. cod filet are pricier, shrimps are way cheaper. Great.

> To create NPR's basket, we consulted the lists from 2018 of tariffs the White House imposed on imports from China, but also Mexico and Canada — as well as China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made products.

The products were picked not to represent an average shopping cart at Walmart (because we already do that and it’s called the CPI), but to specifically target items which they thought would be hardest hit by tariffs.

It’s an entirely unscientific report showing price changes at a single store with an artificial basket of goods with no attempt whatsoever to control for independent variables. In short, it tells us nothing at best, and is misinformation at worst. It’s hard to tell if the effort was even done in good faith.

Then again, TFA’s first sentence is “Shoppers beware.” Maybe that tells us all we need to know. I am actually a bit surprised that first sentence made it to print.

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#12

Post by jetrink »

d--b wrote: post #7

the cart doesn't make sense, it's too small and has too specific things in it. cod filet are pricier, shrimps are way cheaper. Great.

NPR is tracking dozens of items. The full table is further down in the article. "NPR's basket was based on the 2018 lists of tariffs the White House imposed on imports from China, Mexico and Canada as well as China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made products."

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#13

Post by mieseratte »

chrischen wrote: post #3

The goal of the tariffs is to improve the bargaining position of America in getting better trade deals with China... not to move manufacturing back to the US. That might be what’s fed to the average Joe the plumber Trump supporter but common sense easily precludes that motivation. To actually move manufacturing back you’d have to tariff every country with a lower cost of living than the US, and that’s most of the wor…

> The goal of the tariffs is to improve the bargaining position of America in getting better trade deals with China... not to move manufacturing back to the US.

Alternatively, to decouple US and Chinese trade as China is a major strategic rival to the US.

> That might be what’s fed to the average Joe the plumber Trump supporter but common sense easily precludes that motivation.

Perhaps one should avoid thinly veiled political insults. Particularly as it blinds one to alternative possibilities.

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#14

Post by wolco »

blisterpeanuts wrote: post #5
defertoreptar wrote: post #4

> At the same time, higher prices of garlic — they soared 53% — actually illustrate tariffs working as intended. > China had been the biggest exporter of garlic to the U.S. and domestic garlic growers have long argued they were being undercut by cheaper Chinese competition. Now that Chinese garlic faces higher tariffs, domestic companies can charge higher prices. Domestic companies being able to charge higher prices…

Why would garlic prices rise 53% if the tariffs are only 30%? Are there really no other factors at play?

Cost might be a % of costs + percentage of profit which increases based on the cost and has a multiplier.

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#16

Post by lotsofpulp »

gzu wrote: post #15

Yet somehow our consumer price index shows inflation rising at only 2%

I’ve never paid attention to that number. Housing in desirable areas with economic opportunities, education, and healthcare are all understated. I prefer to use SP500 as my benchmark for what I need to keep up with since I am betting the US government will keep devaluing the USD to keep inflating asset values.

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#17

Post by Jorge1o1 »

chrischen wrote: post #3

The goal of the tariffs is to improve the bargaining position of America in getting better trade deals with China... not to move manufacturing back to the US. That might be what’s fed to the average Joe the plumber Trump supporter but common sense easily precludes that motivation. To actually move manufacturing back you’d have to tariff every country with a lower cost of living than the US, and that’s most of the wor…

You would have to tariff every country with a comparative advantage in manufacturing cheap goods, not just “the cheapest countries” in general.

Otherwise, we’d be moving our production to Pakistan and not India (a country with a comparably low cost of living)

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#18

Post by elhudy »

defertoreptar wrote: post #4

> At the same time, higher prices of garlic — they soared 53% — actually illustrate tariffs working as intended. > China had been the biggest exporter of garlic to the U.S. and domestic garlic growers have long argued they were being undercut by cheaper Chinese competition. Now that Chinese garlic faces higher tariffs, domestic companies can charge higher prices. Domestic companies being able to charge higher prices…

What is 55% higher though - from $0.50 to $0.76 per bulb? Garlic doesn't seem like an elastic enough good where $0.25 would make a difference. It's a staple food in almost every American household.

With that being said it's sad to hear that so many people purchase Chinese produce.

Re: How prices changed at a Walmart in a year

#19

Post by klingonopera »

Jorge1o1 wrote: post #17
chrischen wrote: post #3

The goal of the tariffs is to improve the bargaining position of America in getting better trade deals with China... not to move manufacturing back to the US. That might be what’s fed to the average Joe the plumber Trump supporter but common sense easily precludes that motivation. To actually move manufacturing back you’d have to tariff every country with a lower cost of living than the US, and that’s most of the wor…

You would have to tariff every country with a comparative advantage in manufacturing cheap goods, not just “the cheapest countries” in general. Otherwise, we’d be moving our production to Pakistan and not India (a country with a comparably low cost of living)

Supply chains are another reason, why shifting production to a lower-cost labour country is not done overnight.
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