A Walmart employee made headlines on TikTok after criticizing the retailer for raising meat prices.
Elizabeth (@itsqueenelizabeth.to.you) alerted viewers to the alleged price increase in a recent video. As of Saturday afternoon, her post had amassed more than 659,100 views. “I am completely confused,” she wrote in the accompanying video caption.
The employee recorded her video from inside a Walmart store; she was standing in the store’s meat section asking about the price of lean ground beef.
“I’m at Walmart right now and these prices are really confusing me,” she repeated.
Elizabeth then showed viewers a 16-ounce package of ground beef. “This used to cost $3.94 and I know that because I work here,” she said. “Do you want to know how much it costs now?” The employee panned her camera to the price. To her surprise, the meat now cost almost $8.
“I can barely survive,” said Elizabeth.
She let her frustration vent even more in the accompanying text overlay. “Can I please have an explanation for this nonsense? I don’t even know who to blame anymore,” the employee wrote.
Are meat prices rising at Walmart?
It’s not just Walmart. If you’ve been feeling like your grocery shopping is putting a bigger dent in your wallet lately, you’re not just imagining it. Grocery prices in the U.S. have risen significantly in recent years due to high inflation.
Customers are taking note. According to a May survey conducted by Intuit Credit Karma, 80% of Americans said they’ve felt a significant increase in grocery costs. And according to the same report, grocery prices have increased 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The price increases may not only be seen at Walmart. According to Bloomberg and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average price of chicken breasts rose from $3 per pound in March 2020 to $4.75 per pound in September 2022.
But Elizabeth is certainly not the first Walmart shopper to notice that ground beef, in particular, is getting more expensive. Six months ago, a Redditor posted evidence that the price of the store’s fatty cut of ground beef had increased by $1 in a month. More recently, a Walmart shopper accused the store of lying about the weight of certain meats, including bacon.
While the inflation problem isn’t unique to Walmart, some commentators said they’ve noticed the price increases.
“Pretty much everything in the store is 50% more expensive than it was two or three years ago,” said one shopper.
“I actually think Walmart charges more than other grocery stores,” said another. “I think they take advantage of people.”
“This is simply price gouging,” added a third person.
Others pointed out that it was not just meat prices that were rising.
@itsqueenelizabeth.to.you I’m totally confused 😖#groceryshopping #wtf #inflation #foryou #viral ♬ Original sound – Queen.Elizabeth_
“Everything has skyrocketed to insane prices,” wrote one viewer.
“It’s affecting everyone and everything,” said another. “Car insurance, gas prices, groceries, rent, mortgage, everything. We’re all just trying to survive.”
The Daily Dot contacted Elizabeth via a TikTok comment and Walmart via its media inquiry form.
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