A Walmart employee was filmed replacing the cost of salad dressing at the chain superstore from $2.24 to $7.88. The viral video, which has over three million views, showed an increase of more than 350 per cent.
The TikTok was shared on 5 March by user @devious_love, who goes by Shawn Connor on the app. In the clip, the Walmart employee is seen in the salad dressing aisle printing out price tag labels that read $7.88 and switching them in for the old $2.24 price tags. Connor captioned the TikTok video, “wtf!!!”
Many TikTok users believed the price hike was caused by inflation, which has jumped 7.9 per cent in the US within the past year, while others felt there was a reasonable explanation to the price tag switch.
“Price gouging hidden under ‘inflation,’” alleged one TikTok user.
“Called inflation…gas prices go up cost of food is going to go up companys are requiring more money to ship food and the company thats selling it….” explained someone else.
“They are probably rearranging the shelves and that price is for a different item, do NOT believe everything sheeple,” commented one person.
Others simply swore off buying salad dressing at Walmart until further notice.
“If I go in my local Walmart and see dressing is $7 I’m never eating salad again,” a TikTok user commented.
Another said: “Ain’t nobody buying that”.
The cost of food and gas in the US are expected to rise amidst Russia’s war in Ukraine. Gas prices hit an all-time high this week, with Americans paying an average of $4.173 a gallon as President Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports. The ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict has not glazed over the minds of TikTok users either.
The top TikTok comment under Connor’s video: “That must be the Russian dressing”.