Via iStockphoto / @rapidpenguinz TikTok
A Walmart shopper couldn't believe the price of butter increased in a matter of minutes when checking out. Does Walmart do dynamic pricing?
Walmart has long been known for offering everyday low prices, making it a go-to for budget shoppers. This reputation took years to build, and many shoppers are loyal to Walmart, as they believe the retailer has the best prices.
However, this reputation was put into question in a TikTok with over 590,800 views.
In the video, Patrick (@rapidpenguinz) claims the price of butter changed during his shopping trip.
“Me and my son went to Walmart to pick up some butter and some other items for baking,” Patrick begins.
Patrick says he has been mindful of grocery store prices as inflation booms.
“I’m very aware of prices because of how high stuff is,” he says.
At the self-checkout, Patrick says he noticed something suspicious happen. “I start noticing that my prices are higher,” he claims.
Patrick says he called over the Walmart manager and asked about the price difference he’s seeing.
“’The price can change from the time you leave the area to the time you get to the register because of the computer updates,’” he claims the manager told him.
This confused the Walmart shopper, and he says he is now questioning the store’s ethics.
“You can’t tell me that if I pick up an item that’s $3.98, by the time I walk to the register—which is less than two minutes—the price goes up,” he ponders. “Is this what we are doing, Walmart? Like, are we serious? So you have the right to change the price from the time I look at it till the time I get to the register. Man, something’s gotta give.”
What Is Dynamic Pricing? And Does Walmart Do It?
Everyday pricing has been a staple for Walmart’s pricing strategy. So hearing about the price of butter increasing from the time it’s grabbed off the shelf to checkout is alarming.
Dynamic pricing, which has gained popularity over the past decade, sets prices based on demand. Also called surge pricing, the business or retailer can alter the price if demand is high. In most cases, this pricing strategy will only raise when demand is high. Prices will remain regular when demand is low.
Walmart owns a patent for digital shelf labels with the capability to change prices remotely but has denied partaking in dynamic pricing. According to a spring 2026 Decodo report, Walmart changed nearly 70,000 prices in real time. However, Decodo wrote that these changes were mostly good for the customer. The report says, “53% of all price movements are decreases. This supports the company’s public positioning that dynamic pricing serves customers instead of exploiting them.”
“Digital shelf labels replace paper tags and allow approved price changes to be displayed more efficiently and consistently. They do not identify customers, nor do they independently set prices,” Walmart executive Dan Bartlett said in a press release, shutting down claims it partakes in dynamic pricing.
Bartlett said the retailer has no plan of making ice cream more expensive on hot days. “The ability to update a display more quickly is not evidence that Walmart uses it, nor intends to use it, for dynamic pricing. Walmart does not and will not use digital shelf labels for individual or dynamic pricing,” Bartlett continues.
States are now banning dynamic pricing altogether. Maryland created the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act to prevent companies like DoorDash and Instacart from adjusting prices based on personal data.
‘Buying Groceries Should Not Be Like Playing The Stock Market’
Viewers in the comments section were upset by Patrick’s experience.
“We all need to boycott Walmart,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“If I get to the register and the prices are higher than when I picked it up, I’m leaving it right there and walking out,” another shared.
“When places do this we all need to straight up leave everything at the counter and leave,” a third added.
Others viewers said they already stopped shopping at the retail giant.
“It’s called dynamic pricing. I stopped shopping there when they started that,” one revealed.
“Buying groceries should not be like playing the stock market,” another commented.
“I’m gonna start taking pictures of the prices,” a third said.
BroBible has reached out to Patrick via TikTok direct message and to Walmart via website submission form. The story will be updated if he either party replies.