For months, big retailers have been warning that prices will rise.
Now, thanks to insider information from Target workers, the extent of the raises are becoming apparent. Staff say it is just the beginning.
A $9.99 USB-C cord from the store’s in-house Heyday brand is now ringing up at $17.99, according to a self-identified employee on Reddit.
‘It’s happening,’ the worker wrote, sharing a photo of the price tag update. ‘All of Heyday is going up.’
The spike — a 56 percent increase — is being blamed on the latest wave of tariffs linked to former President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
Target’s price rises come after Walmart on Thursday confirmed that it is raising prices this month as a direct result of tariffs.
The Trump administration framed tariffs as a way to boost a sleepy domestic manufacturing industry by making foreign goods more expensive.
This approach differs from the usual method of imposing tariffs to safeguard industries that are already expanding. By 2025, the aim is to energize sectors that have recently lacked investment.
But for goods that rely on global supply chains — like electronics sold at Target — the effects are already showing up on store shelves.
A Target employee posted a Reddit while swapping out a price point for another that is 56 percent more expensive
The cord is another example of consumers taking to social media to criticize price increases.
Shoppers have already seen costs balloon at popular stores, including Shein, Temu, and Amazon.
So far, the increases haven’t made a major dent in national inflation data — April’s rate moderately ticked up.
But some executives have warned that consumers will start to feel the impact more broadly in the months ahead.
CEOs of Best Buy and Walmart have cautioned about the rise in prices. Executives from GM and Ford have indicated that the tariffs will significantly impact their profits, cutting billions.
Target has also been transparent about the consumer pricing implications of Trump’s trade wars for months.
Brian Cornell, the CEO, began alerting customers in a March earnings call, at a time when the US faced the possibility of 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.
At the time, he warned that everyday grocery items that frequently cross borders before making their way to Target’s aisles — like strawberries, avocados, bananas, and coffee beans — were set to increase.
Target has been warning customers that some products will see price increases (stock image)
Target’s CEO, Brian Cornell, warned shoppers about price changes back in March
Shoppers have already been battling inflationary pressures – the country saw the inflation rate jump over nine percent in 2022
Targets shoppers are the latest to speak out on social media – Temu and Shein consumers also said they faced big cost jumps
‘If there’s a 25 percent tariff, those prices will go up,’ he said.
President Trump has since walked back those tariffs and replaced them with smaller 10 percent import taxes.
But other major importing countries continue to face 10 percent tariffs from the US.
In April, the country started collecting the tax on all imported goods.
Now, companies are trying to find a way to protect their profits while also maintaining their store inventories.
Those pressures are making American consumers clutch their wallets as they anticipate even higher costs.
‘I’m kinda scared to do back to school shopping in July and August,’ one shopper said on the Reddit post.
Target didn’t respond to a request for comment.
