Walmart Store Sells Eggs for Just $2—Could Others Follow?
Shoppers were shocked to see a price so low amid a shortage that made egg prices skyrocket.
Even if you don't eat eggs, odds are you're aware of how expensive they've become. Prices hit record highs in Dec. 2022, according to Reuters, and in January, they were up a whopping 150 percent compared to last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) previously cited an avian flu outbreak as the reason for an egg shortage, which drove up prices. But while many Americans debate putting exorbitantly priced eggs in their shopping carts, a Walmart store in Kentucky has eggs on sale for just $2. Read on to find out why the store slashed prices, and whether you can expect your local Walmart to follow suit.
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The sale price was shocking after months of inflation.
A Walmart store in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, caused a stir on Feb. 15 when a photo of its egg section went viral on Facebook, Newsweek reported. NBC-affiliate LEX 18 posted a picture that shows 18-count egg cartons neatly stacked, with an encouraging sign above them. Highlighted as a "Rollback," the eggs are on sale for just $2, down from $6.03.
The comment section was flooded with excitement about the sale, particularly because the cartons have 18 eggs, as opposed to the typical dozen. "That's for 18! Wish I lived closer. Lol," one comment reads, while another joked, "Does it include the eggs? Or is it just the cardboard?"
In a statement to Newsweek, Walmart said it tries to always give shoppers the lowest prices, but didn't elaborate on exactly how these eggs became such a steal.
"We're committed to providing the best prices so our customers can save money and live better," the statement reads. "What happened involving the shipment of eggs to the Harrodsburg store demonstrates our ability to take advantage of these unique opportunities and quickly pass on those savings."
Some customers speculated that the eggs were expired.
While some found the news encouraging, others were skeptical about the pricing, suggesting that the eggs might go bad soon.
"They must be close to the expiration date for their inventory," one comment reads.
"That's because nobody can afford them and they are getting ready to go bad. Like nobody saw this coming," another wrote.
Others said that if Walmart is able to turn a profit on $2 eggs, that's what they should sell them for. "If they can still make money at that price, then that's what they should be priced at!!!!" an emphatic Facebook user wrote.
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It might have something to do with wholesale egg prices.
Last week, wholesale prices of eggs (meaning the prices that retailers pay) went down to $2.81 per dozen, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing data from research firm Urner Barry.
While that number is still higher than average prices in Jan. 2021, which hovered around $1.30 per dozen, it's almost 50 percent lower than the $5 mark reached in Dec. 2022. According to CNBC, fewer cases of bird flu are being reported, which has allowed egg producers to recover.
Walmart appears to be capitalizing on the uptick in healthy chickens by cutting prices—and attracting customers as a result.
Will other stores follow?
For shoppers, egg prices are generally still higher, as retailers turn a profit by selling eggs for significantly more than what they paid.
According to The Wall Street Journal, there's often a bit of a delay before retail prices drop, too, and Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist at CoBank, told the outlet that stores might not want to slash prices right away, especially if bird flu surges and they need to bring them up again.
"We could see some reduction in prices in the immediate future," Wendong Zhang, PhD, agricultural economist and assistant professor at Cornell University, told The Wall Street Journal last week. "If the flu comes back, we'll have some spikes again."
As for other Walmart stores, a commenter on LEX 18's Facebook post about the $2 eggs stated that a Walmart in Lexington (presumably the city in Kentucky) was selling eggs at the same price. However, it's unclear if stores outside of Kentucky will follow suit.
Best Life reached out to Walmart for comment on whether shoppers can expect to see $2 eggs at more locations, but has yet to hear back.
