It’s getting more expensive for retailers like Walmart Inc. to stock its shelves with household staples like diapers, paper towels, and bottled water. The question now is whether that translates into more pain at the check-out line.
Soaring costs for transportation and raw materials—some related to tariffs—have prompted Procter & Gamble Co., Nestle SA, Coca-Cola Co. and others to announce price increases this summer on a wide swath of consumer staples. The companies are betting that demand will remain steady even though wage growth is tepid and Americans’ wallets are already getting pinched by higher gas prices during the peak summer driving season.
