Walmart keeps store shelves stocked with eggs as shortage plagues retailers nationwide

Walmart's finance chief said the retailer has been able to keep its shelves stocked with eggs despite the ongoing nationwide shortage, which has forced several companies to impose purchasing restrictions. 

"It's really important to provide surety of supply for our customers so that they can come and get the items that they want," Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told FOX Business. "We've been fortunate to be able to do that, thus far." 

As of Tuesday, Walmart confirmed to FOX Business that it hasn't added any purchase limits nationally, except on a 60-count carton that has been limited to six per customer online only. 

"Although supply is very tight, we’re working with suppliers to help meet customer demand, while striving to keep prices as low as possible," Walmart said.

The shortage caused prices to climb 15.2% in January, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. This marked the largest increase in egg prices since June 2015 and accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total monthly rise in food prices, the Labor Department reported.

In recent weeks, restaurants and grocers have been adding surcharges or limiting the number of eggs customers can purchase as outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, wreak havoc on the U.S. egg supply. The industry has been fighting bird flu since the outbreaks began in 2022.

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Amazon-owned Whole Foods posted signs on its shelves notifying customers that they can only buy three cartons of eggs at one time. 

"We are currently experiencing difficulty sourcing eggs that meet our strict animal welfare standards," a sign posted at one of its stores in New York City read.

Kroger previously confirmed to FOX Business that some banner divisions are also limiting egg sales. At stores where limits are in place, the company is asking customers to only buy two dozen eggs per trip. 

Trader Joe's told FOX Business on that it is limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer per day. The limit applies to every Trader Joe’s grocery store in the U.S.  

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The limitations were implemented amid a shopping frenzy. In recent weeks, viral videos have surfaced showing shoppers stockpiling eggs. One TikTok video claimed that an entire section of eggs at a Costco was emptied in less than 10 minutes.

It's not just impacting shoppers. Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association, previously told FOX Business that the avian flu is making eggs just as expensive for restaurants – particularly breakfast-focused eateries. 

"Eggs go into many different kinds of dishes, but the price increase is especially hard for breakfast-focused restaurants to manage," Kennedy said. "When shortages like this happen, operators work closely with their food suppliers to determine how it will impact them. There are several options operators consider, from changing their menus to increasing their prices." 

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Waffle House, a Southern breakfast food chain, added a temporary 50-cent per egg surcharge to all of its menus. The company blamed the ongoing egg shortage for the dramatic increase in egg prices, saying that "consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions." 

Smaller eateries, like New York-based Mexican café and bakery Ursula, are being affected as well. Ursula owner and head chef Eric See told FOX Business that the prices of whole eggs have doubled, while the cost of liquid eggs has risen by about 25%.