A Walmart user has gone viral after noting a price increase that he finds simply shocking. The item in question? Coffee.
While growth has slowed, the price of food is still going up. As of July 2025, the cost of food went up by around 3 percent over the previous calendar year. This may be a modest increase. However, following years of rapid, dramatic inflation, it’s left customers in disbelief about just how expensive everyday goods have become.
For example, consumers have noted instances of “shrinkflation. This is where items are sold in lower quantities or in smaller sizes at the same, or higher, prices. Others have simply complained about how high prices have become on basic goods.
Now, a TikToker has the internet talking after discovering just how much the price of coffee has gone up in under a year.
Why Has Maxwell House Coffee Gotten So Expensive?
In a video with over 151,000 views, TikTok user Chuck Smith (@chucksmith) says that, while visiting a Walmart in Rochester, Indiana, he decided to pick up a 38-ounce can of Maxwell House coffee.
When he looked at the price, however, he was “kind of shocked.”
“The [38] ounce coffee is $21.44,” he explains.
Sensing something was amiss, he found an old receipt from October 2024. At that time, the price was just $12.94. This means that the price went up by around 165 percent in less than a year.
“I mean, if you think tariffs or inflation or something’s not increasing the costs, you’re messed up in the head,” he states. “It’s not coming down.”
By the end of the video, Smith reveals that his modest grocery pickup still resulted in a bill of around $100.
What You Need to Know About Coffee Prices
Smith isn’t alone in complaining about the rising price of coffee.
Since June 2024, the price of coffee has gone up by an average of 12.7 percent, per Yahoo! Finance.
There are a few reasons for this, experts say. The primary reason is that several of the globe’s major coffee producers recently faced severe adverse weather conditions, which dramatically impacted their yields. As the demand for coffee has not gone down, coffee producers have responded by increasing prices.
Experts also suggest that the threat of tariffs could play a role in increased prices, even if they are not certain to be enacted.
For those hoping that prices will go down soon, it’s unlikely. Experts say that demand will increase and tariffs will impact costs, meaning that the average American should expect their cup of Joe to keep making a dent in their wallets.
@chucksmith Wow!!! HOW MUCH?!? #coffee #maxwellhouse #walmart #rochester #indiana @Walmart ♬ original sound – Chuck Smith❌
Commenters Are Angry
In the comments section, users placed blame on everything from the weather to the current administration to corporate greed.
“It’s the tariffs and corporate greed,” declared a user.
“Us democrats have been yelling about corporate greed for 4 years now. MAGA said it was Joe Bidens fault. Whose fault is it now?” asked another.
“People at the top of these companies are making a lot. It’s greed,” stated a third.
The Mary Sue reached out to Walmart via media relations contact form and Smith via TikTok direct message and comment.
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