Amazon Allegedly Pressured Brands to Raise Walmart’s Khaki Pants Price $4.52
Court documents allege Amazon pressured Levi Strauss to convince Walmart to raise its Levi’s Easy Khaki Classic pants price from $25.47 back to $29.99. California’s Atty. Gen. is seeking a preliminary injunction before a January trial, with a hearing scheduled for July 23.
1. Allegations of Coordinated Price Raises
Court filings claim Amazon identified two Levi’s styles sold at lower prices on Walmart.com and urged Levi Strauss to get Walmart to revert the pants from $25.47 back to the $29.99 MSRP. The exchange is one of a dozen examples cited in the suit, which accuses Amazon of using its market power to inflate prices on competing sites.
2. Specific Levi’s Khaki Incident
Amazon targeted Levi’s Easy Khaki Classic pants, matching Walmart’s reduced price of $25.47–$26.99 before requesting a ‘proof case’ to ensure higher prices going forward. Levi Strauss staff communicated willingness to use the example to address similar ‘issues’ on both platforms.
3. Legal Timeline and Injunction Request
The California lawsuit was filed in 2022 and seeks a preliminary injunction to bar Amazon from further alleged price fixing. A hearing on the injunction request is set for July 23, with a full trial scheduled for January.
4. Potential Implications for Walmart
If injunctions are granted, Walmart may face fewer aggressive price-matching demands but could also lose access to vendors unwilling to risk antitrust scrutiny. The outcome could reshape Walmart’s promotional strategies and vendor negotiations in clothing categories.