What's going on?

No discounts here: data out on Tuesday showed Walmart�s still bringing in sales despite its swelling prices.

What does this mean?

Looks like Walmart�s been applying its �save money, live better� slogan to its own bottom line: the world�s biggest retailer has been passing inflation-charged costs onto its loyal shoppers, which helped beef up sales from stores open for at least a year by over 8% last quarter from the same time last year. And the fact that the firm�s inventory only grew by 13% ��a far cry from the previous quarter�s 25% (tweet this) � will only add to the pre-festive cheer: investors won�t want to see piles of excess stock being sold with heavy discounts during the all-important holiday season, after all. Shareholders� smiles likely got even wider after Walmart announced a new $20-billion share buyback plan too, rounding out a very good day in the Bentonville office.

Why should I care?

Zooming out: Everyone budgets.
Inflation�s so rampant that even higher-income shoppers are pulling their purse strings that little bit tighter and checking out more budget-friendly stores. In fact, Walmart estimates that around 75% of last quarter�s market share gains came from households with incomes over $100,000. And with fired-up prices sticking around for now, cheap-and-cheerful stores could be in the money for a while longer.

The bigger picture: Being sticky is good.
Thing is, Walmart�s not the only firm with the power to pass rising costs onto its shoppers without putting them off. Quite the opposite, in fact: companies in all sorts of industries are upping their prices, confident that their customers won�t check out their equally-pitched competitors. The question for investors, though, is whether firms can keep their prices steady and sticky if and when cost pressures ease � a more achievable task for businesses with fewer direct competitors and a loyal fanbase.