Thus, related companies like Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) and especially Walmart (NYSE:WMT) have enjoyed significant demand. A Missed Opportunity Might Hurt KR Stock First, although the CPI for all items except energy have moved higher, we shouldn’t expect this particular trend to sustain. Further, during a three-week period, more than 16 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, in what the New York Times termed a “sudden black hole.” Say what you want about the NYT, I don’t consider the description hyperbole.