The short answer is yes, you can return some unopened and unused food items to Walmart within 90 days of purchase. But Walmart‘s food return policy has some tricky ins and outs.
As your go-to shopping expert, I put together this detailed guide so you can learn the rules of returning food to Walmart. That way, the next time you’re unhappy with a grocery purchase, you’ll know exactly what to do.
What Foods You Can and Can‘t Return to Walmart
First things first, let‘s review which foods Walmart will and won‘t take back:
Foods You Can Return
Non-perishable, packaged foods:
- Shelf-stable items like canned goods, cereal, pasta, coffee, baby formula
- Frozen foods (unopened)
- Snacks like chips, granola bars (unopened)
Fresh produce, meat, seafood, bakery:
- Fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, seafood, bread (unsatisfactory/spoiled only)
*Must meet Freshness Guaranteed policy – see details below.
Foods You Can‘t Return
Opened packages:
- Partially eaten food or opened packages
Deli, bakery, hot bar items:
- Pizza, wings, sandwiches, salads, cakes
Loose produce/bulk foods:
- Fruits, veggies, nuts sold from bulk bins
Alcohol/tobacco:
- Unopened alcohol/tobacco only returnable at original purchase store
Gift cards
- Federal law prohibits returns on gift cards
As you can see, the main rule is food must be unopened for returns.
Next, let‘s go over how Walmart‘s Freshness Guaranteed policy works for fresh foods.
Returns on Fresh Produce, Meat, and Bakery
Walmart guarantees the quality and freshness of produce, meat, seafood, eggs, and bakery items.
So if you get home and find strawberries already moldy, ground beef smelling funky, or a birthday cake smashed – you may be able to get an even exchange or refund.
But there are a few rules:
- You must return the item before the printed expiration or sell-by date
- The return must happen within 90 days of purchase
- You‘ll need the original receipt for a refund
- The food can‘t show signs of tampering or misuse
For example, if you buy a pack of chicken breasts and they have an odd odor when you open it at home, you can return to Walmart for a refund.
However, if you notice the chicken smells off only after you‘ve cooked and eaten part of it, Walmart likely won‘t issue a refund. At that point, it could be an issue with how you stored or prepared it.
My advice? Inspect fresh items closely right after purchase. That way, if the quality is off, you can get your money back promptly under the Freshness Guarantee policy.
How To Actually Return Foods to Walmart
When it comes to the logistics of returning food to Walmart, you have a few options:
In-store return:
This is the most common way to return food. Just head to the customer service desk with your unopened item and receipt. Let the rep know you want to make a return.
Pro Tip: If you lost your receipt, try returning to the original purchase location – their system may still have the record. Returns without a receipt typically get a store credit only.
Via Walmart Grocery pickup/delivery:
Start the process on the Walmart Grocery website or mobile app. This will notify your local store that you need to make a return.
Then just bring the unopened food to the customer service desk next time you shop. You have 90 days from delivery to return.
For Walmart.com orders:
You can print a free return shipping label and mail back unopened food. Or request an in-person return at your local store.
For damaged/spoiled grocery delivery orders:
Contact Walmart customer service right away if an item arrived damaged, spoiled, or incorrect. They‘ll refund without requiring you to return. Just provide the order number.
No matter how you return, follow the rules on condition (unopened), receipts (90 days) and type of items. Doing so ensures a smooth process!
Tips for Getting Food Returns Approved at Walmart
After researching Walmart‘s policies and talking to employees, here are my top insider tips for smoothly returning food:
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Bring your receipt! This ensures you get cash/original payment back, not just store credit.
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Know the timeline. You have 90 days for returns. Mark your calendar to avoid missing the window.
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Return to original purchase location, if possible. This makes looking up past receipts easier.
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Inspect items ASAP. Check freshness within 1-2 days so you don‘t exceed use-by dates.
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Return unopened alcohol/tobacco only to original purchase store or you may be denied.
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Double check gift card balances in-store. No returns allowed on those!
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Avoid returns on prepared foods. Health regulations prohibit taking those back. Best to speak up about issues immediately and staff may exchange.
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Don‘t open bulk bins. Scooping from bins means you can’t return loose fruits, nuts, candy, etc. Only purchase what you know you’ll use.
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Keep all original packaging and parts. Food must be in original condition with no missing accessories or labels.
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Be polite and patient! Remember, food returns are tricky for stores. Kindness goes a long way if you need to bend a rule.
Following these tips will make the food return process with Walmart as smooth as possible.
Examples of Food Return Scenarios
To give you a better idea of how food returns play out in real life, here are some examples:
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Amanda buys a rotisserie chicken on her lunch break but gets called back into work suddenly. The next morning, she notices the sell-by date is today. She returns, unopened and with her receipt, for a full refund under the Freshness Guarantee policy.
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Tim orders a case of energy drinks online from Walmart.com. When they arrive, he realizes he accidentally ordered sugar-free instead of regular. He repackages them unopened and mails them back with the free return shipping label.
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Jess finishes half a carton of ice cream before noticing the flavor tastes off. She paid cash and lost her receipt. Since it’s opened, Walmart won’t take it back. Jess asks nicely and gets a store credit for 50% of the value.
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Rachel buys spices from the bulk food bins to cook a new recipe. After tasting it, she doesn‘t like the flavor combo. Since they are loose bulk items, Walmart cannot resell them so denies the return request.
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Max returns an unopened bag of Halloween candy 2 days before the 90 day limit, without a receipt. Walmart does a lookup, sees the purchase history, and allows a return in the form of a store gift card.
As you can see, experiences can vary greatly depending on the item, condition, policy fine print and staff discretion. Use best judgment and ask customer service if you have any doubts before purchasing!
Key Food Return Stats and Data
To give you some context, here are a few interesting stats on returns at Walmart:
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Walmart‘s return policy is 90 days for both food and non-food items – one of the most generous in the industry. Source: Walmart.com
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Food is Walmart‘s largest retail category, representing 56% of Walmart U.S. sales in 2021. Source: Walmart 2021 Annual Report
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Around 10-15% of retail purchases are returned in general across the grocery industry. Source: National Retail Federation
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Top reasons for food returns include spoilage, damage, wrong item, and personal preference. Source:FMI Survey of Grocery Returns
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68% of customers say a positive or negative returns experience affects their likelihood to shop at a retailer again. Source: Brightpearl Retail Returns Survey
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Walmart customers make over 1 billion returns annually. Source: CNBC
As you can see, food returns are very common. Don‘t feel guilty bringing back a spoiled item or incorrect purchase. Just follow the retailer policies and ask for help if needed!
The Bottom Line
I hope this insider guide gave you clarity on how Walmart handles food returns. While it can be tricky, remember these key tips:
- Focus on returning unopened, unused products within 90 days if possible
- Inspect fresh items ASAP and return spoiled ones promptly
- Know which items you absolutely can’t return – like prepared foods
- Politely ask for exceptions if needed as managers have some discretion
- Get ahead of any issues with online orders proactively
With high customer volume, Walmart has to put limits on returns. But in my experience, if you work with employees and follow the essential rules, Walmart will do their best to resolve the situation. Don‘t hesitate to contact me or your local store if any other food return questions come up!
