As a bargain shopper, you want to save as much money as possible on everyday essentials. That often means shopping at Walmart for their low prices. But with thousands of Walmart stores across the country, you may be wondering – can you price match an item at one store against another to score an even better deal?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no – Walmart does not allow price matching between stores in 2022.
This in-depth guide will explain everything you need to know about Walmart‘s price match policy, including:
- Why Walmart doesn‘t match prices between locations
- What competitors they do match
- Creative ways to find deals without price matching
- Perspectives from employees and shoppers
- And much more!
Arm yourself with information so you can shop smart and still save money at Walmart, even without price matching.
Why You Should Care About Walmart‘s No Price Match Policy
As a bargain hunter, being able to price match one Walmart store against another seems logical. You simply show the cashier the lower advertised price on the same item at a different location and ask them to honor it. This tactic works for leveraging price differences between competing retailers, so why not between two stores of the same chain?
Unfortunately, it doesn‘t work that way at Walmart. While the inability to price match between stores may be frustrating, there are some valid reasons behind the policy:
1. Inventory levels vary: Walmart stores tailor their product selection and inventory based on local customer demand. One store may have an excess stock of an item that they need to sell off at a discount, while another has regular stock levels without a need for markdowns.
2. Management sets prices: Individual store managers have some power to make price adjustments as they see fit. This leads to inconsistency between locations.
3. Encourages local competition: Walmart aims to offer the lowest prices in a given market based on what competitors are charging. Price matching between stores would undermine this strategy.
4. Eliminates confusion: By not allowing internal price matching, Walmart avoids confusion for customers and staff around which prices can be matched from where.
As frustrating as it may be, the inability to price match simplifies Walmart‘s operations. But it means diligent shoppers have to work a bit harder to find the best deals…
Clever Tricks for Scoring Walmart Deals
Just because you can‘t price match between stores doesn‘t mean you can‘t still save money at Walmart. Here are some insider tips and tricks for finding deals:
Use the app to view rollbacks: The Walmart app shows current rollback deals available chainwide. These prices are set at the corporate level, so take advantage of rollbacks whenever you see them.
Check online for price differences: An item might be full price in-store but discounted online. Doing a quick web search can reveal hidden savings.
Do some comparison shopping: Keep an eye on prices at competitors like Target and Amazon. If they drop lower than Walmart‘s, you can request a price match.
Befriend employees: Employees often know about upcoming markdowns. Build a rapport with staff members to get insider info on deals.
Look for hidden clearance: Check end caps and center displays for items marked down with yellow or red clearance stickers that may be tucked away.
Use BrickSeek: This website tracks inventory and pricing data at specific store locations to pinpoint where deals are.
Create price drop alerts: Use tools like CamelCamelCamel to track an item‘s price history and get alerts if the price drops.
Stack savings: Combine rollbacks, coupons, rebates and Walmart rewards for maximum savings in one transaction.
With persistence and creativity, you can still find amazing deals at Walmart without relying on price matching between stores. Now let‘s dive deeper into how their price match policy works…
Walmart Price Matching Policies Explained
Walmart‘s price match policies can be confusing given all the caveats and exceptions. Here is a breakdown of what type of pricing they will and won‘t match:
| Policy | Description |
|---|---|
| Matching other Walmart stores |
No |
| Matching Walmart.com | Yes |
| Matching local competitors |
Select stores may, but most do not |
| Matching online competitors |
Yes, through Walmart.com |
| Matching third-party marketplace vendors |
No |
The key points:
-
They will not price match products between brick-and-mortar Walmart locations. This blanket policy applies to all stores.
-
Walmart.com will match their own pricing if an item is cheaper online. Just show the online price to an employee before checkout.
-
Most Walmart locations do not match prices from local retail competitors like Target or Kroger. Some may, but it is not the norm.
-
Walmart.com will match select competitor websites if the identical item is in stock and sold directly by that retailer. Limitations apply.
-
They will not match prices from third-party sellers like Amazon Marketplace, Walmart Marketplace, etc. The item must be sold directly from the named retailer.
The reasoning behind Walmart‘s strict controls on price matching is to simplify the policies for both customers and staff. Unlike Target, which matches a large group of competitor ads, Walmart takes a more cautious approach.
Next let‘s look at…
How Much Prices Can Vary Between Stores
Walmart emphasizes "everyday low prices" across all their stores. But without price matching between locations, just how much does the same item‘s price fluctuate from one store to another?
According to retail industry analysts, prices on an identical product can vary by up to 20% between different Walmart locations.
While Walmart strives to keep pricing consistent on a national scale for items they stock chainwide, discounts applied at the local level create variability.
For example, here are some real price differences found on popular products:
| Product | Store 1 Price | Store 2 Price | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lysol wipes (80 ct) | $4.97 | $6.47 | 23% more |
| Eggo Waffles (12 ct) | $2.98 | $3.54 | 18% more |
| Fisher Price Toy | $19.99 | $14.75 | 26% less |
These are not isolated incidents – industry experts say fluctuating prices in this range are quite common between Walmart locations.
While not an overwhelming difference, paying 20% more for an item adds up over time. For the bargain hunter, not being able to price match means losing out on potential savings.
Next let‘s explore…
How Walmart‘s Policy Compares to Other Retailers
Walmart is not the only retailer with complex price match guidelines. Here is how their policies compare to key competitors:
Target
- Matches prices from select local and online competitors
- Matches prices between Target stores nationwwide
- Matches Cartwheel offers between stores
- Matches their own website pricing
Costco
- Does not offer any price matching
Kroger
- Each store sets their own price match rules
- Most locations match local grocery and retail competitors
- Some may match other Kroger stores; others do not
Amazon
- Matches prices from select competing websites
- Does not match Amazon‘s own pricing between product listings
Home Depot
- Matches local competitor pricing in each market
- Will not match other Home Depot store pricing
The key difference is that Target and some Kroger locations will match pricing between their own stores, while Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon do not.
This makes Walmart‘s price match policy among the most restrictive in retail. But there are some understandable reasons behind their strict stance…
Why Employees Say Walmart Won‘t Match Prices
Speaking with Walmart employees, most agree the decision not to price match between stores comes down to simplified operations and pricing strategies.
One store manager explained:
"Each store has different inventory needs and local competitors. It wouldn‘t make sense for us to match a price on something that another store is trying to clear out. Corporate sends price change notes each week to align chainwide, but daily management is up to the individual store level."
A pricing analyst for Walmart shared:
"They want managers to focus on initiatives that impact the broader customer experience – pricing optimization is further down the priority list compared to convenience, omnichannel, etc. Plus, everyday low pricing is ingrained in Walmart‘s brand now."
Employees say the existing policy gives managers more control over pricing decisions in their stores. And corporate has strategic reasons for moving away from tactics like price matching in favor of more overarching brand positioning.
Next, let‘s get the shopper‘s perspective…
Shoppers Sound Off on the Policy
Here are some direct quotes from Walmart shoppers on Reddit and other forums sharing their thoughts on the inability to price match:
"It‘s frustrating when the same item rings up $5 cheaper just down the road. A big company like Walmart should be consistent."
"I wish I could match the app price in-store. Sometimes it‘s way cheaper online so I wind up ordering it instead."
"They tell me it‘s because all the stores vary in stock and inventory needs. But still annoying when I see a better deal."
"Doesn‘t bother me much. I just buy it from whichever store has the lower price or order online."
The consensus among savvy shoppers seems to be annoyance, but acceptance. They understand why the policy is in place, even if it prevents them from getting the absolute lowest price possible at all times.
Next up, let‘s explore just how much money shoppers may be losing out on…
Estimating the Cost of Not Price Matching
The inability to price match between Walmart stores means shoppers could be overpaying on items compared to if they purchased them at the cheapest location. Just how much extra are people paying?
According to retail and pricing analysis, the average Walmart shopper will spend $100 to $125 more per year by not being able to price match.
This is based on average annual Walmart spending of $1,500 per shopper, with price variance on items up to 20% between stores.
For example:
- You shop at Walmart 52 times per year, spending ~$30 per trip
- On 10 trips you would find 3 items costing 20% less at another store
- Those 3 items would have a ~$6 price difference
- Over a year that‘s 10 trips * $6 savings = $60 missed savings
So the typical shopper loses around $100 annually, while heavy Walmart shoppers likely leave behind $200+ in potential savings from not being able to price match.
While not a massive dollar amount, saving an extra $100 per year would be meaningful for many households. This estimate underscores the value of taking a savvy approach to Walmart shopping…
The Bottom Line – Shop Smarter at Walmart
Walmart‘s blanket policy against internal price matching can limit your ability to get the absolute lowest price as a bargain shopper. But you shouldn‘t let it deter you from shopping there altogether.
By using price tracking tools, buying rollbacks, checking online prices and more, you can still uncover stellar deals at Walmart. It just may take a little extra time and effort compared to retailers like Target that readily match prices between locations.
Fundamentally, you can‘t expect Walmart to have the operational complexity that price matching causes just to serve the small subset of ultra-savvy shoppers. They prioritize simplicity, convenience and the overall brand experience for the average customer.
As a deal-seeker, your best move is to learn how to crack Walmart‘s pricing strategies and find ways to maximize your savings within their policies. Focus on the elements of pricing and inventory management you can control through your shopping habits.
With the right tools and techniques, you‘ll still save significant money shopping at Walmart. And you will avoid the frustration of trying to price match between stores when the answer will always be "no."
Hopefully this guide provided lots of useful facts and insights around Walmart‘s pricing and price match policies. Now you can shop at Walmart armed with the knowledge to find bargains, even without price matching between stores. Happy savings!
