(Photo credit: Topo Log)
This is one of those days where I’m a little weary of writing about bargains. (With the holiday shopping season here, there’s been a lot to share.) So let’s chat about… hmmm… Walmart? People always have plenty to say about that place. While we’re at it, let’s just throw in a bit about customer service too.
What are your thoughts on Walmart? We recently had a glorious new Super Walmart open in our area. Like I’ve shared before, we practically live in the boondocks, so a Walmart opening was about the biggest thing to hit our community since the high school band won second place last year. (Ah, just kidding about that. I don’t follow the high school band news…) So like everyone else in our county, my husband and I raced down to the Walmart on opening day. You would have thought the place was giving away free BMWs or something. It was packed. I’ve never seen a store so crazy busy. Not having done much Super Walmart shopping, I have to admit, I was pretty darn excited like everyone else. This is the mecca of good prices and great bargains, right? Well, I’ve been there (embarassingly) three times in the past couple of weeks (trying to score a turkey for .40/lb- always sold out), and I’m just not seeing what all the hooplah is about. Sure, most of their prices are lower than the regular prices at many stores. But I can typically beat Walmart’s prices on nearly all their food, health, beauty, household, and baby products just by shopping sales and using coupons. Walmart doesn’t offer amazing sales, and while Walmart takes coupons, they don’t double like the other stores I shop. (Yes, I know Walmart price matches. But do I really want to have to price match 50 different items from 5 different sales ads while I’m trying to check out? Can we say hassle?) And when I tried to do my normal grocery shopping there, I ended up spending the same amount as usual but getting significantly less for the money.
So am I missing something? Is Super Walmart really chock full of deals? Or is it best left for those content shopping without sales and coupons? Am I totally off base here? Because of heard so many Frugals talk lovingly of Walmart. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Believe me, I would love to love Walmart, since it’s now nearby. So if you think it’s the best bang for your buck, convince me!
Now, while we’re on the topic of Walmart- let’s talk customer service and shopping experience. On one my shopping trips there, I had a pretty bad customer service experience. You see, I was shopping with both kids and tried to check out using coupons, like I always do. Nothing complicated even, I promise! There was problem after problem with my order (at one point, the register said I was owed nearly $5,000- woohoo!) and my time checking out was over 30 minutes. With a 2-year old and a baby in tow. Now, the employees are probably all new- and were very kind- so my main point is not about this specific story. But it’s an example. Obviously, the customer service and overall shopping experience at some stores is better than others. For example, I love to shop at Harris Teeter because the whole place is great- wonderful employees, help to the car if I need it, cookies and balloons for the kids. It’s even fun to shop there. Walmart, Kmart, some others- not so much.
So this may surprise you, but sometimes I’ll spend a little more and shop at more expensive places just for the better shopping experience and service. How about you? Are you willing to do this too, or do you shop based solely on prices? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Okay, that’s enough of my frugal ramblings for today. These are just things I’ve been thinking of lately, and am curious if others perhaps feel the same way. Or totally disagree. Let me hear you!
{ 28 comments }
Hi Dana!
I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!
It’s funny that you wrote a post about the new Super Walmart in your area. I recently wrote a post here about the new Super Walmart up here in Northern Virginia. That place is huge and constantly packed. I stayed away from it for the first week, because I heard it was just wall-to-wall people, so packed that you couldn’t even roll a cart through (according to my sister).
I agree about their prices being lower than other stores and I also agree about not loving the fact that they don’t automatically double coupons or have special triple coupon promotions from time to time like other stores.
What I do think everyone likes about these Super Walmarts is that if you are short on time, you can go there and buy groceries as well as gifts or perhaps electronics and other gadgets (or repair stuff for your car) or whatever else you need. It’s a one-stop shop.
For a lot of us couponers and deal-seekers, we’re pretty much planning out our trips and clipping our coupons and perhaps making trips to multiple stores already, so Super Walmart may not be our “one-stop” store.
For example, I’ve been couponing for almost one year and have started stockpiling, but I’m always looking for low prices on items that I can’t stockpile or don’t see coupons for that often. I really like Aldi for items like that (they have a gallon of milk for $0.50-$1.50 cheaper than at other grocery stores in my area). Super Walmart is another option for low priced grocery items that aren’t in your stockpile and that don’t have coupons issued as often.
For some reason, I don’t mind shopping at “cheaper” grocery stores, as long as it seems clean enough and the produce doesn’t look rotten.
Location is also a factor for me and those last-minute shopping trips when I don’t plan things out as well as I should. I live probably within 5 miles of 4 different grocery stores (including Super Walmart), so if I have a last-minute purchase and think I can get in and out of the store quickly, Super Walmart is an option (but I think I’ll probably chose Aldi since it’s less crowded!).
Those are just my thoughts! I’d be interested to hear what others think as well.
Laura
.-= Laura – Frugal Friends in Northern VA´s last blog ..Caribou Coffee B1G1 FREE Guittard Chocolate Drinks =-.
Every time I go to Wal-mart I always come out feeling like I could have done better somewhere else (doubling coupons elsewhere make the difference) but I have had a positive customer service experience there recently.
I was overcharged for my turkey. I was going for the .98/lb – $2 Butterball coupon which should have come to .78/lb for a 10 pounder. Not amazing but much better than the 1.40/lb that my receipt reflected but didn’t notice until I got home. I promptly contacted the store asking for reimbursement. They were quick to admit the mistake and gave me $8 back (when I was only due $4.20)… So in the end I ended up paying .44/lb :) Too bad I can’t count on them making mistakes and paying me for them later. On another note, I also don’t feel bad shopping at somewhere a bit pricier when the service reflects it.
Dana, thank you for this post! Everyone seems to think Walmart has the best deals, but like you I think with coupons and sales, I do much better at other grocery stores.
Plus, my Super Walmart in Virginia Beach is ALWAYS packed and I don’t like to take my kids in with me. Too many people make me nervous with my 3 & 4 year olds since they like to walk a lot now.
And the lines… they are always long! Waiting in line for an average of 20 minutes is ridiculous, especially with kids.
Now, I do go to Walmart occasionally. It is great for when I need a bunch of random things. It is good for one stop shopping for sure.
I also agree that I would rather pay a little more and have an enjoyable shopping experience.
So, all in all, not a huge fan of Walmart!
I agree with you 100%. I cannot stand shopping at Walmart because their customer service is consistently terrible and I am guaranteed to walk out feeling like a criminal for trying to use completely legitimate coupons. Their cashiers don’t know their own policy when it comes to internet coupons (EVEN WHEN I SHOW IT TO THEM!! ARG!) and my check-out time is always 10 minutes or more. I only go when there’s something really worthwhile…I went for the Up DVD deal a few weeks ago and spent a good 20 minutes at the register while the cashier called his manager, who took about 10 minutes to come. Anyway, sorry to vent, but I am totally with you on this one. Walmart is not worth my time or stress!!
I won’t shop at the Walmart or the Food Lion in my neighborhood because there are just too many factors (store cleanliness, customer service, ease of getting in and out, crowds) that cause those stores to be a negative experience for me. I want to save money but I also want to not be stressed out and in a bad mood when I’m done shopping! The deals are not good enough to make it worth the grief to me.
I am loving your comments, everyone! Keep them coming!
Martha- I totally agree with you on Food Lion too. I steer clear of mine too unless I absolutely need something and cave to the convenience of it being 5 minutes away. (The new Walmart is a 20 minute drive, while the other stores are 30-50 minutes away.)
I agree as well and recently wrote about this same thing. I was surprised at the prices. Really, most items did not seem low priced to me. I am an “extreme couponer” though. Yes, there were some good deals. However, I found myself not wanting to waste my good coupons that would double or triple to make for really inexpensive or cheap items! I can see that people who do not stockpile and coupon, find that Walmart is cheaper than other stores. For me, I will still make the run into town for most of my shopping. I love Harris Teeter too! Most people think Harris Teeter is too expensive and it is if you buy non-sale items. However, they run great sales! And my son refers to it as the “cookie and balloon store”.
My point, no Walmart is not the low price leader. They are like any other store, some items are priced well and some are over priced. I may shop there on occasion for convienance, but I will still hit my regular stores. As far as cutsomer service, I would say our Walmart is too new to judge. The cashiers don’t know what they are doing yet. I did run in today for a few things and it was great! The cashier was nice, helpful and quick! What a surprise!
Sorry, for the long rambling comment!
.-= Renae´s last blog ..Black Friday Deals & Link Up =-.
I’ve shopped at Walmart (never a Super, just regular) for years in all the places I’ve lived, and my general feeling is that if you’re NOT going to coupon or compare stores or any of the things we do, then yes, it’s probably your best bet. And I do go there for large quantity store-brand medicines, because they’re cheaper than even CVS with coupons and deals. For everything else, it’s not worth the crowds, the hassle, and the lousy customer service (everywhere I’ve ever lived and shopped). I go there every couple of months for spray paint, hardware, etc. because it’s much less expensive than Home Depot. But I can never find the sale food in stock, they give me trouble when I try to use coupons, and it’s always so crowded–even on a weekday morning. Not worth it with kids!
I hate, hate, hate Wal-mart. You would think it being such a big store that the selection would be better, but it’s not. Even when the items are in stock. And you can’t just run in for a few things. The parking lot is huge and if you don’t know your way around the store, it takes forever to find things. I can’t stand those TVs they’ve got running ads or whatever and those loud beeping cash registers drive me crazy. Too noisy! And for what I understand that they pay their employees, I don’t know that I would be so pleasant to customers either. Give me Target any day.
I, too, have gone to that new Walmart Supercenter you’ve been visiting three times since they opened last Wednesday. The Walmart over “the mountain” was my primary store for about 2 years until I discovered that it was actually cheaper and less stressful to go to other stores. I started having terrible problems with my coupons at the Walmart AND they always hassled me about my reuseable grocery bags. There are, however, some of their private brand items that I love. If I “happen” to be going near a Supercenter, I will stop in and load up on those things. Other than that, HT, Giant, and Kroger suit my needs. I feel like I’ve abandoned the Walmart sometimes, but they need to do a lot more work if they are going to compete in my heart with stores that double my coupons and have better sales.
I completely agree that you can find better deals with coupons and sales elsewhere. The customer service is usually poor at Walmart (although the other day for the first time ever, i had the friendliest cashier ever there!) and I know they import more than normal from China (which I worry about the safety of more than the domestic job losses) to keep prices low.
Yes, for items without coupons it can be the cheapest (I like a particular whole wheat bread without any corn syrup and have found there are very few coupons, so that is one I get at Walmart because it is cheapest.) Also can be worth it if you need multiple categories (underwear and food and motor oil), but I don’t make a practice to go more than I really have to. The lines are also always long and there never seems to be any customer service on the floor.
I enjoy my Kroger much more and their deals are almost as good or better on most things! I won’t go to the Food Lion’s here because they are unsanitary. Bottom Dollar is clean but not great deals. Farm Fresh has ok deals, as does Harris Teeter. I used to like Harris Teeter, but ours seems to hate couponers. I get a friendly smile or nod or hello until someone sees I have a coupon box in my cart and I swear they are automatically quite disgruntled with me (and I’m not even someone that gets more than 2 of a sale item usually!). In fact, unless the sale is GREAT, I have recently stopped going there because of that.
So definitely price matters, but so does friendliness, cleanliness, customer service, and coupon doubling/tripling!
P.s. I also hate Target for coupon deals. The one in Chesapeake is a bunch of coupon hating Nazis. They are horribly rude and I just can’t bring myself to even go there for the best deals if they involve coupons!
I agree with you. I don’t like Wal-Mart. I make one trip once a month to get my addictions to Hershey Carmel coffee creamer, but that is it. I can buy things cheaper else where on sale with coupons. Wal-mart does have lower prices than most stores, but not if yoyu shop sales and use coupons. It is a wonderful place for people with little time and trying not to spend quite as much, but not this couponer.
And I will go to my local Publix to pick something up that I need verse going to Wal-mart to pick up the same item even though I might have to pay a little more, just for the friendly and ease of shopping factor.
So this couponer will not try to convert you to Wal-Mart.
I don’t shop at Walmart if I can help it. We have been known to go there for Black Friday but it doesn’t usually go well either. I am new at the couponing and have only done it for the last year since I have become a mother (diapers are expensive). My husband hates Walmart and dreads when I tell him that I have to go there for anything, which is once every few years. He gets hit by carts and things get pushed off shelves at him. I don’t think that many coupon deals will be worth the fight of Walmart. I have a short list of stores that I don’t like and it includes Walmart and Walgreens. I really think that the employees make all the difference in the experience. I agree with the Harris Teeter comment because I love them now that I coupon. I used to think that is where people shopped because they had a lot of money… after I started couponing, I realized that I was wrong. I love the store and they have helped me to the car without me even asking. They also loaded my car and helped me get my son in the car. Who expects that in this day and age? Bottom line: No Walmart!
I have to to be the one lone voice here that is not totally bashing Walmart. No, I will admit, I am not an “extreme” couponer – with 3 young children that I homeschool and helping my husband with his business, I simply don’t have the time to hit 3-5 stores or more each week or to scour the internet for lots and lots of coupons – more power to those of you that have the time! I also live near the new super Walmart that Dana lives near and have been to it 3 times since it opened a few weeks ago. Each experience has been totally positive, the employees have been courteous and I have used coupons each time with no problems. Before this one opened, I shopped at one that was further away regularly again with no problems in terms of customer service or using coupons.
Now, I don’t use Walmart as my exclusive grocery store but every time I am there, I always end up in the grocery section for part of what I am buying and am always surprised by the deals I have gotten. The other day I got sweet potatoes for 25 cents a pound – yea!
Anyway, I like Walmart and thought that with all the hate I was seeing above, I needed to pipe in. I guess for someone with more time than I have to search out deals and find coupons and hit multiple stores each week, Walmart might not be that great. But for me, I consistently save $$ there and will continue to shop there often! Just my 2 cents…
Thanks so much for piping up, Kim. I agree- convenience (location for us, and one-stop shopping) is something Walmart really has going for it. On the weeks when I just don’t have time to sort my coupons out or make a trip to town, Walmart will be an alternative. I do find they the lowest prices on other essentials like car fluids, shower curtains, etc, so perhaps I’ll shop for those items there if I’m running low on time. And it certainly does sound like you’re busy! I don’t blame you one bit for shopping Walmart. And for those who aren’t going to use a multiple stores/major stockpiling/coupon method of shopping, Walmart probably is the best bet.
And yes, the employees at our Walmart have been very friendly, even when they’ve had issues checking me out. They’re all new, I’m sure, so the customer experience will improve. (And I didn’t see it taking anyone else 35 minutes to check out, so I think my experience was probably an isolated one.) But I’ve had pretty customer service experiences consistently at the one in C’ville, so have always just gone elsewhere.
Thanks so much for sharing, Kim! I definitely wanted to hear from those who enjoy Walmart.
We got a Walmart Supercenter in our small town about two years ago. I have to say it’s been a nice addition, for the most part. We live in a small town,too, and our only other major grocery store is Food Lion. The only other options for clothes and non-food necessties are an hour away, not helpful when your child needs new gym shorts the next day or supplies for a school project. Sadly, they came too late for me, and when DS was in school I was always on the road trying to pick up whatever new thing he had to have for school, sports, etc.
Before our Walmart opened, they did a survey of the local businesses in the area and the store reflects that. We had an excellent gardening center, a fabric store, and a crafts store before Walmart came. As a result, our Walmart offers these items, but not at the scale that normal Walmarts do. Our local businesses are thriving b/c of it, and I like that.
That said, I don’t go to Walmart. Adam loves it, but I feel overwhelmed as soon as I hit the door. I don’t get the deals I get at Food Lion and CVS (I love my Food Lion!!) and I’ve had pretty bad customer service there, too. Still, I’m happy for the convenience and the flexiblity it gives everyone.
I’m not necessarily a huge fan of Walmart, but I don’t hate it either. I most always shop there once a week, just because there are some things that I need that there are no coupons for (or at least I’m not aware of coupons for them) and they are cheaper at Walmart than other stores.
With that in mind, I definitely enjoy the shopping experience much more at Kroger or especially Martin’s. Just a much nicer place.
And I don’t think you can make a sweeping generalization about all the people in one store not knowing what they are doing. I think it just depends on the person you get. For instance, when I go to Walmart, there is one girl who works there who I know never gives me any hassle and is great to check out with, so often, I look for her so I can go to her line. So it’s good if you can find someone who knows what they are doing, and stick to that person if you can. :)
.-= Tara´s last blog ..An Exercise in Thanksgiving =-.
the one in cville STINKS! we just moved here from a town with a decent super…this one…wow. lol. i can’t imagine why anyone ever goes there!! really never a reason to shop at walmart…we love our harris teeter and giant…we do just decide to pay the extra dollar or two an item(i know, so antifrugal) just to buy the extra products at target…meh, the extra dollar or two is why target is so much cleaner i guess! i’ll pay for it!
Lisa- Absolutely, I agree that a sweeping generalization of the employees at a place isn’t fair or correct. Thanks for mentioning that! Even at stores with generally bad customer service, there are some employees that are still great. I have noticed that some stores seem to train all of their employees a bit better though. Like Target for example. Whenever I shop there, the employees ask me as I’m shopping if I need any help, am doing well, etc. I’m assuming that Target has trained their employees to do that, and it contributes to an overall more positive shopping experience.
I am loving all of your comments! Thanks for sharing, everyone.
.-= Dana @Mrs. Moneysaver´s last blog ..Giant Eagle: 11/26-12/2 =-.
Mostly agree about Walmart; my wife prefers to go there when we need a bunch of stuff but when I’ve had any sort of recent Walmart “sales” posts from blogs like yours and q-matches, they barely ever actually represent the prices listed.
I stay at Kroger or pharmacy stores (primarily CVS, sometimes Rite Aid as well as Wags) mainly because they are just down the street but just as much because they more often have better sales, Kroger matches, CVS has fairly good use of ECBs and really good q usage…
BTW – I’m the couponer in the house – not my wife (wel she uses them but I’m the clipper, sharer, researcher in this regard). We *do* exist… although I barely ever hear about the men doing this.
.-= chris´s last blog ..taking the time and trouble =-.
We also were quite interested to check out the new Walmart. As someone trying to learn from others how to slash my grocery budget, I took my “price book” to check out the prices on some standard items. I was quite impressed with the prices on some basics, such as King Arthur flour, orange juice, etc. However, I was completely unimpressed with quality of produce and the variety of food options. For example, there is only a very small selection of organic/natural cereals.
I think I will be sticking to Whole Foods mostly, while supplementing some stock items from Walmart. Using their store coupon book, I have been able to do pretty well doing most of my shopping there… sticking to store brands and produce on sale. And the quality is immensely better. Like many people said, it is such a pleasant place to shop as well! (And the prices are so much better than H. Teeter, believe it or not.)
But, I really can’t wait until Trader Joe’s comes to town!!
I would rather give myself a root canal with a rusty fork than go to walmart.
Margaret- I love Trader Joe’s as well! Looking forward to getting one in C’ville.
Chris- Always nice to see men visiting my site and using coupons! I know the world of coupons and moneysaving blogs can be pretty female-oriented. I hope you still feel plenty welcomed around here! My observation- more men are getting into coupon use as it becomes more common. So hopefully you’ll have some growing company!
.-= Dana @Mrs. Moneysaver´s last blog ..Giant Eagle: 11/26-12/2 =-.
For me, Walmart is my home away from home. :-) (Cheesy-I know.)
What I like about Walmart: that I know I’m usually paying the lowest- non-sale price if I need something that’s not on sale, the generic brand is affordable and not totally disgusting, Walmart by me usually- not always- price matches many items on the shelf with other stores weekly sales without me having to do it, it’s a one stop shop so I’m not wasting my time hitting 5 different smaller stores for the 20 various items I need (ie: new pan, prescription, groceries, oil change, etc), that I can price match and not spend the precious few hours I have in a week alone running to 3-6 different grocery stores to get ‘the good deal’, it’s in close proximity to me and, again, I don’t have to cover 60 square miles to get to the 4 stores I need to get to and spend a small fortune in gas, and my favorite thing is the variety they carry–I’m not locked into 1 brand that happens to be $4 when I could get it at Walmart for $2 in a different brand. Just call me cheap…
Things I don’t like: I HATE begging to check out–if there aren’t enough checkers and I have to wait for more than a few minutes in line–I feel like I’m in rush hour traffic, price matching can be a total hassle depending on the checker, I hate shopping off the floor–I’ll let a manager know if the store is too untidy…usually they want to know, haggling over a price matching price–I make sure I know what and how much, a checker not familiar at price matching and being too nit-picky about the ads…again-I’m prepared, not being willing to price match something because it’s not exactly the same brand but is the same weight–hate that!, being out of stock of everything I went to the store for…I try to go the day the ad comes out or the day it ends if I think a coupon might roll out.
Tricks: Ilook for checkers I’ve had check me out that are good at price matching and helpful, take your grocery ads and be prepared to give the price and where it is, ask for a manager if there’s a problem or you think their might be one (I often have a problem price matching meats so I ask for a manager right when I unload)-my experience is most managers will do it if they can…they want the business especially if they can tell I’m not ‘One Of Those’ that price match and haggle over every little thing, often different Walmarts have different prices on the exact same thing even though it’s often the difference of a few cents-that’s silly to me (and I think it often depends on the socio-economic status of the area ), separate your non-price matching items from your price matching so you can be ready and waiting, let people behind you in line know that you’ll be price matching and it may take a little more time (I often let someone with only a couple of items go ahead), and most importantly for me…don’t be in a hurry and smile.
That why I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart–mostly love. :)
Is it too late to chime in here?
I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart. I love them for gifts for kids and other items from their site that I can have shipped to the store. Their prices are less than other retailers and with the no shipping fee on most items, I use them for a lot of non-food items (i.e., our new canister vac, almost all of Kate’s Christmas toys, etc.).
I’ve also found that across the board, they have the lowest prices on just about everything. When they don’t, I do make them price match (carry the circular, mark your items with a big red circle, and organizing your cart saves some time in the checkout line–this is definitely best done as a team though with a friend or a willing hubby). Sure, sometimes I can score yogurt for .10 per cup from Harris Teeter or elsewhere, but during the weeks that I can’t, it makes sense to shop at Walmart for me….especially when I have to buy the expensive “free” detergent that seems to never go on sale anywhere else. They are usually the best deal for diapers and Pull-Ups too, except when Harris Teeter is doing their “Super Doubles” events.
I really appreciate and am supremely thankful for the deals that you share here Dana. You really save me a ton of time and our family a lot of money.
I have to admit, that up until I started reading your blog I stayed far away from Harris Teeter because they are super expensive. However, I do agree that they are super helpful and have the best customer service. The only problem I have with them is that the manager there recently decided that you could only use 20 coupons per day, no matter what. So even though I had 20 coupons I wanted doubled, plus some I wanted to redeem at face value, I had to stick to 20 only. That meant having the entire order voided and redoing everything. It was a royal pain.
Our Walmart is usually pretty good about coupons, but their customer service is usually not so great. The only real thing that annoys me about them is that I get super annoyed when I see their everyday price compared to some place like Harris Teeter and how much a product would cost there if they would just double coupons.
Well, I can say that we have great customer service at our Waynesboro Walmart. Of course, I receive good customer service at just about every store here that I visit- it appears to be a local character trait (even the teenagers aren’t usually surly, which is WAY different than Charlottesville).
That being said, I rarely shop for groceries at Walmart. I can beat their price on just about everything if I find a sale and/or use coupons. I have a couple of things I get there, but not much and not often. I agree with others that if you don’t shop sales or use coupons, then it probably is your best bet.
I love Walmart, unfortunately I’m in an area that does not double coupons at any grocery stores. WalMart constantly has the lowest price and will actually have the items in, no pesky rainchecks to bother with. I do shop the ”sale” items at other grocery stores but their markups on other items are so ridiculous I can’t do most of my shopping there. If I need say, juice boxes, I know the Walmart price will be decent, if not the lowest. If I happen to be at a grocery store that doesn’t have juice boxes on sale that week I know I’ll pay through the nose or basically not buy them having to make an extra trip to … you guessed it WALMART lol.
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