Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

Saving money shopping with ads and on gas/time too. Don't run around to the various stores to buy sale items. Walmart does not advertise this - but if you take the competitors flyer and place the flyer with the sale item - Walmart will give you the same price for the exact same brand. Some Walmarts limit you to stores in a 50 mile radius. No one believes me when I tell them to do this until they try.

You don't have to say a word - just put the ad on the counter with the item. I often wonder if they train their employees not to respond as not to spread the word because cashiers never say a word to me, they just look at the ad and adjust the price. Note this does not apply to coupons - only to ads placed in flyers. Saves you on gas and time too - no running around town for the better deal!

By Tracey from Thomasville, GA

Answers:

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

I work at Wal-Mart in Northern Indiana. Yes, we price match exact prices for the exact same item. We don't require customers to bring their ads, but if you ask to match a price and we don't happen to have the ad at our register, we are not required to match it. Unfortunately people lie all the time: "Oh, milk is on sale" or "24 packs of pop are on sale".

So, bring your ad, be polite and tell the cashier you have some items to price match. If the cashier says they can't match an item, politely ask why. Is it not the same exact item, is it a different brand or model number, is it a BOGO or percentage off? If you insist on the price match, ask to speak to a CSM or CSS (managers for the front end).

Lastly, don't judge a whole store or a whole company on one experience with a rude or quiet cashier. I've had people yell, scream, swear and try to get me fired for simply doing my job. I had to go to work last week when I was experiencing a frightening medical problem. I had to wait several days for results from my doctor. I was trying to be as friendly and courteous as I could but I was very worried and not very smiley. I was told, "You could be friendlier" in a snotty tone by a customer. Yes, I could be but I'm doing the best I can.

Another cashier's father died on Thursday and she still had to go to work Friday and Saturday. Do you know how hard it was for her to hold it together those two days? She had to keep going to the bathroom to cry. I'm not trying to excuse all rudeness, but understand that your cashier is a person with feelings, a personal life and problems that you don't know about. Maybe a friendly word or smile from you could change the tone of her day. (04/22/2008)

By samaree

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

I used to take all of the competitor's ads with me. I went through before grocery shopping and made a list, and put what store the sale was from so when I had to show them, I would just know where to find it and what page it was on, it indeed saves big bucks! (04/22/2008)

By Diana Albers

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

All of this is true and Wal-Mart is a great place to shop. However, one must realize how much money Wal-Mart is saving on ADVERTISING! Really, do you realize how expensive advertising is? What better way to pull in customers without advertising expenses than matching the competitors prices from THEIR OWN ADS! It's really just a great marketing move!
(04/22/2008)

By Nolasandy

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

Walmart does match but it must be EXACTLY the same item advertised, same size, model number etc. Alot of times, this is what happens. For example, The model number printer tha Store X advertises for $30 is Model XJV5000-ABC and WalMart has what appears to be the same printer, with the same features, but they won't match the price, because it is Model XJV5000-ABX.

A lot of times on the more expensive items, this is what happens, technically it is exactly the same printer, but different stores receive boxes with different model numbers on them, and therefore they are not "identical products" and won't be price matched. (I worked at Walmart for more than 2 years, and I had to enforce this) (04/24/2008)

By Jana

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

I went to the Atlanta, Tx Walmart to with an ad from Hancock Fabrics. There are 3 Hancock stores within 50 miles. The items I tried to purchase were McCall's patterns. They were on sale at Hancocks for $.99. Regular price at Walmart is $6.95. I took all of my items to the cashier and she read the ad. She was unsure whether or not they could honor it because of the price difference. She called a manager and she argued with me that because the ad said in store only they could not honor it. I tried to explain that only meant they couldn't be purchased online it had to be in the store. This manager called another one. I also told them my mother had been last night with the same ad and had no problem with the ad. The 2nd manager said he had called 2 other people and the said they could not honor them. I asked what part of their policy allowed them to deny this ad.

He couldn't answer. He just said he had called 2 other people and they said, "No!" I had $35 in other items including fabric I had gotten cut, I left them with the cashier and told them they could put them up. I drove back to my local store which is 20 miles away. Its a small store no grocery and I know everyone. I asked the on duty CSM about the ad and she said they only honor ads up to 20-30 miles away, but the Atlanta store should honor up to 50 miles away. There is a Hancock store less than 20 miles away. She said if there were one close enough she would have honored the ad. I told her about my experience in the other store and she said they should have honored the ad. I called the 800 number and someone should be getting back with me. Does anyone know what the policy actually is? (06/29/2008)

By sterry

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

Bull, even though Black Angus meat is the same meat they will not honor local Black Angus meat prices because they do not carry the brand name. Must be some kind of caste system we live in. (12/17/2008)

By Maryme

Walmart Matches Competitor's Ads

I have been using "comp" ads for years. When I first started about 15 years ago, the cashier said that the item had to be the exact brand etc. I asked to speak to the Manager, he agreed that it didn't have the same brand and have occasionally had problem with new managers of the years until I got them "trained". Recently they have told me that they no longer match seafood. Got to check this out. (08/23/2009)

By sammy