Walmart shopping is both good and sometimes not-so-good.  Walmart is the most polarizing of retailers.  Either you shop there, or you don’t.   Historically, it has had a reputation for predatory pricing that wiped out Main Street retailers.  However, online shopping has changed everything about the retail industry.  Walmart is swinging both fists competing on price, convenience and ultimately for customers.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  If you are in the “I don’t shop there” group, perhaps re-visit that decision.  We’ll review the good and not-so-good of Walmart shopping to see if that’s where you want to spend your hard-earned money.

Walmart’s Everyday Low Prices

Walmart wrings every nickel out of suppliers.  It’s reflected in their prices.  A sale product at a competitor may temporarily be lower priced.  However, Walmart’s everyday prices are almost always the lowest.  A can of pumpkin is $1.89 on sale at a national discounter is regularly priced under a buck at Walmart.

My daughter moved across the country and has been in the market for small appliances.  She found Walmart is just killing it on price and selection in the small appliance category.  Consistently beating other discount stores and online retailers.  Need a blender, hot plate or dorm fridge?  Go Walmart shopping.  Doing cartwheels over the low prices, Walmart.

No Upsell When Walmart Shopping

A The Money Skinny™ truism is that the upsell is ubiquitous.  It’s not personal.  It’s business and it’s everywhere.  Isn’t the upsell one reason mall traffic is down?  Stop the badgering to open a charge card or worse.  Rate the customer experience while still experiencing it.  Ugh.  The Walmart customer is UsainBolted from the checkout to the parking lot.  Their cashiers have no time for tomfoolery with a move-on-dot-org mentality.  When a business doesn’t waste the employee’s time with a forced upselling monologue, the employee is not wasting the customer’s time.  Appreciate that, Walmart.

Equate store brands can be fantastic

As mentioned in The Money Skinny™ More Chemical Peel and Skincare Savings and Information, Equate products can be identical to the brand name but at much lower prices.  The Equate Eye Makeup Remover is similar to the department store version at less than half the price.  Another home run is the Equate Acne Treatment System .  Not satisfied with the results?  Then spend more on the brand name product.  Love saving money with Equate products, Walmart.

We All Fall Down

I’ve seen enough Dateline Mysteries of the suspect buying garbage bags, bleach and duct tape to realize the eye-in-the-sky is also tracking me.  I’m cool with that.  Perhaps even feeling a little safer.  Walmart added security cameras with lights that blink when recording above the laundry detergent and makeup isles.  I don’t care about the camera in the laundry detergent isle.  The purchase of laundry products is a drive-by.  I toss a $20 sack of P&G pods into my cart without slowing down.

About that Makeup Isle

The Walmart shopping experience in the makeup area is completely different.  An overwhelming amount of product choices can make selection time consuming.  Also, drugstore shelving has locked drawers of makeup overstock beginning about knee-level and lower.  Walmart’s health and beauty product shelving goes all the way to the floor.  It’s bad enough to scrape your chin on the concrete searching for a mascara.  Obviously being filmed while the contortions occur is uncomfortable.  Not good, Walmart.

A Walmart Shopping Convo

The following conversation took place between a shopper pushing an elderly person in a wheelchair and me when the camera started flashing:

Shopper:    What’s up with the camera?

Me:              I don’t know.  Creepy.

Shopper:     It feels like someone is looking down my shirt.

Me:              I know.

Shopper:     I’m going to complain to the store manager.  The cameras are too low, too invasive.

                   Disabled person nods in agreement.

It’s a Head Scratcher

It doesn’t seem like Walmart management and Board of Directors even shops there.  At least not in the makeup isle.  If my creeky runner’s knees protest on that mascara hunt is a disabled person just out of luck?  Most importantly, a tube of lipstick isn’t worth invading a customer’s sense of privacy.  You can do better, Walmart.

One Greeter’s Story

Surprisingly, the store greeter from a competing store moved her greetings to Walmart.  Why the defection?  Better benefits like a 401k, vacation time, etc.  In a confidential whisper she said her former boss told her she had to start cleaning the restrooms.  Drops mic – BOOM!  She took her greetings and left.  Score one for Walmart where the greeter greets and the custodial staff cleans the johnny.

• Walmart has everyday low prices.
• The upsell is ubiquitous but not at Walmart.
• Equate store brands can be fantastic.
• The peeping security cameras in the makeup isle have got to go.