Do you price-match?

As most of you know, Wal-Mart has a policy to "price-match" any competitor's store prices. I'm hearing reports that Target ads had a notice in them yesterday (see pages 2 and 3) saying that Target will now also be price-matching (we don't get the Sunday paper so I haven't been able to double-check on this myself yet). Hooray for more options!

I personally do not price-match at Wal-Mart for a variety of reasons--the biggest of which is that I find my local grocery stores usually have much better markdowns than Wal-Mart does. In addition, they also double coupons and run catalina offers, neither of which Wal-Mart does.

Do you find price-matching at Wal-Mart (and now Target) to be beneficial or money-saving? Why or why not?

Comments

[lizajane]

I price-match there occasionally but not often. A lot of times they will post the picture & price from the competitor's ad right near the item, so you don't have to ask them to price-match - they've already lowered their price to match. If I'm already going to the original store anyhow (say for meat which is better quality IMO, or low-cal bread which is a lot cheaper at the original store), I'll just give them the business instead of buying at WM. Other times, I'll do it to save time. Our WM has the other store flyers up at the registers for the cashier's use, so you don't even have to bring anything in.

[sara m.]

I price match at Walmart if I'm going there anyway. Meat and dairy items are always cheaper at Walmart, so often I'll just have them match anything that I was going to buy with a coupon for $1 or more anyway (since they do not double the coupons there).

Also, it helps to price match because many times the Meijer here runs out of sale items, and it is still in stock at Walmart. I can also head over to Meijer later in the week for a raincheck, and then I have the same sale in a couple weeks by using the raincheck!

My Target ad (Dayton, OH area) also says that they now price match.

[DB]

Yes, you can price match and use a coupon on the same item at WM. Don't know about Target.

[Amber]

Okay, I may have a silly question but I have wondered this forever!
Hubby asked me last night why price-match one stores Ad to another store when you could just go to that store and buy it at that price? I didnt have a good answer for him other than if say Walmart had an item at a good price in their Ad and Krogers Ad didnt then Id price-match Walmart prices to Krogers because they would double my coupons and Walmart would not. So, I was wondering if thats the reason why you guys price-match? Or is there some other reason I didnt think of? Thanks in advance. :)

[Valerie]

I just recently started price matching. I would prefer to never walk through walmarts doors, but to get the good deals I would want to shop at 3 different stores scattered across town. To save time and gas I shop walmart. I'm working on a better strategy. Just like w/ coupons I recommend having their price match info with you when you do it. Some cashiers just don't know. And you can use a coupon with a price match item. You can't match B1G1 or a % off, it has to be a specific price to get the match. They will match store generic brand for walmarts store generic brand. So if Albertsons has their store bread on sale for 88cents you can match Walmarts bread for 88cents. This is where it is good to have a print out of the store policy with you.
I would still prefer to shop somewhere other than Walmart but I save more money shopping there right now *sigh*

[Dani]

It seems that Target is getting themselves into a big thing that they can't handle. According to the article someone posted above, you will not be able to price match at the registers but you will have to bring your receipts to customer service or check out your whole order there. A little crazy, imo...and who has the time to deal with that? I strongly think that Target emplyees/stores should first get on the same page about coupons before even thinking about trying this price-matching thing. I don't have a Super Target or WalMart with groceries, so if anything, it should be helpful around the holidays with gift purchases, i.e. toys for the kids.

[Kerry]

We don't have any stores that double coupons in our town, and sometimes it saves me having to go to three different stores to catch the deals. Also, Wal-mart will honor competitor coupons, and often their regular price is lower to start with. You just have to watch.

[Kerry]

At our Wal-mart, they price match as the item rings up, and then I hand them the coupons at the end of the transaction. In starting to use Target coupons there, however, they have to treat that as a price match, as the Target coupon is not recognized by their registers. So in that case, or in matching a Walgreens price that is based on a Walgreens coupon, you probably wouldn't get to do both. It's worth a shot, tho, as again, the price match can happen first and then perhaps you can still add a coupon after all is totaled.

[Andrea]

I don't have a Target or Meijer in my town. So I do price match alot of their items at Walmart. Especially if it's something that I will get for free or almost free. But I also have a Kroger in town...so for coupons I want doubled I go there instead of price matching. It works pretty well for me.

[Laura]

Price matching helps me when it's a week where there are just a couple of great deals. There is a Walmart 2 miles from my house, but all the other stores are 10-14 miles from home. So once in a while I just take the ads to Walmart, get the 2 or 3 things there and skip the long trip to town.

www.tenthingsfarm.blogspot.com
www.allyougrocerychallenge.blogspot.com

[Karen Rucker]

I price match occasionally, but it's tricky. Lots of times the sale item isn't available at wal-mart. Or the ad is a % off, a BOGO, a rebate, or a store coupon. Wal-mart won't match those. They also have to be exactly the same item, so if I'm looking for highlighters to match the office max sale, I have to have a Rose Art 2-pack, not any other brand, and not a 2-pack with a bonus anything, etc. Unless the price match is for a big ticket item like an i-pod or a wii, then the few dollars it saves me isn't worth the time and frustration.

[Karen Rucker]

Chrissy, our wal-mart will accept a coupon with a price match. I have heard that some won't so it may be best to just ask a manager.

[Laura]

I price match produce, too. Many stores around here will have good deals on produce, but not much else, and the produce is generally poor quality. I price match at the Wal-Mart near my house and get fresh, good quality produce for the cheapie prices. I've price-matched and used a coupon at the same time with no problems, Chrissy, if that helps your courage!

[cjs]

Thanks for this post! I am new to the 'couponing' scene (hit a few snags here & there, but otherwise..SAVING A TON!)...I never thought of price matching at WalMart before this post....and if Target is offering it now, WOOT!

[FrugalShoppingIdeas]

(i can't believe you have 50 comments!!)

i would price-match if it could be done quickly. no matter what store i've ever tried to price-match, it took way too long. the store calling the other store, looking for the store's number, going through several employees just to find out the price of the item of the store, only to find that they sold out!?!?!?

i don't even do rainchecks at drugstores. sad, I know but I'm totally going to start.

[C-re]

I'm a convenience price matcher too. Only when I'm not already going to the other store do I price match. And I don't do it consistently. Bad I know. I just hate doing it. I already get stares for the stack of coupons! lol. I don't care but price matching can be more of a hassle when you get a cashier that isn't willing to work with you to make it happen.

[susan]

Chrissy, I have combined price matching and coupons many times. No problem. Also, the checkers all know how to price match. It sounds complicated but it really isn't.

[jessica]

I try to avoid Walmart at all costs. I go there maybe three times per year. I was there recently, and the cashier took forever with my printed coupons. She actually spread them all out, printed off a receipt and checked each coupon against the receipt before she'd scan it. This, even though I only had TEN items! It took me longer there than when I have a cartfull at Meijer.

I have access to Meijer (my main store- they price match and double 2 identical coupons to 99 cents), Kroger (my second favorite, they also double unlimited to 99 cents), and Giant Eagle for chains, as well as Aldi, Whole foods (never go there though), Trader Joes (never go there), a few ethnic groceries and butchers and farmers markets in the summer.

I prefer Meijer and Kroger. Less hassle, the prices are identical if not better, they double coupons, and they have better corporate policies and pay their employees a fair wage (they are union members and so am I).

[Kasey]

I don't typically price match at Wal-Mart simply because of the very specific restrictions- they will price match only if an ad states that an item is $x.xx. If the ad states "2 for $5" or "Buy One Get One Free" or "75% off" then they will not honor that price, which I think is kind of silly, especially because that's the way most stores advertise their sales. I rarely find sales that simply state the price in the ad, making it not very practical for me to price match at Wal-Mart. I suspect that the reason most stores state their sale prices that way is because they don't want your business to go to Wal-Mart!

[Janet]

My Walmart use to price match Meijer and all the other stores for about 2 months when I started couponing, then their manager must have not liked it because I was saving too much. After 2 months the cashiers and manager started giving me a hard time and told me they would only price match within 10 miles and that is the way the rules always were.(Nothing but the ripoff stores are in my town like Spartan, and Kmart) So now I don't shop their hardly only for free stuff or next to free with coupons. Because I really don't price match anymore there when the other stores are overpriced as it is and they are overpricesd on some things too in my town so I drive over 20 miles elsewhere to save over $100 at Meijers.

[Angela H.]

Jenna posted that they would honor the ad price during the holidays, like Black Friday. Really?! They wouldn't make an exception saying that they won't do it for events like that since it is such a steal? If not, that is a great tip!

[Brittany Kirton]

I price match at Walmart all the time. It's the closest grocery store to our house. Plus, the times I have made the long distance trip to Kroger for great deals the store never had what they advertised. I finally stopped going all together.

[S Simms]

I used to price match at my WM weekly until they remodeled it and reduced the mdse available. Now, when I go to price match, there is an empty space on the shelves where the brands were the week before and will be next week after the ads expire, and if a card is required at the original store, they refuse to price match. So, now I give them as little of my business as possisble!!!

[Frugal Friend]

I price-match veggies and meat at Wal-Mart and I wrote a post with tips on the best price-matching: And every week I post a Wal-Mart price-matching grocery list at my blog. (they are to price-match our local stores including Winn-Dixie and Publix)

http://frugalforyou.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-price-match-at-walmart.html

I've price-matched from stores I've never even visited (they're within 20 miles of WM). Plus the loss leader sales at the local stores are really great but I would have to go to so many every week to get all of them.

[Kristen@The Frugal Girl]

I don't price match as I avoid Walmart like the plague. It's too big, too busy, and the employees never seem to know how to price match.

Give me Aldi any day!

[Bonnie]

Price matching seems to me to be a good way to take advantage of an awesome sale when the regular retailer has been cleaned out! Like the Eggo Bake Shop stuff at Target right now, I am not sure though now some have had problems using a coupon with a price match. Seems to me though that I could use a coupon on a sale item at the regular retailer?!

[Gayle]

I have to say I pricematch all the time. I don't have the time to go to several grocery stores on a weekly basis and Walmart has better all around prices than the local grocery stores in my area (most of which do not double coupons). Some of the biggest things I save money on pricematching at Walmart though are non-food items and soda. Best Buy also pricematches, but sometimes Walmart's more convenient if I'm already there. Some of the stores in my area that I get ads for are on the other end of town but they have awesome sales on DVD's, SD cards, etc. So, I can just go to Walmart (which I also know most likely won't be sold out of the product when I get there) and pricematch. I do make occassional trips to other local grocery stores when they are having good sales on meat to stock up, because I personally do not care for Walmart's meat.
It's usually a fairly painless transaction, but at my store they DO check the ad. Some cashier's are stricter than others. Some will just take a brief glance, while others insist on looking at the ad themselves to check sizes, dates, etc. It's not always completely painless, but neither is couponing, and many times I save $10 or more on each item so I figure it's completely worth it in the end!

[Andrea @rAndom issues]

I don't price match. I have started avoiding Wal-Mart like the plague. It is not conveniently located, and their employees are rude and the store is usually dirty. I have a Target and K-Mart across the street. I don't price-match at Target because I didn't know about it. I have found that most of the cashiers are clueless about sales, coupons etc. I usually end up waiting for a manager to get called over and approve that I can use a MQ and a Store Q on the same item, etc. I don't need the extra hassle of price-matching. I only purchase food at Target if I have a great coupon, or a store coupon to match my MQ. Everything else I get at Kroger or with double coupons at K-Mart. K-Mart does Catalinas now, and I got some great ones the other day. I think price-matching is just too much of a hassle.
Maybe when we move to NYC and things are more expensive I will hange my mind!

[Gayle]

What page of the Target ad is their new price-matching policy on? I don't see it in the KC area ad. By the way, the online ad that's pulled up is according to the zip code you've entered on their website.

[Abby]

My Target ad does say that they will price match, I live in Minneapolis, MN. They have been price matching for a few months now I think.

Personally, I don't price match unless it is a high ticket item like electronics. I already spend enough time figuring out my deals and coupons, and it seems like more work to figure out what I would need matched and then having to spend extra time at the store.

[andrea]

I don't regularly shop at Walmart because Meijer is a little closer and Meijer doubles coupons. As far as produce and meat go, I find in most cases that Walmart's prices aren't any better than Meijer and Meijer's quality is better. I do sometimes get clothes for the children there, but sometimes I can get them even cheaper on clearance at Macy's or somewhere else. (As with all clearance sales, it's hit or miss.) I think you just have to be willing to shop around.

[Becky]

I have been price matching at Target for several weeks now (I am in MN) and I have gotten some great deals! I price matched strawberries to $1.48 and used the Target $1 q getting them for .48! I also price matched Edys icecream for $1.98 and used the $1 Target q to get them for .98! It is GREAT for pairing with their q's.

[claire]

Price Matching can really, really work particularly in areas where local grocery store prices are through the roof! At least this is my experience in it...

[Rochelle]

WALMART'S PRICE MATCH POLICY -

http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/7659.aspx

[Wendi]

I price match all the time. I live in Bentonville AR, home to WM and the checkers all know how to price match. Unfortunatly, there are very few other grocery stores, so the deals arn't that great elseware. I.E. Target had Kelloggs Mini wheats for $1.88, but they were already $1.78 at WM. It's pick and choose. They won't match % off, coupons or limit items.

[Julie]

As of July 12, Target now does price-match nationwide, not just in select test market locations. Complete details are here:

http://luv2bfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/07/target-stores-now-offer-price-matching.html

That being said, I don't usually price match on grocery items much, because I'm at Kroger most of the time. Hard to beat Catalinas, pre-loaded coupons, and double coupons! But I might do all those other items they sell!

[Holly]

Occassionally. I try to avoid Walmart as much as possible. But Walmart is about 7 minutes down the road and our nearest Kroger is about a 25 minute drive in the opposite direction from all other stores. I'll price match Kroger's milk because it's about $1/gallon than anny other store around. I recently price matched BallPark hotdogs when they were on sale at Kroger. I ended up paying .75/pack with coupons. It was perfect for a church party and birthday party we were having!

[Patti]

I avoid WM at all costs - the service is terrible and they never have the products I need. Using coupons and your website ideas, I have found everything I need at much better prices. But I do think you need to remember other stores price-match. Last Christmas I mentioned that another store had a better deal on a camera I was considering and Best Buy immediately changed their price to match saving me BIG bucks. I didn't even do it on purpose!!!

[PollyS]

I price match to avoid going to multiple stores. I do not price match if a store offers a promotion with the item ie ECB, RR, or catalina.
Sadly, there are no stores in my area that double coupons. So with a price match I'm good to go.
As an aside...Since I now have a printer that prints clear black images, I have had NO problems with Wal Mart or any other store for that matter taking my coupons (well Target, but they are ALWAYS difficult in my area). I'm so thankful that when we needed a new printer my husband chose a laser printer. It has made all the difference in the world with my coupon printing.

[Erika]

I do not price match currently just because in all honesty I do better at Fred Meyer than at Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart's prices went through the roof when they went Super Wal-Mart up here) and Wal-Mart is HORRIBLY crowded, hard to get in and out of, and my experience 99% of the time with cashier's there, especially if you use coupons, are not helpful, polite or competent.

I much prefer to just go and find my sales at Target and Fred Meyer and give them the money. Of course we have all three stores in town, so unlike other people I only have to travel 20 minutes to get to Wasilla and then hit all three stores before going home (unless I decide to do my Fred Meyer shopping in Palmer and then I'm literally like four minutes away tops).

Oh and in case Crystal doesn't have time to reply about the coupons thing. She's said in the past that she grabs the inserts out of the recycle bin every couple of weeks =).

[Sherri]

I am close to Walmart and 3 other grocery stores, so going to more than 1 place is not a big deal. The only time I match prices at Walmart is when the other store is out of stock and my coupon is going to expire soon. Often, I find that Walmart is out of stock on that item, too- other people must have the same idea. I get better prices on the rest of my stuff at the grocery stores, so I rarely shop at Walmart.

[Tianna]

I price match at Walmart mostly because the majority of my groceries I don't get coupons for, and when I look through the grocery ads, to get all the best deals on what I want to buy, I'd have to go to 4 different grocery stores. Or I can go to Walmart and get it all.

[Cathe]

The best price-matching I do at Walmart is for sewing patterns. Joanns often has patterns on sale for just a dollar or two, but the nearest Joanns is 20 miles away. Our Walmart still has a sewing department, so I can get the patterns there at the Joanns price!

[Heidi]

yes i price match! walmarts must vary from place to place, because my friends and i match weekly and have never had to produce an ad for verification (walmart official policy is that you need to have the ads with you, so it's wise to do so in case of a question, but when you're matching 40 items no walmart is going to ask you to produce verification, flipping through ad after ad to show you are being honest-unless you're not being honest and the cashier is suspicious, the workers at the register are very familiar with the match prices, i've found) and you actually can substitute store brand for store brand (kroger cheese for walmart cheese, for example). some of you mention that you find better deals at different stores, but that's the point and beauty of price matching, you don't have to go to different stores throughout the week to get your good deals. you can go to walmart and get kroger prices, bakers prices, aldi prices, etc. in one stop. add your coupons and you're in the money! i do most all grocery shopping at walmart and save a bundle, and then get my free or near free target goods in another trip and i have more time with my family and friends through the week and avoid making stops at various stores. give it a try, it's not as complicated as it may sound!

[Alison]

I have only price matched once or twice. My friend's mom does it quite a bit. I have found Walmart is cheaper on some items but I am like everyone else and only mainly buy canned or boxed items there. Kroger is beginning to be my favorite store to shop at, mine doubles & triples coupons. Also they will have items marked Manager's Special and these are even cheaper if you have a coupon for the item. I was able to get an 8 pack of Shick Quattro razor cartridges for $2.79 and that was without a coupon! I also prefer giving buisness to stores other than walmart since they have run a lot of businesses off. Walmarts prices aren't as low as they used to be and their sales aren't like they used to be. I would like to stop shopping there all together but you can sometimes find good deals and it is really close to our house. I actually want to take the time one day to sit down and see how much items usually are at walmart and how much at kroger so when the sales come I can see which one is cheaper.