A few weeks back I did a post about Walmart’s Every Day Low Price (EDLP), Price Match and the fact that they were bringing back thousands of items to the Walmart store inventories. Needless to say-there were questions. Especially about the Ad Match policy:
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I still don’t understand how competitor’s prices are matched at the registers. If you don’t need a copy of the ad and you can checkout at a normal register, then how will the cashier be able to verify the competitor’s ad price? Won’t this prolong checking out also? Please explain. -Amy
My store makes u bring the ads too, so its kind of inconvenient to have to bring the entire paper and point out the price matches to the cashier. Also the cashiers most of the time have no idea what the policy is on coupons and that they do accept coupons for other stores!! –Dee
The associates at my Walmart will NOT ad match without the competing ad. It’s good to know this is not policy, because I hate carrying around 4 different ads and searching through them at checkout. Thank you! I will be sure to mention this next time they tell me they can’t match it without the proof of an ad. –Deanna
I work at Wal-Mart as a cashier. Don’t be surprised if you go through the checkout saying this is this much at the other store and they ask for an ad. They tell us do not ad match with out an ad. So make sure you are prepared with one. –Crystal
I’ve tried price matching in the past and it has been a big mess they couldn’t figure out what 3 for 5.00 was I’ve had so many issues I usually don’t even bother anymore because when I thought the associate just needed to be retrained she called the manager over and she said the same thing??? Go figure I really doubt anything has changed. –Misty
So if we don’t have to bring in the ad how does it work? I know at my local Wal-Mart you have to have it. Should we print out their ad matching policy and carry it in our purse? Also my store won’t honor the buy one get one free or 2nd for $1.00, they consider that a gimmick. I have fought with associates many times because they will try to only match the item pictured in the sale ad even though it states underneath which products are included. For example: Coca-Cola 12pk $2.99, it will have in writing Sprite, Diet Sprite, Diet Coke etc. That make sense? –Lacy
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Well one of the benefits of being a Walmart Mom is that I can take questions directly to the big guys and get answers. I asked the Walmart Mom Liason-“My readers have questions. . . do they need to bring the Ad with them in order to get an Ad Match? How do the cashiers KNOW if they don’t bring the competitor’s flier?”.
A few days later I got back a response from the team at headquarters responsible for the EDLP & Ad Match program:
Our local stores are expected to maintain local competitive ads for reference in order to help customers find the best possible savings.
We’re training our associates to make sure they know how to handle this policy at the store. We’re putting the customer at the center of everything we do and making it easier for them to get the best price.
Now there are a LOT of Walmarts out there, and each one has a store manager who has a lot of different issues on their plate. . .so sometimes there are going to be mistakes, or misinterpretations of the rules. Honestly-if you are at all unsure I would say #1 try to remember to bring the ad with you and #2 bring a copy of the press release that spells out the policy from the Walmart website.
And if you do have a problem? Pop over to the Walmart Facebook Feedback Tab and leave them a note and make sure you leave the the store number!
Jenn,
I was curious about the barcode app available on some of the smart phones, can that be substituted for an ad? I have brought an ad before and the cashier honored the price, but it is nice to just scan an item too!
I’ll ask, but to be honest that’s sort of a bridge too far for some stores & some employees if you ask me. The point is they are supposed to have the flier on hand-so if you scan it and it says that Albertsons has that on sale, then the cashier should have an Albertsons flier. If your local store is willing to take the phone scan then that is great-go with it.
The fact is–Walmart is huge and it takes time for everyone to get fully trained up on something. As someone I know said “you can’t turn the Titanic on a dime”.
Thanks Jenn for asking, I figured it might be a little much. Price matching is done by other stores. Maybe I should leave the ads in the car just in case I stop by there!
I live here in Phx. AZ.. Pretty much all the Walmart employees have been trained on the “price match”.. My fiance’ and I, we always take the ads from earlier in the week, circle/highlight the sales that we are interested in and head to Walmart. Pretty much all the cashiers want to see the ads. With 4 big grocery stores competing out here, we try and keep things seperated within the carts (we take 2), and on our grocery list we have things itemized. Its a lot of work, but couponing period is a lot of work. Good luck, have fun, and be friendly to your cashier. It will go a long, long way. Call us predicatable, but we go at the same time, same day every week. Our cashier at Walmart knows when were coming. “there is the couple with the big ole’ binder, 4 newspapers, 2 carts, and some great jokes!” (LOL)
Wow, sounds like you’ve got your process down pat Scott!
I am in Texas and have been price matching at Walmart for a while with great success. I always list the items I want to price match on my grocery list and sort those items by the store. For instance, Kroger: Lemons 10/ $1 Food Town: tomatoes .40/lb. When I get to the register I keep my price match items separate and tell them I want to price match this group of items. I then just read off my list as they get to each product. They have not asked to see my ads yet, but I do carry them just in case. Also the cashiers at our Walmart have the ads at the register.