Walmart is one in all America’s largest retailers, and it has collected its justifiable share of myths, city legends, and even some humorous lore. Regardless of these tales, Walmart stays a procuring vacation spot for hundreds of thousands who need affordability, comfort, and an unlimited number of merchandise. Let’s delve into among the most typical myths, shocking methods to save cash, humorous anecdotes, and concrete legends related to this retail big.
Delusion #1: Flipped Merchandise on Prime Shelf Aren’t for Sale
The Delusion: “Walmart flips round merchandise on the highest shelf so that you received’t purchase them.”
The Reality: Actually, Walmart does this to try to draw your eyes to a product and have it stand out, particularly in the event that they’re overstocked and wish to transfer a product rapidly.
They’ll additionally do it if they need you to purchase the older inventory first and flipped round stuff that has an extra out expiration date.
Financial savings Tip: Seize the product off the highest shelf, particularly if it’s flipped round, and also you’ll get a brisker merchandise that received’t expire within the close to future.
NOT A MYTH: CLEARANCE ITEMS OFTEN HAVE WRONG PRICE ON THEM
Objects are sometimes discounted additional than the Walmart shelf tag reveals, however the worth discount isn’t all the time marketed. To seek out these hidden offers, obtain the Walmart app and scan gadgets in-store. Typically clearance gadgets ring up at even decrease costs than marked.
This works greatest in classes like electronics, seasonal gadgets, and clothes. You may discover gadgets as much as 90% off that weren’t marketed as on sale.
Delusion #2: Walmart Limits How Many Objects You Can Purchase
The Delusion: “Walmart has a strict restrict on the variety of gadgets you should buy in a single transaction.”
The Reality: Whereas Walmart does generally restrict the acquisition of sure high-demand gadgets (like electronics on Black Friday or particular merchandise throughout provide shortages), there’s no common rule proscribing the entire variety of gadgets you should buy without delay.
Consumers can fill their carts as a lot as they need, though in uncommon instances, limits are put in place.
Humorous Twist: Some individuals imagine Walmart has limits due to tales the place customers tried to purchase total cabinets of merchandise (like snacks or seasonal decorations) and had been politely requested to “depart somewhat for others.” This has led to the parable that Walmart enforces transaction limits throughout the board.
See Additionally: Good Methods to Save the Subsequent Time You Store at Walmart
Delusion #3: “Hidden Reductions” at Midnight
The Delusion: “When you store at Walmart at midnight, you’ll get entry to particular reductions or ‘hidden’ offers.”
The Reality: Whereas procuring throughout late-night hours can imply much less crowded aisles, there aren’t any unique reductions that magically seem at midnight.
Walmart’s reductions are usually scheduled as Rollbacks or marked on clearance gadgets, seen to all customers throughout common retailer hours.
The midnight low cost fantasy possible stems from sure gadgets sometimes being restocked or rotated after hours, which may result in discovering beforehand unavailable offers, however it’s not an intentional coverage.
Humorous Twist: Some die-hard cut price hunters keep up late hoping to snag an elusive midnight low cost, however they’re extra more likely to discover higher offers by checking the shop’s clearance aisles or in search of markdowns throughout seasonal gross sales.
Delusion #4: The In-Retailer Model Is Low High quality
The Delusion: “The Nice Worth and Equate manufacturers are low-quality variations of name-brand gadgets.”
The Reality: Walmart’s non-public label merchandise, like Nice Worth (for meals) and Equate (for well being and wellness), are designed to supply high quality at a cheaper price level.
Lots of this stuff are produced by the identical producers behind common identify manufacturers.
Financial savings Tip: Check out Walmart’s non-public label gadgets for staples like pasta, canned items, and private care merchandise.
Chances are you’ll be pleasantly shocked on the high quality, particularly given the fee financial savings.
Take a look at on-line evaluations or be part of native social media teams the place individuals focus on which Walmart-brand gadgets are the perfect.
See Additionally: 3 Methods to Make Cash Off Your Walmart Receipts
Delusion #5: Cents Column on Value Tags Reveals Reductions
The Delusion: “The cents column on Walmart’s worth tags tells you if an merchandise is on clearance, about to be discontinued, or specifically discounted.”
The Reality: There’s a well-liked perception that if an merchandise’s worth ends in a particular quantity, like $0.97 or $0.88, it signifies a hidden low cost standing—comparable to a clearance, a discontinued product, or a particular markdown.
Whereas some shops, like Costco, do use particular cents endings to sign such issues, Walmart doesn’t constantly comply with this observe throughout all shops or departments.
Pricing at Walmart is often based mostly on normal markups, or to make you’re feeling such as you’re getting a fantastic deal, fairly than a “hidden code”.
Actuality Test: Walmart’s Rollbacks and clearance tags are usually clearly marked with brilliant signage, so that you don’t have to decipher cents to identify reductions.
Nonetheless, you’ll be able to typically discover deeply discounted gadgets by checking the clearance aisles, particularly after vacation seasons or throughout end-of-year gross sales.
Delusion #6: All Walmart Shops Are the Similar
The Delusion: “Each Walmart is rather like each different Walmart.”
The Reality: Whereas Walmart shops are designed to have a constant structure and expertise, not all shops are equivalent.
Walmart Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Walmart Specific every supply completely different choices and differ in measurement and design.
Even retailer insurance policies can generally differ barely based mostly on the area.
Financial savings Tip: Totally different areas have distinctive clearance sections the place they low cost overstocked or seasonal gadgets. All the time ask retailer associates about any hidden clearance sections.
Neighborhood Markets typically have markdowns on contemporary produce and meats close to the tip of the day, providing wonderful offers on contemporary meals.
See Additionally: Intelligent Financial savings Hacks for ALL Walmart Consumers
Delusion #7: The Finest Offers Are Solely Throughout the Holidays
The Delusion: “You need to await Black Friday or Christmas for Walmart’s greatest offers.”
The Reality: Walmart presents offers all year long, not simply in the course of the holidays.
Clearance occasions occur commonly, and “Rollback” costs can be found on common gadgets all 12 months lengthy.
Financial savings Tip: Look out for clearance occasions on the finish of every season.
As an illustration, back-to-school gadgets typically go on sale in September, and summer time gear may be discovered at reductions beginning in August.
You may also take a look at Walmart’s on-line clearance part for unique web-only offers.
Delusion #8: Walmart is All the time Open 24/7
The Delusion: “Walmart is open 24 hours a day, 7 days every week.”
The Reality: Whereas some Walmart shops was once open across the clock, this modified after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many shops reduce their hours.
Most areas now function on a extra conventional schedule, closing in a single day.
Nonetheless, hours can differ by location, so it’s all the time greatest to examine earlier than making a late-night journey.
Enjoyable Truth: Some Walmart shops have returned to prolonged hours, and some even stay open 24/7, however these are uncommon and location-dependent.
NOT A MYTH: SHOP ON WEEKDAY MORNINGS
Early within the day, in the course of the week, Walmart restocks cabinets and updates clearance gadgets. You’ll have first dibs on contemporary markdowns, particularly in high-demand sections like produce, meat, and dairy.
Early morning can also be quieter, so you’ll be able to store extra effectively with out crowds, and also you’ll have a greater probability of discovering clearance gadgets earlier than they promote out.
See Additionally: We Breakdown the Difficult Walmart Return Coverage
Delusion #9: They Tracks Your Each Transfer
The Delusion: “Walmart has refined expertise that tracks you as you progress by means of the shop to observe your spending habits.”
The Reality: Whereas Walmart does have safety cameras and loss-prevention measures, it’s not monitoring each shopper’s actual actions or purchases on a person stage in the way in which some rumors declare.
It does use normal knowledge assortment to research procuring traits, and it tracks on-line habits greater than in-store habits.
Enjoyable Truth: The self-checkout lanes can really feel such as you’re underneath surveillance, however that’s largely to forestall shoplifting fairly than monitoring your procuring habits.
Delusion #10: They Accepts Any and Each Coupon
The Delusion: “You’ll be able to deliver any coupon to Walmart, they usually’ll settle for it.”
The Reality: Walmart has a particular coupon coverage and doesn’t settle for all coupons, particularly if they appear suspicious or aren’t from verified sources.
Some customers mistakenly imagine they’ll use excessive couponing ways to get gadgets totally free or almost free, however Walmart has strict insurance policies to keep away from fraud.
Financial savings Tip: You’ll be able to nonetheless stack some producer coupons with Walmart’s Rollback costs to avoid wasting further, however all the time examine their coverage on-line earlier than making an attempt any excessive couponing methods.
See Additionally: Easy methods to Discover “Hidden” Walmart Clearance Offers
Delusion #11: Walmart is All the time the Most cost-effective Possibility
The Delusion: “When you store at Walmart, you’re assured to get the bottom costs.”
The Reality: Whereas Walmart is thought for its affordability, it isn’t all the time the most affordable possibility for each merchandise.
Many individuals assume Walmart could have the perfect offers on each product, however rivals like Goal, Costco, and even Amazon generally supply higher costs on particular gadgets.
Financial savings Tip: Use price-comparison apps like Honey or ShopSavvy to examine for those who’re actually getting the perfect worth.
Walmart additionally has its “Rollbacks” and weekly offers that slash costs, so control the shop’s flyer.
When you’re critical about saving, take into account signing up for Walmart’s Walmart+ membership, which presents advantages like free delivery, reductions on gasoline, and early entry to particular presents.
Delusion #12: Self-Checkout at Walmart is the Future
The Delusion: “Walmart self-checkout is so common that it’s going to overhaul the precise “cashier powered” checkout strains.”
The Reality: Walmart is definitely rethinking the self-checkout aisles and have eliminated them utterly from some areas.
Seems many shoppers hate the self-checkout lane and how typically they encounter an error {that a} Walmart worker has to return over and repair.
As retail theft continues to be on the rise, it’s fairly apparent that self-checkout has one thing to do with this. I personally have seen somebody steal from the self-checkout lane a half-dozen instances. It sometimes entails slipping one thing into their bag that they don’t scan.
5 City Legends at Walmart…
Walmart’s standing as a cultural icon has given rise to some entertaining and unusual city legends. Listed below are among the funniest:
1. Closed Walmart Areas Have Turn into Re-Schooling Camps
There’s an odd rumor floating across the net that closed Walmart areas have gotten re-educations camps or a FEMA jail camp.
Simply learn the feedback on my article detailing all the Walmart areas which have closed lately. I can’t make these items up, the feedback are fairly wild.
2. The Walmart “Secret Aisle”
One fantasy claims that each Walmart has a hidden aisle with excessive reductions on gadgets like electronics, clothes, and big-ticket items.
In actuality, there’s no secret aisle – however there are clearance aisles (and sale sections that aren’t marked as such), often situated close to the again of the shop, the place you could find discounted gadgets.
3. Walmart “Greeters” Are Secret Safety Guards
Some individuals imagine that Walmart’s pleasant greeters are literally undercover safety guards tasked with recognizing shoplifters.
Whereas it’s true that Walmart locations a excessive precedence on retailer safety, greeters are primarily there to assist prospects really feel welcome, present data, and reply questions.
4. The “Individuals of Walmart” Phenomenon
There’s no denying Walmart has a repute for attracting a colourful number of customers, generally in weird or outrageous outfits.
The Individuals of Walmart web site celebrates this phenomenon, that includes images of some actually memorable characters.
From individuals wearing superhero costumes to people who clearly threw warning to the wind with their wardrobe decisions, these sightings have cemented Walmart’s repute as a spot the place “something goes.”
5. The “Spaghetti Incident”
One humorous legend tells of a consumer who allegedly spilled an infinite pot of spaghetti in the course of the grocery part, just for Walmart associates to make use of baggage of rice and Nice Worth tomato sauce to mop it up.
It’s an absurd story, and there’s no proof it ever occurred – however it’s humorous to think about nonetheless.
Ask the Reader: Did I miss any enjoyable Walmart city legends or procuring myths? Let me know and I’d love to analyze.
By Kyle James
I began Fairly-Be-Procuring.com in 2000 and have grow to be a shopper professional and advocate writing about out-of-the-box methods to avoid wasting at shops like Amazon, Walmart, Goal and Costco to call just a few. I’ve been featured on FOX Information, Good Morning America, and the NY Instances speaking about my financial savings ideas. (Be taught extra)