The Meat at Walmart Scares Me

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Mine is far less expensive than my local Kroger. It must vary.

I've been all over and It doesn't vary much. Items at Kroger on big sale sometimes beat Aldi prices. And I'll sometimes stop at Kroger and pick said items up. Same goes for the other big chains. Those stores even have a derogatory name for me in their marketing departments Cherry Picker. Seems those sales are to sucker you into being loyal to that store where they give with one hand and yank back with the other. But overall, no. Kroger does not beat Aldi prices. There are downsides of Aldi though. The first is they don't carry much extra stock and get a delivery every day. So at the end of a busy day in a busier location, they can end up out of several things. The second is their selection is such that if someone wants to just shop at one store only for everything (the most expensive way to shop) Aldi really can't do that. Also some of their great items are seasonal. Their awesome spiral double glazed hams are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter only. And when they're gone, they are gone.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There are downsides of Aldi though. The first is they don't carry much extra stock and get a delivery every day. So at the end of a busy day in a busier location, they can end up out of several things. The second is their selection is such that if someone wants to just shop at one store only for everything (the most expensive way to shop) Aldi really can't do that. Also some of their great items are seasonal. Their awesome spiral double glazed hams are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter only. And when they're gone, they are gone.

Isn't that how it is at pretty much everywhere?

I mean I don't exclusively shop at Walmart nor Costco nor any other traditional grocery store in my life. I used to do a lot of shopping at Hy-Vee but geez they are expensive now but in any case I still went to Walmart for things even when I did.

Costco has a lot of seasonal items and they frequently shift year to year one year offering a product then the next not. I used to get this really good oatmeal from Costco that was much healthier and tasted better than Quaker Oats but they only carried it for 2 years and haven't since.

For me traditional grocery stores have never given me the full experience I want but neither have places like Walmart or Target. I usually treated Aldi as the supplement place and I think a lot of people do that anyhow. I think if they were intending to be the "be it all" place they would have stores around the nation that are like big box places but on average the square footage of Aldi's tend to be fairly small in comparison. I'm sure that helps keep their pricing down too of their items.

It's been a long time so I wonder if it still holds true but I remember reading that they did an informal study and found that 1) Costco members tend to skew high on income 2) They also shop at Aldi as well

 

[tvguy]

It's been a long time so I wonder if it still holds true but I remember reading that they did an informal study and found that 1) Costco members tend to skew high on income 2) They also shop at Aldi as well

Allegedly the average income of a Walmart shopper has soared since the start of the pandemic.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Allegedly the average income of a Walmart shopper has soared since the start of the pandemic.

I'm sure it has TBH especially with Walmart+ service being added, with pick up and home delivery being utilized a lot more. Type of people to use those services probably skews high on the income bracket too.

 

[tvguy]

my thoughts as well. brand name items sold to other stores are identical-walmart benefits from large purchasing discounts which are passed on to the consumer. the butter ball turkey at walmart is no different than the one at the more expensive chain or privately owned store, tyson is tyson everywhere...

See, since there are no Tyson processing plants for at least a thousand miles from us in California, I consider that sn inferior brand. We have Foster Farms processing plants 60 miles away, so that chicken hasn't been trucked thousands of miles.

 

[tcufrog]

At my previous house, the closest grocery was a WalMart Neighborhood Market. I went in there once but never went again. I was so dark in there that I didn't trust my ability to properly choose produce.

 

[barkley]

They had some baked cheddar + sour cream chips that were life changing, much better than the equivalent made by Ruffles.

a million years ago when lucky's still existed they sold truly generic products and most were pretty mediocre BUT they did a cheese puff that was PHENOMENAL! they were so fresh and crunchy and had a buttery taste. it was very popular to enjoy when we would partake in some not yet legal herbs

 

[disneyseniors]

Well, their version of Oreos are better.

Also their version of Pinwheel cookies is far superior. They just taste better and are cheaper. I found that out with some other things from Walmart. One is their brand canned diced tomatoes. They taste really good in everything I make with them, far better than using other brands. I used theirs one day in a dish and it was noticably better. I guess you just have to experiment with different brands.

 

[tvguy]

Also their version of Pinwheel cookies is far superior. They just taste better and are cheaper. I found that out with some other things from Walmart. One is their brand canned diced tomatoes. They taste really good in everything I make with them, far better than using other brands. I used theirs one day in a dish and it was noticably better. I guess you just have to experiment with different brands.

I like the Great Value corn flakes better. They have a malty flavor to them.

 

[tvguy]

I'm sure it has TBH especially with Walmart+ service being added, with pick up and home delivery being utilized a lot more. Type of people to use those services probably skews high on the income bracket too.

Yes, our Neighborhood Market now has a van to do the deliveries. The we shop early on Sunday mornings......about 7:15 am, and there are usually 3 or 4 employees pulling orders for pickup or delivery.

 

[mrodgers]

Also their version of Pinwheel cookies is far superior. They just taste better and are cheaper. I found that out with some other things from Walmart. One is their brand canned diced tomatoes. They taste really good in everything I make with them, far better than using other brands. I used theirs one day in a dish and it was noticably better. I guess you just have to experiment with different brands.

Walmart Great Value brand has an organic tomato sauce that I use for everything. It's fantastic, and with "organic" on the label, still cheaper than name brand non-organic. I don't buy it because it says organic. I buy it because it tastes like tomatoes.

 

[NannyBeBe]

Our Walmart stores stink and are filthy. I actually go into Walmart only when it is the only way I can get an item I want.

 

[RedAngie]

Thanks everyone for replying.

I see this thread has 2K views, doubling my goal of 1000.

Now let’s see if it can reach 100 replies.

 

[Babs Johnson]

The produce at Walmart is iffy. When it first arrives it’s fine but it seems they leave it there a few days past its prime. And a few items are just low quality to begin with.

 

[shh]

My shopping habits have changed so much since the pandemic. I used to be a Publix gal. My parents were Publix fans...my whole family shopped there for decades. Now once in a while I pop in for a sub or a BOGO special and just shake my head at their prices. They seem insanely high. I still love their store experience, but I like saving money much more.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Now let’s see if it can reach 100 replies.

So close, Red. You'll get there.

 

[TippyThomas]

98

 

[debknight]

That's very true, Angie. Walmart is very price oriented and that does create it's own issues. I really very rarely go into a Walmart, but do buy from one usually at least once a week. Zero hassles. If I were to go into a store, I'd much rather go into a Jewel (now owned by Kroger) or an even slightly nicer than a Jewel, a Mariano's (now also owned by Kroger). Much nicer shopping experiences. But also more costly. My shopping experiences are generally limited to online ordering and parking lot pickups. And Walmart is very efficient with both ends of that process.

But I do know anytime there is a Walmart discussion here, it always will get bad reviews.

Not yet.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/dea...ock-krogers-25-bln-buy-albertsons-2023-02-03/

 

[JaxDad]

Thanks everyone for replying.

I see this thread has 2K views, doubling my goal of 1000.

Now let’s see if it can reach 100 replies.

Only dilwads make the 100th reply.

 

[bcla]

a million years ago when lucky's still existed they sold truly generic products and most were pretty mediocre BUT they did a cheese puff that was PHENOMENAL! they were so fresh and crunchy and had a buttery taste. it was very popular to enjoy when we would partake in some not yet legal herbs

Lucky's still exists as a brand name and a division of Save-Mart. They had a disastrous entry into the Bay Area marketplace so they just bought the right to the Lucky name from Albertson's.

As for those generics, I do remember those yellow label generics that my Lucky's store sold in the 80s. I don't think it was a Lucky exclusive, but one where they were sold to different markets in different regions. The only photo I could find of them was this: