Buzz
Before 1988, Walmart didn’t venture into groceries, which is hard to believe given how it now reigns over the grocery market. With $341 billion in sales in 2020 and holding 26% of the market share, Walmart is undeniably the leading grocery retailer in the U.S. What’s even more impressive is how Walmart dominates certain areas, with some regions seeing the chain accounting for as much as 90% of all grocery sales. Walmart reshaped the way we shop for food by offering top-quality products at unbeatable prices, and combining that with the convenience of one-stop shopping for nearly everything else, it’s easy to see why the store’s popularity soared.
However, no store is without its flaws. While Walmart is an excellent choice for buying the majority of your groceries, there are a few items that are better purchased elsewhere. Whether due to pricing (yes, sometimes even Walmart can be beaten on price) or quality concerns, here are the things you should consider buying from other retailers instead of your local Walmart.
Be cautious with Great Value products
Nearly all major grocery stores now offer a “store brand.” These brands are often great alternatives because they are typically cheaper than national brands, while still offering comparable quality. Walmart’s own brand, Great Value, fits this description. Great Value products are certainly more affordable than their name-brand counterparts and generally meet quality expectations.
That said, they might not always be your best choice. Compared to other store brands, Great Value often receives mediocre reviews from customers, and it doesn’t usually appear on the top lists of the best generic grocery options. Unless the low prices are your sole concern, you may find better quality with name brands or other store brands elsewhere.
Avoid buying produce at Walmart
Buying produce can be challenging. Even when fruits and vegetables are in season, transporting them from one part of the world to another is no easy task. Picking fresh, ripe produce over wilted or overripe options is not always straightforward. While this is a common struggle for most large supermarkets, Walmart Supercenters are particularly poor in this area, consistently ranking at the bottom in produce reviews. Additionally, despite Walmart’s reputation for low prices, their produce is often priced higher than at other stores, meaning you could end up paying more for subpar fruits and vegetables. Convenience is a big draw, but it might be worth considering other stores for your produce needs.
Skip the maple syrup at Walmart
There are two kinds of people: those who believe anything vaguely maple-flavored with high fructose corn syrup is “maple syrup,” and those who can tell the difference between golden and dark varieties. If you belong to the latter group, you understand that real maple syrup is one of the priciest liquids by volume—and Walmart is notorious for charging nearly twice as much for it compared to other stores. Unless you have pancakes waiting at home in desperate need of syrup, avoid buying it at Walmart.
Stay away from organic products at Walmart
Whether it’s organic milk or produce, Walmart is not the place to shop for organic options. Organic food is always more expensive than conventionally grown products, but it tends to cost even more at Walmart. You’ll find better prices on organic items like baby spinach or bananas at other stores. The price difference is especially noticeable with milk, where competitors often offer prices more than a dollar lower per half gallon.
Don’t buy rotisserie chickens from Walmart
In general, grocery stores are not your best bet for prepared foods. You don’t grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store because it’s the finest; you do it because it’s warm, smells delicious, and you have a hungry family waiting to devour it as soon as you walk through the door. However, buying a rotisserie chicken from Walmart should be a last resort when exhaustion has completely taken over. Walmart’s chickens are smaller compared to those of other stores, and they consistently rank poorly in taste and customer satisfaction.
Look for vanilla extract elsewhere
If you’re not much of a baker, vanilla extract probably doesn’t cross your mind. And that’s perfectly fine! But for those who bake regularly, you know vanilla extract can be pricey. While there are synthetic substitutes that will do in a pinch, if you care about your baking, you’ll want the real thing, sourced from Africa and transported via costly routes. Walmart’s pure vanilla extract is the same as what you’ll find in other stores, just at a higher price—nearly double what some other retailers charge.
Avoid chips and snacks from Walmart
Whether you view chips and snacks as an occasional treat or a necessity for happiness, one thing is certain: You’ll pay less for them if you skip Walmart.
Chips are chips. This is an item where the product remains the same no matter where you buy it, meaning a bag of Doritos from a discount store delivers the same indulgence as one from Walmart—only with a few extra dollars in your pocket after the purchase.
Avoid buying meats and fish at Walmart
Walmart wields significant influence in the market, using its vast share to drive down prices across most categories in the store. But when it comes to meat, it doesn’t have the best deals. Ground beef and other cuts are often pricier at Walmart than at many of its competitors, where you can find meat of comparable (or even superior) quality for less. Additionally, Walmart’s meat section has faced criticism, with several beef recalls in recent years raising concerns about its quality.
Walmart also falls short in the fish department, with consistently high prices and lower reported quality. Furthermore, its sustainability practices are lacking, and the company is less discerning about the policies of the suppliers it works with. If you’re after a fresh salmon fillet for dinner, you’re better off shopping somewhere else.
