My husband and I are very loyal Walmart Supercenter shoppers. There are many reasons why we shop there, but mostly because the savings are HUGE. I have friends who don’t shop at Walmart for moral or political reasons, which I think is sad because a lot of those friends could really use the extra money. If you are anti-Walmart, I challenge you to carefully scrutinize your priorities and ask if it is really your conscience, of if it is just ego that is keeping you from Walmart.
For some reason, society has demonized Walmart in particular, but it is okay to shop at other large chain stores like Kroger or Meijer. Are we really so naïve to think that the quality of bread at Kroger is better than the bread at Walmart? Especially when both stores carry many of the same brands? Do we really think that Kroger employees have a better life stocking shelves than Walmart employees stocking shelves? It all depends on the local people that are working there as staff. I have been treated worse by staff at our local Kroger than at Walmart. It’s not about the store- it’s about the staff. As for the “poor” hourly wage and benefits for Walmart workers, I would venture to say that Walmart benefits are comparable to those of other large chain stores.
Unless you are completely self-sufficient and live off the land, don’t think you are a better moral person by shopping at a “local” large chain grocery store instead of Walmart. That is like eating at Burger King instead of McDonalds.
Now that we have all excuses removed, I can talk about why I grocery shop at Walmart almost 100% of the time. Keep in mind that a majority of our food is produced at home, so we’re only buying a few items at Walmart.
1. You can use gift cards there. My husband spends thousands of dollars per month on inventory for his small business. His credit card company offers 1-2% cash back, so he uses this to get Walmart gift cards. A few times per year he will give me 2-3 $100 gift cards, and I use these to buy groceries, gift items and anything else we might need. I realize that most people shouldn’t be spending thousands of dollars every month on credit cards, but there are other programs that offer gift cards, and cards are often given away as prizes or all-purpose gifts. After we got married, Hubs and I had a handful of Walmart gift cards to use on whatever we wanted. I liked these cards better than the Kohls or even Sears cards because 1) we could buy MORE stuff (because it was cheaper) and 2) we could buy anything from discount bread to plants for the garden. We've also received Walmart gift cards for random prizes, holiday gifts, and applying for a Walmart credit card (that we actually never used... Hubs just did it to get the gift card). Larger chain grocery stores are more likely to have gift cards in circulation than smaller mom-and-pop stores.
Gift cards (received as gifts OR through rewards programs) are effectually tax-free income. This saves another 10-30% depending on your tax bracket.
2. Walmart has everything. Walmart Supercenters are a one-stop shop, which saves time and saves money spent on gas. It is statistically proven that the more time you spend shopping, the more money you spend.
3. Price matching. Walmart will price match other stores. In fact, they even have a “Savings Catcher” app that will scan your receipts and give you a rebate if any items you have bought have lower prices at other stores. This means that you can check all of your local adds at home, and if the same brand is being sold at Walmart, you can buy it at Walmart instead of making a separate trip to the other store, while still getting the same deal.
4. Lower prices. It's true- a rug at Walmart costs less than a rug at Kohls or JC Penney or a local craft show. It may or may not last as long, but a Walmart rug is definitely cheaper.
If you could save $1000 per year by shopping at Walmart, and give that $1000 to an anti-abortion charity, wouldn’t it outweigh the $10.00 of your yearly spending that might go to support abortion? I can understand why someone would feel bad for giving Planned Parenthood even $10.00, but nobody feels bad for sitting on their hands and NOT supporting local pro-life programs or donating their money to help stop human trafficking. I think that is silly. Likewise, if shopping at Walmart could help you quit your job to become a stay-at-home mom to your baby, wouldn’t that be more important than buying $5.00 bread at the farmers market, to support a local baker who bought all of HER ingredients at Walmart?
I am sure that some of our friends think my husband and I are low-class sell-outs because we only shop at Walmart*. However, I don’t really care. Saving money at Walmart helps us to give to charity, buy local where it counts (not necessarily at our local chain grocery stores, but from individuals) and live a life that we both absolutely love. Thank you, Walmart.
What are your thoughts about Walmart? I welcome any opposing views here, especially if they include personal experience or factual proof to back them up.
* We do actually shop at other stores, but it is infrequently.