Found yourself wandering in Walmart? Well, don't take out your cash just yet — because these red flags might have you running for the hills.
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00:00Found yourself wandering in Walmart? Well, don't take out your cash just yet,
00:05because these red flags might have you running for the hills.
00:09The stuff Walmart sells is a red flag in itself, as the quality just isn't reliable. One week,
00:15you might find crisp apples and leafy greens that could rival those found in a farmer's market.
00:20But the next, it's all wilted lettuce and bananas so brown they're ready to turn into banana bread.
00:25That's why, according to a survey carried out by Mashed in 2021,
00:29one in three people agreed that Walmart offers the worst produce out of eight major retailers.
00:34Walmart introduced improvements to its produce departments in 2020,
00:38making them less cramped and hectic. Ideally, this would have improved product
00:42turnover so that fruit and vegetables don't end up languishing on the shelves.
00:45But if those fuzzy strawberries and slimy mushrooms are anything to go by,
00:50it hasn't turned out to be the case. Walmart's supply chain is another issue.
00:54While the company is great at stocking affordable pantry stables,
00:57sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables is not its forte. Produce often travels long distances to
01:03reach those shelves, which means it's already on borrowed time by the time it lands in your cart.
01:08People want a relationship with their food. They want it to be closer.
01:14That said, there are a few ways by which you can pick the best of a bad bunch.
01:18If you find yourself at Walmart, make sure you inspect everything before you put it in your cart.
01:22Check for firm textures, vibrant colors, and look out for mold or bruising.
01:27It might just save your supper.
01:29You might think it's safe to assume that the price you see on the shelves is what you'll end
01:33up paying at Walmart. But this doesn't always ring true. Some shoppers have reported pricing
01:38issues at stores around the U.S., essentially when they reach the register. They notice that
01:42certain items cost more than what they were priced at. These mismatches don't happen all the time.
01:47But when they do, they can add up quickly, especially if you're stocking up on a lot of
01:51items. The issue often comes down to outdated shelf tags, meaning that items aren't properly
01:56synced with Walmart's system. Or the other way around. The price and the labeling has changed,
02:01but the system hasn't caught up. This doesn't make it any less frustrating, though. After all,
02:05we expect to pay the price that's listed. So what can you do about this?
02:09The best thing is to keep a close eye on the prices as you shop. If something is off at the
02:13checkout, speak up right away. Staff at Walmart are generally willing to adjust prices when you
02:18point out an error. But that only works if you catch it. You could go back later if you notice
02:23the difference on your receipt. But if the prices on the shelves have since been changed,
02:27it might be hard to prove Walmart's error.
02:30Here's where Walmart's practices start to get genuinely shady. The company sometimes
02:34makes it intentionally difficult to compare prices. Basically, Walmart applies inconsistent
02:39units on its price labels. Say you're trying to compare the price of two packs of flour.
02:44The price label will list the total cost and the price for a certain weight. This latter price is
02:49what you need to understand the true difference in cost between two items of varying size.
02:54But Walmart might list the price per ounce of one brand of flour and the price per pound of
02:58the other. This makes it less straightforward to compare the prices, meaning you might not
03:03be able to easily work out which is cheaper. And this isn't just a flight of fancy, either.
03:08Walmart has actually faced class-action lawsuits for doing stuff like this.
03:13Walmart will face a class-action lawsuit over allegations
03:16engaged in deceptive pricing in its store.
03:20It's basically an underhanded way of trying to get customers to opt for the pricier brands
03:25without realizing. Customer service at Walmart can be hit or miss, to say the least. In fact,
03:30when surveyed by Mashed, 50 percent of readers said that Walmart was the worst grocery store
03:35for customer service. And when you look into the corporation's practices, it's not hard to see why.
03:40Walmart has long faced criticism for its treatment of workers,
03:44providing low wages, minimal benefits, and limited opportunities for advancement.
03:48The company has also been caught violating workers' privacy,
03:52enforcing unreasonable quotas, and a litany of other labor horrors.
03:57Naturally, these poor practices often trickle down. When employees aren't treated well,
04:01we don't blame them for not wanting to go the extra mile for customers.
04:05Obviously, this isn't the fault of the employees themselves. Imagine trying to
04:09stay chipper during a long shift with little incentive to care beyond just getting through
04:13the day. For some, this is enough to reconsider where they shop, not just because of lackluster
04:18customer service, but out of principle. Supporting a company that skimps on worker rights doesn't sit
04:23well with everyone. Looking for alternatives might feel like a more ethical choice.
04:28Self-checkout at Walmart used to be a huge time-saver for anyone with just a few items,
04:33and zero patience for long lines. Lately, though, some stores have been shutting down their self-scan
04:38areas, leaving shoppers at the mercy of traditional checkout lines.
04:42I prefer self-checkout. It's faster, typically. It's a lot faster."
04:47The decision seems to be left up to individual store managers,
04:50so it's anyone's guess whether self-checkout will be an option on your next trip.
04:54This inconsistency can be a real headache, too. You might just pop in for milk and bread,
04:59but end up finding the self-checkout stations roped off and a line stretching down the aisle.
05:04This is especially frustrating because self-checkouts were designed to make quick
05:08trips easier. Closing them down removes that convenience and adds an unwelcome dose of
05:13uncertainty to the mix. While some stores claim it's to reduce theft or improve customer service,
05:19it kind of feels like a step backwards as far as the shopping experience goes.
05:23If you're trying to avoid the hassle, it might be worth timing your trips during slower hours,
05:28or heading to a Walmart location where you know for sure that self-checkout is still running.
05:33Understaffing is a big issue at Walmart. According to some workers,
05:38Walmart often expects them to do the work of two people, sometimes even more.
05:42This kind of pressure inevitably leads to problems slipping through the cracks,
05:46which shows up in ways that can make your shopping trip feel like a hassle.
05:50And while it's easy to focus on how this affects you as a shopper,
05:53it's important not to forget that this affects Walmart workers more seriously.
05:57If you pick up something that's moldy or close to expiring,
06:00that's likely because stock rotation gets rushed or skipped when employees are stretched thin.
06:05Shelves can end up looking half-empty or downright messy,
06:08and checkout lines can be frustratingly long, all due to a lack of staff.
06:13It's rollback time at Walmart, and everyone's pitching in, even me.
06:17Sadly, Walmart staffing practices prioritize efficiency over all else. This might save the
06:23company money, but it also creates stress for workers and, in turn, frustration for shoppers.
06:29If these issues really grind your gears, it might be a good idea to consider
06:33supporting stores that prioritize employee well-being over efficiency and profit.
06:38Walmart seems to have a real problem with product stocking, too.
06:42Products are often listed as in-stock online only for you to discover they're
06:46sold out when you head to the store. Of course, it's natural that stock fluctuates,
06:50and what might be available one minute can easily sell out the next.
06:53But there's a difference between someone else nabbing the last box of cereal
06:56and going to the store to find that product was never there in the first place.
07:00This seems like less of an issue with products selling out, and more of an issue with Walmart
07:05taking great pains to draw customers into its stores, arguably on false pretenses.
07:11And even if this does sound a bit too much like a conspiracy theory,
07:15you might at least consider shopping at a store that's much quicker at updating its
07:18stocking information.
07:20Sometimes you need something quick and tasty to eat, such as deli foods,
07:24pre-made dinners, or grab-and-go lunches. But the quality of Walmart's pre-made foods
07:29often leaves much to be desired. Sure, the convenience is tempting, especially when
07:34you're juggling a packed schedule, but you might soon find yourself regretting that tub
07:38of potato salad or ready-to-eat mac and cheese. In 2023, Mashed looked at the best and worst
07:44grocery stores at which you can buy pre-made meals, and Walmart was among the worst.
07:50One common complaint at Walmart is the taste of these meals, or lack thereof. Whether you're
07:56grabbing lunch to eat at your desk, or a dinner to wolf down after a busy evening,
08:00you're probably going to wind up disappointed.
08:03As the name suggests, Walmart's Great Value range offers low prices to consumers.
08:08"...purpose. Great Value is meant to be a national brand equivalent. We want to
08:12make sure that we have an equivalent in quality that they can offer at a value."
08:15But while they're certainly cheap, are they truly great value? We're not so sure.
08:21A lot of the problems come down to nutrition. For example, the brands Fudge Marshmallow Cookies
08:26and Frosted Strawberry Toaster Pastries are among the unhealthiest foods you'll find at Walmart,
08:31and it's likely that they contain more additives and excess sugar to cover up subpar ingredients.
08:36This isn't the only issue, though. Many people would be willing to put up with poor ingredients
08:41if the finished product tasted great. But a lot of Great Value products just don't.
08:46According to 25 percent of the people surveyed by Mashed,
08:49Walmart's Great Value brand is the worst private label offered by grocery stores.
08:54Walmart is usually the place you go when you want the cheapest prices in town,
08:58and the company's products are known for being affordable across the board.
09:02When it comes to organic produce, however, you might want to consider shopping somewhere else,
09:07such as Whole Foods. Yes, the place once dubbed Whole Paycheck
09:10might just out-Walmart Walmart when it comes to organic kale.
09:14Obviously, Walmart should be the obvious winner when it comes to cheap groceries.
09:18But organic products are Whole Foods' whole M.O., allowing them to price certain items
09:23like fruits and vegetables more competitively. Meanwhile, Walmart is bigger on conventional
09:28options, leaving organic produce as more of a niche, and therefore pricier, category.
09:33So while Walmart is undeniably cheaper in many areas,
09:36you might be better off leaving the chain's organic offerings on the shelf.
09:41Shopping for fresh meat at Walmart is another easy way to go awry. The inconsistency in Walmart's
09:47meat department stems from its huge scale and complex supply chain. While the retailer attempts
09:52to provide affordable options to customers, this approach sometimes means compromising
09:57on meat quality. On some visits, you'll discover plenty of usable options. On others, though,
10:02the products could make you want to give the whole department a wide berth.
10:06Quality varies between lines, too. For instance, Mashed recently looked at the
10:11best and worst beef products at Walmart, and found that the difference in quality
10:15between them could be vast. Ultimately, smart shoppers know when to walk away.
10:20Low prices might be tempting, but it's really never worth cheaping out on meat. A few extra
10:25dollars spent at a specialized butcher or local grocery store could save you from a potential
10:30dinner disaster. If you've ever been tempted by the cookies, cakes, and pastries at Walmart's
10:35bakery section, well, you might want to think before you buy. As it turns out, these products
10:41aren't as fresh as they may seem. While the displays might look like they've just been
10:45whipped up in-store, most of Walmart's baked goods actually arrive frozen and pre-decorated.
10:50This doesn't necessarily mean that everything Walmart sells in the bakery is going to taste bad,
10:55but it can be a bit of a letdown if you were craving that just-out-of-the-oven freshness.
11:00In the end, like most things at Walmart, the main appeal of these sweet treats is the fact
11:05that they're cheap. You might find this tradeoff is worth it for the cost and convenience,
11:09especially if you need to grab a quick birthday cake or dessert for a potluck.
11:13But if you're after a truly fresh, homemade vibe, Walmart's bakery is bound to disappoint.