Walmart is considered one of America’s largest retailers, and it has amassed 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 choice of merchandise. Let’s delve into a few of the most typical myths, shocking methods to save cash, humorous anecdotes, and concrete legends related to this retail big.
Fable #1: Flipped Merchandise on High Shelf Aren’t for Sale
The Fable: “Walmart flips round merchandise on the highest shelf so that you gained’t purchase them.”
The Fact: In reality, Walmart does this to attempt to draw your eyes to a product and have it stand out, particularly in the event that they’re overstocked and need 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 additional 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 more energizing merchandise that gained’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 value discount isn’t all the time marketed. To seek out these hidden offers, obtain the Walmart app and scan objects in-store. Typically clearance objects ring up at even decrease costs than marked.
This works finest in classes like electronics, seasonal objects, and clothes. You may discover objects as much as 90% off that weren’t marketed as on sale.
Fable #2: Walmart Limits How Many Objects You Can Purchase
The Fable: “Walmart has a strict restrict on the variety of objects you should purchase in a single transaction.”
The Fact: Whereas Walmart does typically restrict the acquisition of sure high-demand objects (like electronics on Black Friday or particular merchandise throughout provide shortages), there’s no common rule proscribing the whole variety of objects you should purchase 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 folks imagine Walmart has limits due to tales the place customers tried to purchase whole cabinets of merchandise (like snacks or seasonal decorations) and have been politely requested to “go away just a little for others.” This has led to the parable that Walmart enforces transaction limits throughout the board.
See Additionally: Smart Ways to Save the Next Time You Shop at Walmart
Fable #3: “Hidden Reductions” at Midnight
The Fable: “In the event you store at Walmart at midnight, you’ll get entry to particular reductions or ‘hidden’ offers.”
The Fact: Whereas procuring throughout late-night hours can imply much less crowded aisles, there are not any unique reductions that magically seem at midnight.
Walmart’s reductions are usually scheduled as Rollbacks or marked on clearance objects, seen to all customers throughout common retailer hours.
The midnight low cost delusion seemingly stems from sure objects sometimes being restocked or rotated after hours, which may result in discovering beforehand unavailable offers, nevertheless it’s not an intentional coverage.
Humorous Twist: Some die-hard discount 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 searching for markdowns throughout seasonal gross sales.
Fable #4: The In-Retailer Model Is Low High quality
The Fable: “The Nice Worth and Equate manufacturers are low-quality variations of name-brand objects.”
The Fact: Walmart’s personal label merchandise, like Great Value (for meals) and Equate (for well being and wellness), are designed to offer high quality at a cheaper price level.
A lot of this stuff are produced by the identical producers behind in style identify manufacturers.
Financial savings Tip: Check out Walmart’s personal label objects for staples like pasta, canned items, and private care merchandise.
You could be pleasantly stunned on the high quality, particularly given the fee financial savings.
Take a look at on-line opinions or be a part of native social media teams the place folks focus on which Walmart-brand objects are the most effective.
See Additionally: 3 Ways to Make Money Off Your Walmart Receipts
Fable #5: Cents Column on Worth Tags Reveals Reductions
The Fable: “The cents column on Walmart’s value tags tells you if an merchandise is on clearance, about to be discontinued, or specifically discounted.”
The Fact: There’s a preferred perception that if an merchandise’s value ends in a selected quantity, like $0.97 or $0.88, it signifies a hidden low cost standing—resembling 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 primarily based on normal markups, or to make you feel like you’re getting a great deal, quite than a “hidden code”.
Actuality Examine: 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 possibly can typically discover deeply discounted objects by checking the clearance aisles, particularly after vacation seasons or throughout end-of-year gross sales.
Fable #6: All Walmart Shops Are the Similar
The Fable: “Each Walmart is rather like each different Walmart.”
The Fact: Whereas Walmart shops are designed to have a constant format and expertise, not all shops are an identical.
Walmart Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Walmart Specific every provide completely different choices and differ in measurement and design.
Even retailer insurance policies can typically differ barely primarily based on the area.
Financial savings Tip: Completely different areas have distinctive clearance sections the place they low cost overstocked or seasonal objects. At all times ask retailer associates about any hidden clearance sections.
Neighborhood Markets typically have markdowns on contemporary produce and meats close to the top of the day, providing glorious offers on contemporary meals.
See Additionally: Clever Savings Hacks for ALL Walmart Shoppers
Fable #7: The Greatest Offers Are Solely Through the Holidays
The Fable: “You need to look ahead to Black Friday or Christmas for Walmart’s finest offers.”
The Fact: Walmart affords offers all year long, not simply throughout the holidays.
Clearance occasions occur commonly, and “Rollback” costs can be found on in style objects all yr lengthy.
Financial savings Tip: Look out for clearance occasions on the finish of every season.
As an illustration, back-to-school objects typically go on sale in September, and summer time gear will be discovered at reductions beginning in August.
You too can take a look at Walmart’s online clearance section for unique web-only offers.
Fable #8: Walmart is At all times Open 24/7
The Fable: “Walmart is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.”
The Fact: 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 finest to test 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, throughout the week, Walmart restocks cabinets and updates clearance objects. You’ll have first dibs on contemporary markdowns, particularly in high-demand sections like produce, meat, and dairy.
Early morning can be quieter, so you possibly can store extra effectively with out crowds, and also you’ll have a greater probability of discovering clearance objects earlier than they promote out.
See Additionally: We Breakdown the Complicated Walmart Return Policy
Fable #9: They Tracks Your Each Transfer
The Fable: “Walmart has subtle know-how that tracks you as you progress by means of the shop to watch your spending habits.”
The Fact: Whereas Walmart does have safety cameras and loss-prevention measures, it’s not monitoring each shopper’s precise actions or purchases on a person degree in the way in which some rumors declare.
It does use common information 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 beneath surveillance, however that’s principally to forestall shoplifting quite than monitoring your procuring habits.
Fable #10: They Settle for Any and Each Coupon
The Fable: “You may convey any coupon to Walmart, they usually’ll settle for it.”
The Fact: Walmart has a specific coupon policy and doesn’t settle for all coupons, particularly if they seem suspicious or aren’t from verified sources.
Some customers mistakenly imagine they will use excessive couponing techniques to get objects without spending a dime or practically free, however Walmart has strict insurance policies to keep away from fraud.
Financial savings Tip: You may nonetheless stack some producer coupons with Walmart’s Rollback costs to avoid wasting additional, however all the time test their coverage on-line earlier than trying any excessive couponing tips.
See Additionally: How to Find “Hidden” Walmart Clearance Deals
Fable #11: Walmart is At all times the Least expensive Possibility
The Fable: “In the event you store at Walmart, you’re assured to get the bottom costs.”
The Fact: Whereas Walmart is thought for its affordability, it isn’t all the time the most affordable choice for each merchandise.
Many individuals assume Walmart may have the most effective offers on each product, however opponents like Goal, Costco, and even Amazon typically provide higher costs on particular objects.
Financial savings Tip: Use price-comparison apps like Honey or ShopSavvy to test in case you’re actually getting the most effective value.
Walmart additionally has its “Rollbacks” and weekly offers that slash costs, so control the shop’s flyer.
In the event you’re critical about saving, think about signing up for Walmart’s Walmart+ membership, which affords advantages like free transport, reductions on gas, and early entry to particular affords.
Fable #12: Self-Checkout at Walmart is the Future
The Fable: “Walmart self-checkout is so in style that it’s going to overhaul the precise “cashier powered” checkout traces.”
The Fact: 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 come back over and repair.
As retail theft is still 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 occasions. It usually includes 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 a few of the funniest:
1. Closed Walmart Places 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 read the comments on my article detailing the entire Walmart areas which have closed in recent times. I can’t make these items up, the feedback are fairly wild.
2. The Walmart “Secret Aisle”
One delusion claims that each Walmart has a hidden aisle with excessive reductions on objects 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), normally situated close to the again of the shop, the place you will discover discounted objects.
3. Walmart “Greeters” Are Secret Safety Guards
Some folks 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 clients really feel welcome, present info, and reply questions.
4. The “Individuals of Walmart” Phenomenon
There’s no denying Walmart has a fame for attracting a colourful number of customers, typically in weird or outrageous outfits.
The People of Walmart website celebrates this phenomenon, that includes images of some actually memorable characters.
From folks wearing superhero costumes to people who clearly threw warning to the wind with their wardrobe selections, these sightings have cemented Walmart’s fame as a spot the place “something goes.”
5. The “Spaghetti Incident”
One humorous legend tells of a client who allegedly spilled an unlimited pot of spaghetti in the course of the grocery part, just for Walmart associates to make use of luggage of rice and Nice Worth tomato sauce to mop it up.
It’s an absurd story, and there’s no proof it ever occurred – nevertheless 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 research.
By Kyle James
I began Slightly-Be-Buying.com in 2000 and have turn into a client skilled and advocate writing about out-of-the-box methods to avoid wasting at shops like Amazon, Walmart, Goal and Costco to call a number of. I’ve been featured on FOX Information, Good Morning America, and the NY Occasions speaking about my financial savings ideas. (Learn more)
