Walmart: For those who want to complete their shopping list in one go, Walmart is a common choice. You may not always get the best quality, but it’s convenient. You could buy mascara, a picture frame, a sweatshirt, a phone, and a grill in one swoop. However, there are some products you should purchase at stores that specialize in them. That’s particularly the case when it comes to groceries. Some items should be bought from a proper grocery to ensure their quality. For example, ground beef is something best not bought from Walmart.
For one, the item has a high price compared to other retailers. In fact, Kiplinger did a price check on several Walmart products and discovered that Walmart’s ground beef prices are one dollar per pound higher than at Aldi, the discount grocery chain. Additionally, The Kitchn also did a price comparison with Costco. They found that Walmart’s regular ground beef is a few cents more than Costco’s. However, Walmart organic ground beef costs over a dollar per pound more than Costco’s.
Despite the increase in price, the quality tends to be lower than other brands. All of the meat from Walmart is prepared and packaged at a meat plant as opposed to a butcher department at the store. Therefore, this meat has treatments with carbon dioxide and saline solution to improve its shelf life but may impact the taste.
Furthermore, the reviews on Walmart’s meat tend to be negative. In a 50,000 people survey. Walmart received more customer complaints than any other chain. About 74% of shoppers had at least one complaint about the chain, about the checkout speed, the store’s cleanliness, and the staff’s courtesy. The store got a good score for its pricing, but customers didn’t like the quality and lack of variety of the food and produce.
For instance, for the ground beef chuck roll on the Walmart website, reviewers complained about “a lot of gristle/rubbery pieces in the meat,” and “a huge 5-ounce chunk of fat the size of my palm.” Another commenter said, “the meat had so much gristle in it that it was hard to choke down.” Yet another complained about the meat being “too fatty and cooks down too much.” But one gave a two-star rating because “my dog likes it okay.”
Other Things You Shouldn’t Buy From Walmart
Television sets
Often a lower price means a decrease in quality and that is true for TVs. “Walmart’s HDTVs are at ‘low’ prices because they are the lower-quality versions than those sold elsewhere,” Lori McDaniel, senior content manager for Offers.com.”Get higher-quality at low prices at a warehouse store like Costco.”
Organic produce
While organic food is becoming more popular, it’s definitely something you want of good quality. Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger often have lower prices on their organic fruit and vegetables. So if you have those chains in your area, consider buying your produce from them over Walmart.
Party supplies
If you want cheap plates, decorations, balloons, and so on for a party, a dollar store may offer better prices than Walmart. “Walmart has an entire aisle dedicated to party supplies, but these items are more expensive than other discount retailers,” Valencia Higuera writes in Philly.com. “According to my research, you can stock up on party supplies at the Dollar Tree for far less. Purchase invitations, balloons, party favors, and decorations — all for just a buck each.“
Wood furniture
While buying inexpensive furniture may seem more frugal, doing so could rack up even more expenses long-term. “Their furniture may be cheap, but if it only lasts a short time, you will spend far more money in the long run,” home decorating expert Kathy Woodard. It’s better to invest in better quality that will last longer. [3]
Pre-paid phone plan
Experts at Tom’s Guide tested nine phone carrier plans in 2017. While they struggled to determine the best carrier, they immediately knew their worst: Straight Talk Wireless, the carrier plan sold by Walmart.
“Straight Talk had the slowest LTE speed of any carrier we tested, and it also came in last when we tested customer support,” they wrote. “Straight Talk’s performance in other areas—smartphone plans, phone selection, and special features—wasn’t strong enough to close the gap between it and other carriers.” [4]
Keep Reading: Woman warned her ‘trick’ at supermarket self-checkouts is breaking the law
Sources
- “Why You Should Never Buy Ground Beef At Walmart.” Mashed. Maria Scinto. September 16, 2019
- “Grocery Gripes: Supermarkets With the Most and Least Complaints.” Consumer Reports. Tobie Stanger. June 13, 2017
- “12 items you should never buy at Walmart.” Business Insider. Kate Taylor. September 14, 2016
- “27 Things You Should Never Buy at Walmart, According to Experts.” Yahoo Life. Morgan Greenwald. February 21, 2021
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