Another Scam: Attention Wal-Mart shoppers. Lowest prices? What discount? 10/31/08

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Summary: I am a consumer advocate who looks after consumers’ personal finances. So, I MUST share this information with you. The advertising scam, does affect your wallets. I am not on anyone’s payroll and am not advertising. In fact, my website is one of the only websites out there that does not hold any affiliate links. However, you don’t have to believe a word I say about the stores below. I ask you to please check it out for yourself.
I live within walking distance of two major grocery stores (Wal-Mart and Kroger) and a third one (Publix) is only 1.2 miles away. I don’t have time for cutting coupons or organizing the special offers handed at the cash register for my “next time shopping.” I walk-in, look through the isles, check my list and pick up stuff as most of you do (as quickly as possible).

Wal-Mart is the closest to me and Kroger is just a bit further down the road.

Throughout the past few years, I have been going back and forth between the stores (not to compare prices, but to pick up items I need the quickest possible way). On 10/27/08, for the second time, I noticed something that I must share with you.

I am always short in time. I saw an expression years ago that very much suits me. It is: “God brought me to this planet to perform certain task before I die. The rate I am going, I will never die.” Therefore, most of the time, I shop late at night; because, I don’t have to stop and speak with everyone I know, stumble on other people, or wait through long lines.

Although, I believe that some of the department managers (such as Deli) in a particular Kroger are the most incompetent individuals I have ever met, the customer service between Kroger and Wal-Mart cannot be compared. However, I am not writing this article to discuss the “customer service.” I want to discuss the price difference. Kroger management problems have been going on for years and I believe its’ incompetence provides a better shopping bargain for the customers. Its’ internal affairs do not affect your bottom line other than benefiting you.

Neither am I interested to discuss the massive customer lines at the cash register. Nor do I want to talk about the lack of training of Wal-Mart cashiers which some of them can’t complete a simple transaction –without making it complicated (from time to time).

What I would like to share with you, is the discount Wal-Mart falsely advertises. I have repeatedly seen the Wal-Mart “Roll- back” commercials as all of you do.

On 10/27/08, I went to Kroger, shopped, and on my way home, I remembered that I forgot to write a couple of items on my list. Therefore, I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot, stepped inside and headed for the isles to pick up the item. As I was passing items, I noticed the items that I just picked up at Kroger. Immediately, I noticed the price of (a jar the SAME SIZE) Kraft Miracle Whip was 30 cents higher than what I just paid for in Kroger. To make certain that I was not mistaking/imagining, I pulled my Kroger receipt that was in my pocket and then looked at the pickle that I had just bought, Hunt’s Ketchup, canned vegetables, then headed to the produce department and compared bananas, strawberries, grapes, and other fresh vegetables. Other than the bananas which were the same price of $.64/lb, everything else was at minimum 10 cents higher.

Then, I moved to the meat and seafood department and noticed that I may have a hard time comparing those prices. However, I moved to the packaged sandwich meats and cheese and noticed that all of the cold-cut meats that I purchased were cheaper in Kroger than at Wal-Mart. I.e. regular price of “LandO’Frost –Premium- Turkey or Ham-16 OZ. was $3.99 regular price at Kroger while the same EXACT package was $4.38 at Wal-Mart. Let’s not forget that when I used my Kroger card before, I purchased the same item for $3.28 two weeks prior.

And finally, I went to the milk cooler and saw that the gallon of milk I purchased at Kroger was $3.59 versus $3.99 at Wal-Mart.

Then, I asked one of the Wal-Mart store managers when they have specials and when they offer the specials in different departments? I was told that Wal-Mart does not offer daily specials or discounted items, because, “We have the low price offer at all time.” REALLY. I must have walked into the store dreaming…

Now, allow me to understand the following:

1. We live in a tough economy. Every penny counts.

2. Wal-Mart advertises to have the lowest prices. But according to my long list of items I just purchased from Kroger, this proves/shows otherwise.

3. Its’ customer service leaves room to be desired (when comparing to Kroger and Publix).

4. The lines at the cash registers are longer.

Tell me again why should I be shopping at Wal-Mart?

I am not anti Wal-Mart because it contributes to job loss elsewhere or any other reason in which that list is very long. If I was anti-Wal-Mart, I would not be spending an average of nearly one hundred dollars per month in that store (my bank statements prove the fact). However, am I going to continue? I must think again!

Let’s clarify the last item.

Most of the items I purchased from Kroger were not store brand names (where they would be cheaper). They were all name brands. Kroger offers a discount card, and Wal-Mart does not. Wal-Mart claims, “We offer the lowest prices; therefore, we do not need a discount card.” I say, “REALLY??!!”

Have you looked at the Wal-Mart racks? Most of the packaged foods are just thrown on the shelves with the original boxes they were shipped in (except cutting the front of the boxes allowing access to pick up items). Of course that resembles cheapness (cost cutting technique for the stockers late at night). So, if Wal-Mart is cutting cost in stocking items, and its food costs more than Kroger, why is it advertising that is has the lowest prices?

Even if I do not consider the discount-card, the discount that I could have received buying Kroger name brand items, clipping/cutting coupons or saving the coupons given to me at Kroger cash registers, every item I purchased from Kroger was at minimum 10 cents cheaper that the same item in Wal-Mart.

So where is my saving shopping at Wal-Mart?

As I stated at the beginning of this article, “DON'T BELIEVE a WORD I SAY. CHECK IT OUT YOURSELF.”

On a different note, allow me to share a different experience from years ago. In 2002, my then wife was attending a culinary art school. As a result, she had to go shopping for items to prepare different foods in the class. One of the times, she was looking for “fresh chestnuts.” She could not find the item in the smaller Kroger store (not a superstore), Winn-Dixie nor Bi-Lo (close to her school). As a result she went to Wal-Mart. She picked up a couple of bags then, she realized- she needed to bag a couple of other produce items. As a result, she placed the two prepackaged fresh chestnuts on the scale so that they would not get lost among the items of the produce line. After packaging the other produce she needed, she looked up to pick up the chestnut bags from the scale. She though she made a mistake. The scale was showing just a little over one (1) pound for the two bags of chestnuts (each labeled one-pound). She though she was making a mistake. As a result, she looked at the bags again and noticed that each bag was indeed labeled to be one (1) pound. Meaning that the two bags should have registered two (2) pounds on the scale and not just a little over one pound. When she brought the one-pound difference to the Wal-Mart associate’s attention, the Associate apologized and marked the bags down to compensate for the weight difference. Did you just notice what happened? How many of you weight the prepackaged containers to make certain the weight stated on the package matches the actual weight of the item you picked up? I am not saying this issue happens at all time but once it happens, it is enough for me to lose my trust.

I DON’T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT I HATE Wal-Mart and am advertising for Kroger. As I stated before, although Kroger’s bad management (in some areas) can be noticed all the way into its corporate headquarters, but for you and I (the consumers) the issues are savings and customer service.

Please share your stories and experiences with me through my website which are displayed in the “about Author” or “Author’s Bio” or through email at Author@MasterCreditRepair.net. If my bio is not displayed with the article, please search me through search engines and tell me your thoughts and experiences. Go to our website and join the membership…

With best wishes, thanks and love,
Mike Samadi
Any questions? Go to Q & A of http://www.MasterCreditRepair.net, read and post. Go to the “Comment” page and post your story or comment. Your information will remain confidential. Joint my membership club (coming soon).