Walmart Bargains: ENOUGH ALREADY!

Wal-Mart was one of the few beneficiaries when the Great Recession began, as shoppers traded down to save money. Now it's having trouble keeping customers in a slowly recovering economy. Cash-strapped shoppers are looking elsewhere for better deals such as dollar stores and local grocery chains. And some wealthier customers, feeling more flush, are starting to head back to the mall.

After returning from a local Walmart today, I'm scratching my head wondering what's all the fuss about. Since when did reducing pricing on arguably unhealthy beverages warrant free advertising? Or maybe they are talking about the greasy potato chips that happen to be the nutritional centerpiece on every family dinner table?

Now, I don't think it's anything in the healthy vegetable and fruit section. Did anyone check the price of onions lately? Their bananas keep going up, and, no good news for the holidays.

Well I did see a few shoppers stacking up on the white bread--the hot dog and hamburger buns. But, who can afford the non-hydrogenated peanut butter to spread on them? So, I ask, whose giving Walmart free advertising?

Don't let the highly stacked tuna cans display fall on your head. At 70 cent, they call it a bargain. Hell, Save-A-Lot has them for 59 cent a can. The bananas are 3 lbs for a $1 at Save-A-Lot. You can go to the local bread manufacturer discount outlet and get healthy bread for a real competitive bargain price.

And,while the pundits are predicting price wars with Walmart's competitors, namely Target, both of them and their competitiors can probably easily afford to cut prices from their high price origin, anyway.

In a nutshell, I really don't know what Walmart is offering to get all of this free advertising. However, I can opine that they have the best prices for bottled water. Now if you really want to gage if they are serious about price cutting, let then cut prices that the consumer has already pre-determined a discount.

Meanwhile, I agree with one shrewd market analysts like this one:

Wal-Mart is all about price, and they're all about one-stop shopping.
Those are the key ingredients," said Bob Buchanan, a former retail analyst
who now teaches finance at Saint Louis University. "Now, you kind of
scratch your head and wonder if either of them are true.

But a Walmart rep hints that they have the customer welfare at heart as Walmart gives us the items that we need. Go figure.

We are working hard to bring our customers the best prices on items they need right now; and to share the news of these price cuts aggressively, Blakley said.

Thanks Walmart for the Coke, Pepsi and Ice Cream. My family really needs these items.

Links:

Wal-Mart Makes Splashy Price Cuts To Get Mojo Back (Huffington Press-5/29/10)Analysts: Wal-Mart price cuts more bark than bite (SeatlePI)Study: Walmart Price Cuts Are Actually Price Hikes - The ...(The Consumerist)Wal-Mart Cuts Prices, Polishes Discount Image (The Wall Street Journal)Wal-Mart bets on $1 ketchup, cheap soda, in campaign to re-ignite sales (Yahoo News)


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