Tried Out Walmarts New Coupon Policy

[coupon_crazy2011]

I get your point and believe me I don't want to start an arguement, by all means that is not why I was expressing my concerns. It is simply my opinion. I think the difference is that the companies in the end still want to make some money on it.. For the most part I still pay a small portion on the product and therefore I am not getting money back that I am applying to other products. I have bought products that were on clearance that where less than the coupon though. With people buying these trial sizes I think the restrictions on the coupons will get tighter and tighter eventually since the companies still want to continue making money obviously.
This is only MY opinion and I am sure there are many out there so please don't get offended by this.

I don't want to start an argument, but I have to ask...whats the difference between getting a trial size free, or a full size free by stacking? In the end it all works out the same and the company has reimbursed the stores the same amount anyway. They wouldn't give them out if they didnt expect people to use them...if they couldn't afford the loss I am sure they wouldn't offer coupons to begin with...thats just my opinion.

[biglifesmallbudget]

It's a win/win/win for everyone. We get free products even if it's small, WM gets you in their doors to buy your "free" shaving cream & now milk that you might have bought somewhere else & the company gets their product in your hot little hands. I am not seeing a problem here.

[lorien1981]

Sorry I'm new to couponing. What's the new policy?

[Jader]

wow wow woow

[[email protected]]

But really it is not Walmart that is paying for your groceries, it is the manufacturer that put out the coupon. Do you think Olay/Gillette/Pampers wants to pay for your milk? When they do an annual audit of their coupon/sales and things don't match up, they are just going to change and tighten their restrictions. (Not for the better)

I have been buying the trial sizes too, but 3 or 4 to equal close to the coupon value. It's still free!

Don't get me wrong, I sure don't think Walmart should be pocketing ours or the manufacturers money either.

[mvandekuyt]

Think about it...manufacturers COULD put limitations on their coupons to exclude trial sizes (some have it) in the fine print, but why wouldn't they want consumers to buy a trial size and use a coupon???

Back in university i took a marketing class & we learned about product markup, and generally speaking, the smaller the item, the larger the markup (due to smaller manufacturing costs, less product, smaller packaging etc. etc.). So, think about it from the manufacturers point of view--they sell a product with a larger markup AND they get their product in your house (so chances are higher that if you like it you will probably buy it again, and probably buy the full size version=brand loyalty) so the result: PROFIT for them. So, why not allow for their coupons to be used on trial sizes--isn't it comparable to a "free sample"?? If by getting you to TRY IT (thus the name, TRIAL) aren't they "intending" for you to like it and then buy it again?? That's why there are always coupons out for the latest newest products (eg: Advil nighttime is a good example--they didn't say it on the box but the tiny 10 capsules/box was probably their "trial" size, and then they put out a $4 coupon that is valid for a couple months & says specifically for ANY size, then once consumers buy it and try it then they will buy the 40 count box next time when they don't have a coupon?? Just one recent example).

So, if you think that coupons aren't meant for trial sizes, maybe you should think about it from a different point of view--in terms of their bottom line. Bottom line is what matters to companies, and if they didn't intend for their coupons to be used on trial sizes because it negatively affects their bottom line, they would have put it on the coupon "excludes trial size". They've done their math! That's what the marketing dept. does--comes up with profitable marketing strategies...and in case you haven't heard, coupons are just another marketing tool to get you to buy their products.

Well said! Great way to look at it. I used the nivea coupons and the olay coupons with no problems at WM on Stoney Plain today. The cashier said there was a mandatory cashier meeting and all of them were instructed to accept the coupons with overages Saved $20 with coupons today & got 6 free "trial" sizes. An excellent way to save on stuff there are not alot of coupons for. Will get me to shop at WM for groceries!

[coupon_crazy2011]

Agreed.

But really it is not Walmart that is paying for your groceries, it is the manufacturer that put out the coupon. Do you think Olay/Gillette/Pampers wants to pay for your milk? When they do an annual audit of their coupon/sales and things don't match up, they are just going to change and tighten their restrictions. (Not for the better)

I have been buying the trial sizes too, but 3 or 4 to equal close to the coupon value. It's still free!

Don't get me wrong, I sure don't think Walmart should be pocketing ours or the manufacturers money either.

[corbinx]

I think there are enough people out there paying full price for full size items so those using coupons for trial size items won't cause any issues. The company won't know what specific items were purchased with each coupon or by which person. Right? I'd much rather we get the extra money than Wal-Mart...we'll end up spending it there anyways, lol.

[mhk]

I used the new policy without a problem. They accepted coupons that had a higher value than the actual item. It was applied towards my overall bill. This was at Clareview.

I was scared to try it so I "cashier profiled" and everything worked out fine.

So I am not the only one who does "cashier profiling"?

Mind you sometimes, I am WRONG - very very WRONG!!! and end up with a real

[Purdee]

i was at wm this morning but was looking for the baby clearance clothings that some people were able to get for $1 each. I found nothing at the claireview location.

[Nikkie84]

I read somewhere that wal-mart actually purchases their goods straight from the manufacturer, and the manufacturer doesn't set the price wm chooses to sell their items at, so even if you are using a 2$ coupon on a 1$ item, wm is still getting their sale, the 2$ from the manufacturer for the coupon, and the manufacturer already got paid in full for their merch, and they've pre budgeted for those 2$ coupons to all be used, so they end up ahead because ~50% of the coupons are never used. so i don't think using coupons for trial sizes is ripping anyone off, IMO.

That said, im still new at this and terrified to try our my coupons at the terwillegar or SEC WM's =)

[moefox]

Well said! Great way to look at it.

I agree, the trial sizer are therr for you to try them, it's a big win for them for you just to get the product in your house. There's lots of things I've started using regular that way. A few people using coupons to get trial sizes for free isn't going to bankrupt an international multi billion dollar company.

The average mark up for most products is anywhere from 100-400%, I'm ok with getting something for "free".

[tweet03]

I'm not too worried about it, the way I see it is that really there's not too many people out there couponing anyways, I always shop at WM and I have never seen anyone else using coupons there. I figure for the small amount of us out there using coupons it's not going to matter to the manufacturer and it's beneficial because now these items are being bought rather than sitting on the shelf collecting dust.

[mhk]

Also, the trial sized items would be great to give to the Women's shelter or Men's shelter or the win house. Think of the joy it brings to people who have very little when they get their own little tube or container of a nice item.

Kind of like me when I go to a hotel and get free soaps and shampoos and stuff. Makes my little heart happy to get the "free" things - although I know I am paying for them anyway...

[nagem]

Congrats on a great deal!