Has anyone noticed when price matching at Walmart!!!

[SavvyLady]

Has anyone noticed that Walmart suddenly doesn't carry some items when you go to price match!! This has happened to me a few times and after yesterday I don't think it's a coincidence!! My No Frills always have amazing deals but they are far from my house, so I usually go to Walmart with flyers in hand, I'm trying to remember all the times Walmart was sold out of things such as cheese strings were $2.00 had $2.00 coupon, none found anywhere asked had none. Ice cream, crispers etc, Well yesterday I went to get the Nestlé water 24 bottles for $1.97 at no frills, $4.97 at Walmart!! All they had were empty palettes, and had loads of 12 bottles....I saw another lady looking for them to pm..Anyways I find this old lady that works there, she says looks like we're sold out, I said "can you check in the back, please?" After awhile she comes back with 1, I said I'm price matching and I would like 8 (we drink a lot of water, and my daughter is in a soccer tournament). I said I'll come and help you she said no one is allowed back there, but when I went in, there were pallets and pallets, packed almost to the ceiling of cases of 24 water bottles . Has this happened to anyone else??

[annedougherty]

It is frustrating but in certain cases they probably are sold out. The stores with the actual sale on the product have probably ordered or received more stock for their promotion while walmart has only their regular stock. And in the case of the water all of those skids could be because it is in their flyer the following week. But yes, definitely frustrating.

[Lyssia510]

It's not just WalMart, Superstore and Freshco are bad for this too. I don't even bother to price match anymore(unless it's fruit or veggies at Superstore because those are usually in stock), because there's never any stock on the good deals. I stick with Zerhs, I may oay more for some things but they always have stock and saves me gas and dragging 2 kids around *hoping* The store has what I want to price match in stock.

[MillieH]

The stores near me seem to have them but one of my sisters is in brampton and she says they just remove the stock.

[WillieP]

It is called pull the tag and clear the shelf - and of course u can't get a raincheck when PMing - PLEASE post on their FACEBOOK!!!! At least u can let others know!!!

[wolfwoman]

Yup, they pull the stock from the shelves. I know someone who works there and she told me that they will pull the stock from the shelves when it is a good sale, especially if there are coupons out for that product.

[acosta]

Yup, they pull the stock from the shelves. I know someone who works there and she told me that they will pull the stock from the shelves when it is a good sale, especially if there are coupons out for that product.

Yikes!!

[walkonby]

savvylady it is not a coincidence, WM is very aware that customers PM at their stores, and for certain items they just do not want to be wiped out of stock, especially if it is an item that is priced so low, and our coupons would render it free! Yes, they remove the stock till the sale passes.

[Aimz]

Yup, I have had this experience. For some reason, at my local WM, they always remove the 18 pack of eggs when it's on for $2.97. And I often shop Friday morning, so for them to claim that it is sold out (which they do), when it's not even on sale at WM, is ridiculous. I mean really, do they honestly expect us to believe that an army of price-matchers descended on the store at opening with their flyers in hand, ran to the egg section, and cleared the shelf to save $2.00 at most? Yeah, sorry, not buying it.

Their loss, honestly. It's the principle of the thing - I'm sure WM knows/thinks most people will give in and just buy other things at their store if what they wanted to match isn't there, but I will take my business to Freshco or No Frills, or where the original sale is.

[AmandaPantz]

I was told point blank by a cashier that when the stores know there is a sale like that, they put all stock back into the back of the store so that people cannot price match. On one hand they say that they do not want to sell out, but if they want people in their stores, they better smarten up.

[oscarandme]

DH mentionned that a few times I hate to do this but I will have to tell him he was right. That is crazy, as Amanda mentionned while you are there you are likely to do more shopping.. Yikes alright..

[nessa23]

Yet another reason I don't shop at their stores. Every time I think I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, they go on to disappoint me again and again.

What is more frustrating about this situation is they claim to 'save you so much money' 'we will match any competitors price' 'buy anything you could possibly want or need here' and then they pull product from the shelves, lie to customers, hide the stock in the back, and (imo) scam their other customers into buying regular priced products (which by the way, from personal experience, I've been able to find almost everything I wanted cheaper somewhere else)

Good Riddance WM.... You'll never get my business this way, no matter how 'cheap' you say your prices are!

[Landior]

My dad has long believed that they were withholding stock during these big sales. After reading these posts i will have to let him know that he is correct in some cases. This has happened to me before but i just figured that lots of people price-matched there (i live in a small city).

It is frustrating but in certain cases they probably are sold out. The stores with the actual sale on the product have probably ordered or received more stock for their promotion while walmart has only their regular stock. And in the case of the water all of those skids could be because it is in their flyer the following week. But yes, definitely frustrating.

Yes, i too was wondering if they kept some because they were having a promotion on the same product the following week as the promotions on particular products seem to occur around the same time. For those unfamiliar with the process, bigger stores are given the opportunity to buy certain products at a hugely discounted price to sell at a promotional price. This is why smaller stores do not have such promotions--they are not given the opportunity to buy products at such a discounted price and in fact the cost of products for smaller stores is often higher than that for bigger stores even under normal circumstances.

I like hearing secrets from people who have worked at these stores. I appreciate all the info

[SavvyLady]

It is frustrating but in certain cases they probably are sold out. The stores with the actual sale on the product have probably ordered or received more stock for their promotion while walmart has only their regular stock. And in the case of the water all of those skids could be because it is in their flyer the following week. But yes, definitely frustrating.

I checked Walmarts newest flyer and the Nestlé water is not on sale!! I think they were holding them until the sale at no frills was over. I bet if someone checks tomorrow they'll be on the shelves!!
I never thought Walmart had great prices, I only go once in a while if they have a great sale or to price match!!

[anastasia1009]

I have worked at Walmart and a few friends work there now. One as a Customer Service Manager and one cashier and yes they do hide stock. Or they keep it in the back and they wait until sales are over or during different part of the days when either cheques are not out or when people who shop not couponing or price matching. I was told by my friend in Ottawa - when people coupon it takes them up to 3-4 months depending on certain things to get the money back. And the would rather the person pay the shelf price or even price match because they get the payment asap - depending on visa, mc etc. They can use that money to pay people an get more stock.
I work for Sobey's HQ doing the actual coupon paperwork and verifying stock and if the coupons were correctly used and then I check the receipts that they were used as the coupon stated. And it does take 3 to 4 months to get the money back and if there are problems could take longer. I know Sobey's doesn't do that and hide the product because most backrooms in Sobey's & Freshco are small so they want it out of the backroom asap.