Business

Walmart Raising Food Prices Faster Than Competitors

Scroll down for an update to this story:

Remember when Walmart used to market itself with the catchphrase “Always Low Prices”?

Well, the retailer didn’t just drop the phrase back in 2007. They have actually gone in the opposite direction and have been consistently raising their prices faster than all of their competitors, reports Business Insider.

Click here to see the JPMorgan chart that illustrates the various increases.

However, despite these steady increase in prices, the mega-retailer still expects to draw huge profits from Black Friday. Whether it is its early opening times (opening at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving Day) or its much-touted layaway program, some analysts are confident that Walmart will make good on the biggest shopping day of the year.

“Momentum begets momentum,” said Christopher Horvers, another analyst at JP Morgan, in a recent CNBC report. He expects Walmart can “recapture some of the market share it lost when it strayed from its core brand message of price and assortment leadership.”

Update: Information that originally appeared in this article has been pulled at the request of the Nielsen company.

Comments (117)

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  • BornandBredintheUSA
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:15am

    Last weekend we shopped at our local Walmart for groceries, then went to one of the local grocery stores to check their sale items and compare prices. The costs at our lower priced grocery store was, in some cases, double the cost of the same items we had just purchased at Walmart. It is like this all of the time here. Item for item, unless it’s on sale, the grocery store prices are a lot more than the Walmart prices. Maybe that’s just how it is in our area, I don’t know, but it certainly pays to shop at Walmart here. Here = Northwest Indiana.

    Report Post »  
    • TheWholeTruth
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:25am

      Check your cans though and see if “Product of China” is on them. If it is.. go to something else! A lot of Wal-Mart product is from China. I would rather pay a little more and keep the money here than buy questionable products from China.

      Report Post »  
    • c0mm0nsense
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:50am

      I dont have my glasses on but it looks like all of these increases look like the interest rates on my checking and CD accounts. 0.1%

      Report Post » c0mm0nsense  
    • AmericanStrega
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:52am

      Same here in NE Kansas. Wal-mart is usually cheaper than the local grocery. Even the stuff not made in China!

      HAPPY THANKSGIVING ALL!

      Report Post »  
    • followthefounders
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:32am

      Get some peace of mind and secure your food future for 15 years ! The people at http://www.StoreNSurvive.com show you how.

      Report Post »  
    • suffolkva
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 12:14pm

      A bag of Dominos sugar or a can of DelMonte string beans are the same anywhere. This article is about FOOD prices and Walmart‘s food no more comes from China than any other store’s food.

      Report Post »  
    • last frontier
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 12:24pm

      Walmart is trying to be Target but they are stuck with a Jerry Springer customer base and they don’t know what to do.

      Report Post » last frontier  
    • TheWholeTruth
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 12:43pm

      Germany/Hilter reacts to losing his gold…
      Uploaded by JGANDY12 on Nov 8, 2011
      htt*://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zhv4cIz4EA

      Just HAD to share this.. it’s hilarious…okay, you may have seen the actual video, but the sub-titles are different.. VERY FUNNY.. Isn’t something like this what brought on WWII? WWIII anyone?

      Report Post »  
    • oldoldtimer
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:03pm

      ALDI’s and Save-A-Lot are cheaper on canned goods and they are as good as Wal Mart. Wal Mart you must check the label lots comes from China and China does not have the safety standards we do. Especially watch applejuice. It is not tested for pesticides.

      Report Post »  
    • ICanComment
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:12pm

      @THEWHOLETRUTH

      That’s utter bologna. Most food products at Walmart are not products of China. (Unless Nabisco, Unilever, Ocean Spray, etc manufacture all of their product lines separately in China for Walmart.) I pay very close attention, and only a few of the “Great Value” branded items are Chinese. For instance, some store brand juices are made from Chinese concentrate. Also, a lot of the seafood is from North American waters, but fished by the Chinese. Sadly, this is true for a lot of seafood at a lot of groceries. Our family doesn’t buy the Chinese stuff. We buy our fish from local grocers instead.

      For us, buying 75% of our groceries at the Walmart Supercenter comes down to our family’s standard of living. I’d rather buy it from someone else, but the other grocery chains (none of which are “local” except for a couple) charge as much as twice as much. We save thousands per year. The store is immaculate most of the time, we know the staff by name, and the food is for the most part the same as anywhere else. There’s a lot to like about the shopping experience. Most people don’t look like they appeared on Jerry Springer, despite the rumors. If you shop at 11 PM or later, though, it’s a little creepy and the demographic changes substantially. I wouldn’t bring my family there at those hours.

      It is what it is. The food is 98% not Chinese, though. Where do people hear this stuff?

      Someday I hope we can buy more from local grocers.

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:31am

      I’ve noticed (because I’m a celiac and have to look) that everything that is Great Value brand, has may include wheat…..EVEN THEIR DRINK MIXES. How in the world do you get wheat in a drink mix? Even the whipped cream says may contain wheat. It‘s because everything comes from China and they can’t vouch for it, and don’t want to be responsible when a celiac gets glutened. I don‘t buy from Walmart unless Aldi’s doesn’t carry it and I absolutely need it, and then I don’t get Great Value brand anything. The chili beans said may contain wheat, for pete’s sake.

      Report Post »  
    • independentvoteril
      Posted on November 27, 2011 at 1:19am

      it pays to shop at Walmart here in the south suburbs of IL also.. their house brand is really good.. their Colombian Coffee is great and in TINS .. storing it in TINS does keep the flavor better…HOWEVER I do NOT like the meat prices.. they are stupidly high.. and their fresh produce is NOT all that fresh.. I think they failed to check out the prices at the other stores before they printed this report and see what the price is regularly at stores other than Walmart.. the ONLY time it’s a better deal at them is when they those items are on sale.. even holiday baking supplies are cheaper at Walmart..

      Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • nilo
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:11am

    Shop around bro!

    Report Post » nilo  
  • Censored_by_the_Illuminati
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:52am

    Walmart says they will match any competitors lower price, and they do. If their price is higher point it our.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:08am

      At my store .. you have to have an ad from the other store .. but I have done that.

      Report Post »  
    • ScienceIsNotEvil
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:09am

      Why is it so hard for some of the super religious on this site to tell the truth? Wal-Mart will match advertized prices not any price.

      So stop lying.

      Report Post »  
    • Infected
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:24am

      Our local Wal-Mart will match pretty much anything… Sometimes it does not even have to be the same brand.

      Report Post » Infected  
    • Censored_by_the_Illuminati
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:33am

      Science, that bitterness is going to eat you alive.

      Report Post »  
    • ScienceIsNotEvil
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:17am

      Why? Because I expect people to be honest? Look you could not even bring yourself to admit you made a mistake.

      Report Post »  
    • ICanComment
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:15pm

      Chill out. Yeah, people say a lot of things. This is the Internet. You can control exactly one person.

      Life’s too short.

      Report Post »  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:35am

      At my walmart, there are some stores that have such low prices on fresh fruit, they are “black listed” and they won’t match their prices.

      Report Post »  
  • jjohnson_n_oklahoma
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:51am

    We live in a small town, with the nearest Walmart twelve miles away. I was surprised to find the local grocery store much cheaper than Walmart. Although Walmart advertizes that it will match competitors ad’s; this Walmart will not b/c the store is our local store is so far away. I will stick to buying local, where the money will stay in town, and help the people that live here.

    Report Post » jjohnson_n_oklahoma  
    • Middleclass
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:07am

      Same thing where we live. Wal-Mart is about 12 miles away, and local owned and operated store only 5 miles. I try and keep all our money locally, even if some items are a few cents cheaper. You have to save alot of money these days to make up the difference in fuel mileage to get to somewhat lower prices.

      Report Post »  
    • Taquoshi
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:23am

      I’m glad to hear that your local stores are cheaper. The ones around where I live are not necessarily cheaper and I have two Walmarts within easy driving distance. Sometimes another grocery chain has the better deal and that’s okay with me. I don’t think it has to be an all or nothing proposition. We regularly patronize four different stores for different products.

      Report Post » Taquoshi  
  • duckwalker
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:50am

    In Washington, we shop at Winco stores. They publish Walmart and other competitors pricing on the shelves and from tyhe little I checked, they seem acurate, Selection and price are better than Walmart, Walmart is a preditor and has been for decaeds. they move into a small community, under cut the local small business until they close and then the prices start rising. Locally, Walmarts meat quality is awful compared to everyone else.

    Report Post »  
    • JellyBeans
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 2:57am

      I prefer Winco because the prices are so very low compared to Walmart or any other grocery store. Winco doesn’t accept credit cards, only cash, check or debit card. And they say it is employee owned. These two factors, plus no baggers or carry outs, help to keep the prices down.

      Report Post » JellyBeans  
  • I-HATE-THE-WORD-DISENFRANCHISE
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:43am

    If not for the competition wal-mart offers we would all be paying more now. More than likely wal-marts super computers have modeled in the actual cost faster than their competitors. Also, libs hate wal-mart so it is my favorite place to shop.

    Report Post »  
    • encinom
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:18am

      No, Walmart first destroys the competition and than as this article shows raises prices. At the same time Walmart destroys the local labot market and is able to hire workers at below average wages and with little or no benefits. Walmart is the proof of the inherit coruption and failure of Ayn Rand market nonsense.

      Report Post »  
    • ScienceIsNotEvil
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:20am

      I agree. We also need to thank walmart for their relentless push to lower prices as it has done wonders to increase employment in China. Just ask Snapper. See “The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart ” just search the Internet and you find it.

      Report Post »  
    • newmexicopatriots
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:43am

      My wife and I shop at Wal Mart every week. However, I am getting tired of the lack of food on the shelves and the rising prices. Whether local stores will charge more or less, I’m not sure. I am quickly coming to the midset that we need to buy from locally owned independent stores, and (as much as possible), buy products gron, designed, and manufactured in the U.S.A, even if it costs more. Besides, local store (as opposed to chain stores) can get to know you on a first name basis, and can actually help you when you need it. :)

      Report Post » newmexicopatriots  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:37am

      Our Walmart prices on groceries did not drop until an Aldi’s went in across the street and undercut them. Walmart isn’t the only business that keeps prices low.

      Report Post »  
  • teddrunk
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:42am

    Wal-Mart should get out of the grocery business & stick with it’s strengths. Cheap Chinese furniture & tools. Crummy cheap clothing. Shoes made out of a cardboard like material. Basically a quarter step above the bottom feeder K-Mart or a “Dollar Store”.

    Report Post »  
  • Doug Piranha
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:37am

    Misleading doesn’t begin to describe this article. SImple math will tell you since W-M’s prices were lower to begin with, raising them closer to what their competitors charge means W-M’s prices are rising at a faster RATE. So what?

    Example: October. W-M charges $2.99 for a gallon of milk. Kroger charges $3.19.
    November. W-M charges $3.09 for a gallon of milk. Kroger charges $3.29.

    Both stores raised prices by $.10. W-M’s price went up 3.34%. Kroger’s went up 3.13%.

    Business Insider’s Conclusion: W-M is a bunch of greedy, over-charging b@$t@rd$!!!!!!

    Don’t be fooled.

    Report Post » Doug Piranha  
    • Bum thrower
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:41am

      Propaganda; the government says there is no inflation; see, these ‘evil, greedy’ corporations are just trying to screw us!!

      Turst the governnemt; they will take care of you…………wonder if they sell ammo?

      Report Post »  
    • antrancher
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:48am

      In Brenham, Texas the prices are higher than Houston. I know. I live here. I think sometimes the only products we have here are rejects from other cities. I have to drive to Houston to find ANY specialty items. The bread is always stale. The milk goes bad in a few days.

      Report Post »  
    • Middleclass
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:24am

      Except for the Food and basic necessities, Wal-Mart is cheaper. On the cheaper items, you get what you pay for. We can barely afford to shop at Wal-Mart, and only go while in town and for specific items known to be cheaper. Their meats are the highest priced around, usually double price campared to local stores. Chicken W-M 2.99lb Local 1.79lb – Ribeye W-M 8.99lb Local 4.59lb Frozen shrimp W-M 8.991lb bag Local 10.99 2lb bag

      Report Post »  
    • Infected
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:27am

      Doug…. That was pretty much the same thing I was going to post…. Just because the % was more, the price is still cheaper.

      Report Post » Infected  
  • gonetotheright
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:30am

    We always look for local meat markets and farmers markets! Skip the big box markets and buy direct!

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:02am

      And for other items watch your local store ads and buy what is on sale. Stock up on good sales .. most staples I have found are on sale at least once a month .. get what you need then.

      I survived the Carter years.

      Report Post »  
    • FNTM
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:53am

      CATB gave soem good advice. Stock up on sales and use coupons wherever possible. Besides your papers and flyers check out http://www.coupons.com/ fro printable coupons. I too found that sales are run on a 9 – 12 week cycle so if you get enough in yoru pantry of sale items for 3 months you can eat quite cheaply.

      Report Post » FNTM  
  • lel2007
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:29am

    The local Walmart recently completed expansion to include food sales. I gave it a try and was somewhat surprised to find food prices significantly higher than either Cub or Rainbow Foods. It pays to shop shop shop.

    Report Post » lel2007  
  • INTHEBEGININGGOD
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:27am

    Wal-Mart is getting ready to open a super store in the new year here in Oxford, Pa. There is right across from this new store a Redners super store that is employee owned. This employee owned store is NOT competitive with other super stores, they are much higher. This area is at least 10 to 15 miles away from any busy area. If Wal-Mart is smart they could put them right out of business if they lower there prices for awhile. Which they will.

    Report Post »  
    • antrancher
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:49am

      In Brenham, Texas Walmart is putting everybody out of business. It is sickening.

      Report Post »  
    • n2sooners
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 7:45pm

      Around here Wal-Mart is like business fertilizer. They put in a super center with very few businesses around. Soon stores are popping up all over the place. Tons of fast food places, Home Depot and Lowes, Kohl’s, Gordman’s, JCP, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, Petsmart, Dollar Tree, and even a Warren Theater. And the latest store to the area is a new Super Target. And those are just some of the larger stores, there are tons more such as shoe stores, Game Stop, and other smaller stores. And it all got started around a Wal-Mart Super Center. And I have seen similar things happen in other areas.

      Report Post » n2sooners  
  • TommyGuns
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    I buy few groceries at Wal Mart anymore. I discovered more than a year ago that their grocery, fruit, meat and produce prices were just not as good as their competitors. There are a few items I can only get there, but otherwise I do my grocery shopping elsewhere. When you can go to a local butcher and get really fresh ground beef and chicken breasts for a lot less than Wal Mart sells their old frozen meat for, you know it’s time to find other places to shop and support local small businesses. It is a convenient place to get lots of other things, if you don’t mind sending your hard earned dollars off to China!

    Report Post » TommyGuns  
  • kevindean3
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    What the study doesn’t say is that Wal-Mart raises its prices higher than the other stores. If you have a 30% markup, you don’t have to change the price on a 5% increase. Numbers are funny things. Always thought it was funny how some stores could get a way with taking 50% off. They are still making money, just not as much.

    Report Post » kevindean3  
  • chopey1911
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    Its probably just a loss of purchasing power from the Dollar (inflation) ontop of a crappy economy that’s being OVERregulated that is causing prices to go up.

    Report Post » chopey1911  
  • jcldwl
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:24am

    Hey folks it‘s the economy’s fault not Wal-Mart. It is just finally catching up with them. Instead of trashing them you should consider how over priced the others have been for so long, most likely to support the payrolls of their union employees. You better get stocked up and soon. It is moving a a break neck pace now.

    Report Post » jcldwl  
  • arfarb55
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:23am

    Soon my food storage will be more valuable than my bullion; but I have enough lead to protect both! OMG=obama must go…

    Report Post » arfarb55  
  • JLGunner
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:20am

    In Florida, we have a chain called Publix. The store brand products are as eaqual in quality as the name brands. They also have great sales every week. Sure they are not the cheapest but what I pay there for food i wont pay in gas driving to wal mart. The service is top notch as well.

    Report Post » JLGunner  
    • streetrodder
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:27am

      I agree. We shop Publix all the time.

      Report Post »  
    • sunnydecoy
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:32am

      Pulblix also pays its employees pretty well. I dont think half of them are on food stamps like walmart where low prices adds to national deficit(think about it there employees are on so much public aid i dont shop there but still contribute to there bottom line). Publix is not public either so shareholders are not sucking every nickel they can out of the employees.

      Report Post »  
  • endgamer
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:20am

    Inflation is part of the Federal Reserve fiat money game. They are desperately trying to inflate the bubble again. They infused the economy with trillions in debt, prices are as a result are rising BUT salaries are discretionary. Who loses. We do! I haven’t had a raise in over 10 years. Still making what I did in 1998.

    Report Post » endgamer  
    • chips1
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:38am

      If you work in the same place since 1998 and make the same money, your goals are too low. You are where you want to be. You’ve peaked in this life.

      Report Post »  
    • John_The_Beloved
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:56am

      Consider social security and those who are getting benefits haven’t had a cost of living raise in 3yrs! People who are disable are trying to get by.

      Report Post » John_The_Beloved  
  • Jomil48
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:16am

    If a person don’t like prices at one store, they are free to go to another store to shop. It’s called free enterprise, thats what makes capitalism work.

    Report Post »  
    • antrancher
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:53am

      Not much to choose from in Small Town USA. Especially after Walmart runs everybody else out of business. I shopped for a pair of gloves last Christmas and was told Walmart was the only store in Brenham, Texas that carries gloves. There is a small HEB here. They both suck.

      Report Post »  
    • jdadad23
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 5:44pm

      @Antrancher: Does FedEx deliver to your town? If so, you should check out this link. http://www.amazon.com. You can get more than just gloves there too. If you don’t like the price, you can go to http://www.google.com and find what you are looking for under the shopping link. It’s like having thousands of stores right at your fingertips. Stop blaming Walmart, you have a choice.

      Report Post »  
  • ares338
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:13am

    Wal marts meat is terrible.

    Report Post » ares338  
    • JLGunner
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:14am

      Is got a rubber/ plastic texture to it. its beyond nasy.

      Report Post » JLGunner  
  • ares338
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:11am

    My wife and I are moving onto a 25 acre farm and we are going to be self sustaining soon I hope. Things are going to be tight and I don’t want to depend on anyone. I have already watched food rise dramatically over the last 2 years. Coffee that was $7.00 per can is now $11.48 per can.

    Report Post » ares338  
    • teddrunk
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:14am

      You’re starting a coffee plantation on part of your 25 acres? Good luck.

      Report Post »  
    • kcares
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:22am

      Good luck, one of Glenn’s first “things to do”. I sure wish I could.

      Report Post » kcares  
  • Dinkiecb
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:11am

    Get ya hooked shopping at walmart then go and get greedy on ya… there’s that corporate greed thing again..

    Report Post »  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:21am

      Oh, but Obama says theres no inflation, is that because inflation index does not include food and energy….. Pretty much the only two things you need to survive……..

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:08am

    I shop mostly at Wal Mart as it is the closest store for me, in walking distance, and the prices on their groceries and such do go up on a consistent schedule.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • garyM
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:08am

    Walmart has always done that since they opened their first SUPER STORE especially in meat dept.
    I’m not that crazy about the taste of their meat either!

    Report Post »  
  • Hickory
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 9:04am

    Looks like these guys are eager to go out of business.

    Report Post » Hickory  
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