If you’re always hunting for the lowest grocery bills, here’s something to note: Walmart has initiated a significant price offensive aimed at Aldi and other low-cost supermarket chains.
In a renewed effort to win over budget-minded shoppers, Walmart has lowered prices on a variety of packaged goods in at least 1,200 stores across 11 Midwestern and Southeastern U.S. states, according to an exclusive Reuters report.
The markdowns are rolling out in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North and South Carolina, and Virginia, Reuters says.
These price reductions are being piloted in certain markets as a reaction to mounting pressure from Aldi, the budget grocery chain that now operates about 1,500 stores in 34 states.
Aldi has been chipping away at Walmart’s share of the market. Walmart is trying to reclaim those shoppers.
Side-by-Side Price Snapshot
To measure the differences, Reuters performed “spot checks” at nearby Aldi and Walmart locations in five cities across Iowa and Illinois.
At each spot, Reuters recorded costs for a basket of 15 similarly sized items, including store-brand cartons of milk, eggs, butter and chicken breasts, alongside national brands such as Crest toothpaste and 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola.
The outcome: That grocery basket ran about 8% cheaper at Walmart than at Aldi.
That’s a notable reversal from recent findings that suggested Walmart’s groceries could be up to 20% pricier than Aldi’s, per Reuters.
It also differs from when Savinly discovered last year that Aldi came out cheaper than Walmart in similar comparisons.
“The rivalry at these stores is fierce, with both rivals selling a dozen large eggs for under a dollar,” Reuters wrote. “A gallon of milk at some locations was listed at around $1.”
Clearly, Walmart and Aldi have been locked in a heated contest to win budget-conscious grocery shoppers.
With that competition in mind, the Savinly team has been shopping both chains over the past couple of years to gather helpful tips you can use at each retailer.
There’s the always-popular 8 Ways to Save at Walmart, along with the useful 13 Secrets Every Walmart Shopper Needs to Know. We’ve also shared advice on which sites to consult before heading to Walmart.
On the Aldi side, we compiled 8 Ways to Save Money at Aldi so shoppers can make the most of that store’s bargains.
What will come of Walmart’s fresh price cuts remains to be seen. Reuters notes: “Wal-Mart’s trials are designed to identify the optimal price point across a variety of products that will draw more shoppers, and then tweak prices as necessary.”
Your Turn: Do you shop at Walmart or Aldi? Or neither?
Jordan Hale ([email protected] )is a senior writer at Savinly. He’s an unapologetic Aldi fan.
