Depends. The target audience is UGA, right?

/runs

It's just a simple misunderstanding. They MEANT to write "WE save even more..."

Grab yer torches and pitchforks!

Alright, so we all know that the mart has some issues, but some slack needs to be cut here, we do not know the situation or context involving this image. I know when I am changing out signs at my retail store I get customers harassing me as I am doing it, even if the price is going lower. I would not be suprised at all if two inches out of the shot there is an employee trying to change the signs while this customer is just trying to be difficult.

That is my two cents, take it or leave it

None of my friends believe me, but Wegman's has gotten to be less expensive than Wal-Mart, and the Wegman's shopping experience is 20x better than the one at WM. It's clean, the employees are helpful, and they have good produce. Of course, organic and specialty items are more expensive at Wegman's, but I have found the basics to be much cheaper. Wal-Mart is winning in this recession because everyone believes they are the cheapest, but I have found this is not always the case.

It's quite simple - they're trying to help you save more by suggesting you not buy the item at all.

@Ash78: Very good point.

@chatterboxwriting: I have had people get outright angry with me for pointing this out. Hyvee is frequently the same price or lower on certain items than Walmart. Or the Walmart item is a smaller package sold just at Walmart and Hyvee sells the regular sized version of that product. If a head of lettuce at Walmart is 3/4 the size of the one at Hyvee, that 20 cents your saving isn't really saving. But hey, some people just refuse to believe this and get mad that your questioning their decisions.

Isn't this part of the interview quiz when you apply for a job at Walmart...

Which is more?
A) 82
B) 98
C) they're equal

Anyone who answers A or C is hired on the spot while those who answer B are dismissed as overqualified.

@bohemian: Ditto, I don't shop at Walmart for food- I go to Price Chopper up here in the Northeast. Though I can't say they are always the cheapest, they will honor the advertised lowest price of a competitor, and their quality food is A++ compared to Walmart. I just watch for the good sales and stock up!

I'm still confused as to how people just assume Walmart is always the cheapest... A quick price surveillance on a few of your favorite items will prove other stores are quite competitive.

@Josh Smith: Damned fine point.

Aren't these kind of posts a bit petty? This is most likely just an error. Between these and the "small item sent in large box!!!111" posts, it would seem that consumerist is stretching it a bit for more content, IMHO.

@snclfe: Now you're giving Walmart HR too much credit. This test insinuates that the person who applies has to be able to read.

@Ash78:

Hardy har.

@giggitygoo: It may be petty but it just shows how little common sense companies and their employees exercise. Like small item in a big box is a huge waste and there should be some kind of control from top down that says if an item is this size, use this box...

The thing where there are prices that have gone up and they keep the same signs theres, that could easily be resolved by the employee who placed the sign there taking away the old price tag of "WAS". There's no reason to show that.

Or when you buy in bulk and the total price is more than the individual units, that's another crappy corporate agenda to prey on the common notion that items in bulk are cheaper than smaller packages.

What I think the sign means is: Buy this item now and save more because we're obviously increasing prices and it'll be EVEN MORE expensive next week! Whee!

@verucalise: I'm still confused as to how people just assume...

It's the same logic that people use when they assume retail dinosaur Toys R Us automatically carries the newest & latest toys, or that Walden's will have that new book you just heard about. In many cases they're the last ones to get anything new in. People know that Toys R Us is a toy store, so of course they'll have whatever they want. They hear Walmart and they automatically assume lowest price.

I've often thought about the day when Walmart runs its last competitor into the ground. When that day arrives, what incentive will they have to keep their prices low? When they're the last place there is to shop they'll be able to charge any price they want.

@verucalise:

My family caught on early not to shop at the Wal-Mart neighborhood market because the prices are almost offensively higher than the competition. I say offensively because their entire "low prices" branding is a great big lie.

I guess that's what you have to do when you've built up a clientele whose goal is to shop on a budget.

@chatterboxwriting: Walmart is NOT always the cheapest. There is never going to be a single store that is the cheapest, if you want the lowest prices, you have to shop around, period. As others have said, Walmart is winning because everyone perceives them to be the cheapest, when they are not on many items.

Ironically the people that shop at Walmart seem to be in the most trouble financially. I saw a couple on TV that said, OH I SHOP AT WALMART FOR EVERYTHING, and I still can't make ends meet and am over-budget every month. Its as if they think Walmart is going to save them money. No store is out to save you money, they are all out to get you to spend as much as possible in their store.

Its like the Target commericals, lots of product, little price. I couldn't think of anything that is more false. Targets prices have been consistently going up for the past 6 months and are more expensive than many stores here.

I think things like this are done on purpose.

By using a sale banner, and the price huge, an unobservant customer will think that it is on sale.

While us, looking at a photo of the sign see that it clearly is a raised price, if a customer is in a rush, with loud kids and other errands they have to do, the combination of the "SAVE" slogan and huge price will register in their brains that it is a sale.

It's a "walks like a duck, talks like a duck" situation. This won't work on everyone, but it WILL work on enough people to see a boost in the sale of the item.

@Ash78: The savings are obviously when you buy in volume. Of course it's not going to be good for just one item. See, that's my Terry College of Business education coming in handy! Woof!

If you'll notice, the "9" and the "8" are two separate cards. Any chance this originally said "68" cents and some clever shopper flipped the "6" as a joke?

As someone who works for Wal-mart I can verify that this happens quite a bit. You honestly can't believe any of the so called 'Rollbacks' or anything like that. It has been especially bad in the produce department where I work (I've worked for Wal-mart for over 2 years and in produce for the past 9 months). In my Wal-mart we have this area called farmers market with these bins filled with produce with signs exactly like the one pictured announcing the prices. Anytime we change those out and put a different product out we change the price and then go in the backroom and pull out pretty much any 'Was' cards that have a price higher than the price on the sign. We've had slicing tomatoes that have always been priced $1.88 per pound marked as having been $2.98 per pound. On the corner bins (which require two signs) I've seen one price on one side and a completely different price on the other. It's absolute BS and it's been going on forever and it's going to continue because the logic is that the 'Was' price is how much it would cost the customer if the product wasn't on sale. The problem is that these things are NEVER on sale! The price is you is the actual price! Wal-mart disgusts me but hey, I can't really afford to go work anywhere else for now...

@snclfe: No, that's on their branded credit card application form. You also get your choice of a 20 oz. "Sam's Choice" cola-like beverage, or a box of JuJuBes for submitting the form.

@KarateMedia: Very doubtful. This is the work of an associate who wasn't paying any attention when they changed the price.

@onebadazzmofo: Okay, but wouldn't it then read "Was 98 cents"? And are you really thinking that Wal-Mart had green peppers for over a dollar before that?

@Jaime Crowe: Nothing like deceptive advertising!

Wow! That's the Wal-Mart in my hometown. Skeezy bastards.