From price-matching local and online competitor prices to its own “Savings Catcher” program, Walmart offers customers a variety of ways to save a few buck on their bill. But shoppers at some stores will soon have one fewer option for saving money, as the big box retailer is ditching in-store price matching at 500 locations, though the company currently refuses to say which stores are on that list.
Under the outgoing policy, Walmart allowed customers to bring in local competitors’ ads and if the prices were lower for a product, they would be able to purchase that item at the cheaper price.
Starting June 9, a rep for Walmart tells Consumerist that 500 stores will ditch that policy as a way to streamline and make saving easier for customers.
Since Walmart isn’t saying which stores — or even which regions — are affected by this policy change, the only way for customers to know if they can’t price-match is when they get to the store. The changes will be announced in-store with blue signs at registers, and managers will be on hand to assist customers.
In lieu of the Ad Match program, the 500 stores will offer new “significant, long-term” rollbacks on thousands of items that were commonly price-matched, including consumables, groceries, paper products, and other products.
Walmart says it sees the change as a way to make saving easier by getting everyday prices down.
The retailer says it will still allow customers to price-match if they see a product selling lower on Walmart.com. Additionally, they can continue using Walmart’s Savings Catcher program.
For now, Walmart doesn’t anticipate expanding the no-price-matching policy to stores outside of the undisclosed 500 locations.
[via CouponsInTheNews]
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Consumerist.