Wal Mart Grocery Pick up

[STLDisney_Freak]

Our area recently got the Wal Mart grocery pick up in our store. It would be great to be able to not go in the store and pick up a million things I don't need with two kids. However our family tends to use coupons when possible. From what I see there isn't an option to use coupons with the Walmart Grocery pick up, Am I correct?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

-Sorry for the long post-

We've used it only 1 time so far.

I don't think it accepted manufacturer's coupons but I do know it accepted promo codes but those were related to Walmart like $10 off your first order type promo. When I go to their FAQs online it just calls out "No discounts, coupons or tax-exempt sales may be applied to alcohol." But coupon isn't mentioned anywhere else.

As far as price matching here is their official rule- "If an item’s price changes between the time you place your order and the day your order is packed, we will charge you the lower price automatically. If you have chosen to allow substitutions for your order and substitutions are made, you will also be charged for the lower priced item. Please note that due to differences in distribution, regional competition and other factors, prices may vary between stores, and so the prices you see online will not match all stores, only the store where your order is packed. Walmart Grocery does not match prices from other online or physical stores, or Walmart stores other than the one where your items are picked and packed."

You can say if you will accept substitutions if they do not have your item or brand.

My husband liked the service...I was less impressed.

They had to subsitute around 8 or 9 items (or it could have been more can't exactly remember) because their store didn't have it. That's actually my main problem with it. Their inventory online is not actually related to the inventory at the store you are picking up. So for example we ordered a certain size of shredded cheese..the store doesn't carry that size period. Now the thing is if they have to subsitute for a different size you are only charged what was on your order so in our case they gave us a shredded cheese package that had like 4 or 6 MORE cups than the size we ordered but we were only charged the amount for the original amount. They didn't have Mello Yello so they subsituted for Fresca. My husband loves Mello Yello but not Fresca but we accepted it anyways because I like Fresca.

You are only charged for items you purchase so you can choose to decline substitutions and they will deduct that from your total.

Also they do have cutoff times for placing your order. The time slots filled up quickly for us on the day we were going to do it so we actually had to select the next day.

I think it's great for the busy person but I do think the service needs to be fine tuned a bit.

~The inventory online needs to be directly related to the store location. It would reduce the number of substitutions and if you're a busy parent who is trying to avoid going into the store it doesn't help you too much if you specifically order something and they end up not having it. Yes you can choose to not accept subsitutions..which would be fine but then you are still left without the item but wouldn't know that until you go to the store and parked your car to be loaded up by the workers.

~As far as I know manufacturing coupons are not accepted (couldn't find anything about that policy online) so really they have the capabilities to scan the coupon at the store seems like they could do it when you are picking it up and since they can immediately reduce what you are charged (due to decline of an item if you want to) they should be able to take in account the manufacturing coupon.

~Because there is a cutoff time (which does make sense) and depending on your location the times can fill up fast the service means you do need to plan ahead so you can pick the time that works best for you.

~It is nice to have someone load it up for you. I do think it is best if you are getting a decent amount to maybe have trunk storage so the bags don't roll around since you're not the one loading it up and picking where to put it.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I've used it a bunch of times, and I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Although I can't specifically address the coupon question, I suggest you try it once (get the $10 off!). When you call the number, you'll talk to a real, live person--you can ask them about the coupons. That person works only in the pick-up department.

We haven't had many issues with substitutions, except right after the hurricane a few weeks ago. It may vary by location. The few substitutions we've had were in our favor--I buy a lot of Great Value products, so they substituted brand-name. If you don't want substitutions, you can check a box when you're checking out.

Although they emphasize groceries, you can pretty much order anything Walmart sells. While I wouldn't recommend ordering tires through this service, I have ordered cleaning supplies, vitamins, shampoo, hairnets (DD does dance)--never a problem.

You do have to order in advance--this is NOT a replacement for a "milk and bread run". What I do is, I set up an order for a certain day/time that works for me. Then, you can go in and edit the order, up until 1am on pick-up day. So, if you want to stop every Tuesday after work, set it up, then type in your grocery list. Add to it, up until Monday night, and you're set.

There are definitely bugs to be worked out. They had some issues with the hurricane--for example, they closed down the service for a week--understandable, since NC was having serious distribution issues due to flooding. But, you didn't see this on the website until you went to choose your pick-up day/time. They've since changed this--you now see it on the home page--after I complained (yeah, it was totally me!). You're supposed to call 10-15 minutes before arrival--I had an issue where it sent me straight to voicemail, and when they checked their phone, there was no record of my calls. Twice, I got someone else's bag of food (in addition to my own).

All that said, I still love the service. You get Walmart prices without having to actually set foot in Walmart. You don't even have to get out of your car! The employees are helpful and friendly. I don't order much meat from there, but the produce has been fresh, milk has been fine, they even check the eggs before they hand them to you (they give you the choice of having the eggs packed in back or handed to you). This doesn't replace 100% of my grocery shopping, but it cuts down on my time spent schlepping through stores. And if you were a better planner than I am, you could get a lot closer to 100% than I do.

 

[MSLRAC]

In regards to coupons, they do not accept them. And I will also caution you to watch the prices. I was using it a few times a week until I realized they were charging $1-3 more for many items that I purchased through pickup than in the store. It's not worth it to me to pay $5-15 more for my weekly groceries just to have them picked and brought to my car.

 

[QueenIsabella]

In regards to coupons, they do not accept them. And I will also caution you to watch the prices. I was using it a few times a week until I realized they were charging $1-3 more for many items that I purchased through pickup than in the store. It's not worth it to me to pay $5-15 more for my weekly groceries just to have them picked and brought to my car.

Interesting. I noticed no cost difference at all. Do you remember what items were more? I'm curious.

 

[MSLRAC]

Interesting. I noticed no cost difference at all. Do you remember what items were more? I'm curious.

When it first started here, the prices were the same because I checked when I did my first half dozen or so orders. I saw on their FB that a few people were complaining about them raising prices after a few weeks or prices being higher from the start. I started noticing a few things here and there but nothing too crazy. But this past weekend, I forgot to submit my weekly lunch box order and had to run in the store.

The first price difference that I noticed and made me question things and start looking was Goldfish.


I then noticed a $1-2 price difference on Oscar Meyers products, $1.48 on a gallon of milk, .50 on apple slices, .50-$1 on cookies and crackers, $1 on chips. I didn't have time to check other things but pretty much every item I bought on Sunday was cheaper in the store than through the pickup service. I contacted them through the feedback links on the order recipes but I've yet to hear anything back.

I had been using the service for all of our groceries because I despise grocery shopping and I had been very pleased. Whether it was 5 items or 50, it was always perfect. They picked great produce and meats and we rarely had substitution issues. But I won't use it anymore. I wouldn't mind a small fee to cover the cost of the service but to jack up prices like that is just deceitful and adds up to more than a small fee.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Wow--that IS a big difference! And it would really add up over an order. Like you, I wouldn't mind paying a nominal service charge--they're doing me a huge favor by collecting, bagging, and loading my items. I will have to carefully check my receipt next time--I've been mostly going on memory. We eat a lot of pasta, for example--I know how much I pay for a pound of ziti when I go into Walmart, it's the same as when I order it through the pick-up service. Ditto for Dr. Pepper, cereal, milk, eggs, and cans of soup. I can't say I have every price memorized, though.

One thing that may make a difference is, I don't get the feeling the website is regional. Some prices would naturally vary from place to place. When we moved to NC from NH, I had to get used to peaches being cheaper than apples, for example.

 

[hoffman1]

It recently started in our area. I have used it 6-7 times. I love the convenience but there are draw backs too. I usually don't like the substitutions they make. As others have mentioned, what is on the site is not always available at our local store. Conversely, there are items I know are in the store but are not listed on the site.
I do like that you can order items from the deli but I don't like that you can't pick how you want it sliced. I really wish they offered same day orders.
I have read that you can input a number from your receipt into the Walmart Savings Catcher but I have never tried.
I have always had a $10 code to use so I have been happy about that! I also save money because I am not picking up all the little extra things as I shop.

 

[Lunchlady]

My daughter is that department and yes it is new and they are working on getting everything perfect.She also said they are working on being able to use coupons and ebt. I have used it and am very happy with them. It is a great idea for people that have a hard time walking the entire store. You can get almost anything that the store sells. Have patience while they are perfecting the system. They are trying very hard to get there!

 

[QueenIsabella]

My daughter is that department and yes it is new and they are working on getting everything perfect.She also said they are working on being able to use coupons and ebt. I have used it and am very happy with them. It is a great idea for people that have a hard time walking the entire store. You can get almost anything that the store sells. Have patience while they are perfecting the system. They are trying very hard to get there!

I will say, the workers have been very pleasant and helpful, and really seem to want the program to work. I think they'll have to make the website store-specific at some point, and that's probably a huge task, given how many Walmarts there are. I wonder if the website currently defaults to the highest priced location. I know milk, specifically, has a weird pricing structure (based on how many miles the store is from the farm). Other products might be cheaper based on location--pumpkins are much cheaper in the northeast than they are down south.

 

[Denise W]

Haven't been in Walmart in month. I'm trying to find a coupon online

Do you realize this is a post from 2016??

 

[tvguy]

Do you realize this is a post from 2016??

The pandemic sure changed things. Now there are personal shoppers in almost every row pulling items for 6 orders at a time. And they built a special area in the corner of our Walmart with it's own door to the outside for pickup customers.

 

[Denise W]

The pandemic sure changed things. Now there are personal shoppers in almost every row pulling items for 6 orders at a time. And they built a special area in the corner of our Walmart with it's own door to the outside for pickup customers.

What does that have to do with this thread or what I said? Why did you quote me?

 

[tvguy]

What does that have to do with this thread or what I said? Why did you quote me?

Because you brought up a great point. Look at how much Walmart pickup has changed. THAT is why I quoted you. And that IS what the thread is about, Walmart pickup.