7 Walmart Brand Items That Aren’t Worth the Money
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Katie Wudel
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Walmart is a super store that’s known to have it all — and for a low price. While the most savvy of shoppers will go hunting for the best deals on items sold at Walmart, not all of them are created equal, especially when it comes to the mega-retailer’s very own brand items.
Like all stores, Walmart has things you definitely should buy and shouldn’t buy on its shelves. However, if you put the retailer’s in-store merchandise under the microscope and examine everything from quality to price, this is what you should definitely not spend your money on at Walmart.
1. Nut Butters
When it comes to spreads you should always have in your pantry, Nutella, peanut and almond butters are the ones that must be in stock. But Walmart’s nut butters aren’t really hitting their mark when it comes to price.
A 16-ounce Walmart Great Value Organic Creamy Stir Peanut Butter is typically $4.47 and a 12-ounce Sam’s Choice Honey Almond Butter goes for $5.22, while The Krazy Coupon Lady found similar bulk items for less at Costco. Pennies may not make a difference on one grocery bill, but if it’s a staple it’ll add up over time.
2. Rotisserie Chickens
Okay, so the price point between a Costco rotisserie chicken and a Walmart one isn’t too far off, with both warehouse brands listing their birds for around $5 each. However, Costco has more poultry per pound, weighing in on an average of about 4 to 5 pounds, compared to Walmart’s nugget of 3 pounds.
Besides, everyone always raves about how good Costco’s rotisserie chickens are and when “Eat This, Not That!” put several of these flavorful fouls up against each other, Walmart’s chicken came in at the bottom of the list.
3. Sweeteners
Honey? Syrup? Can there really be that big of a difference on these items or where you get them? If you are shopping at Walmart, you might not like the answer, particularly if you are trying to buy them in bulk.
Costco sells their wildflower honey for on average at about 26 cents per ounce, meaning you can buy their 5-pound option for just under $22. Compare that with Walmart’s Great Value honey that costs about 33 cents per ounce, with a 12-ounce bottle for around $3.94. You just get more bang for your buck at Costco — especially since honey lasts a long time.
If you think that’s a sticky situation, Walmart is known for having non-organic maple syrup cost almost 56 cents per ounce in some locations. Consumer Reports found that Costco’s Kirkland Signature USDA Organic Grade-A brand “is 25% less than the name brand,” and was the best deal of all the generic syrups they tested.
4. Toilet Paper
The price of Walmart’s Great Value toilet paper is not bad, but this is an item you may not want to opt for the cheap version of. According to Consumer Reports, “It costs a lot less — 6 cents per 100 sheets compared to 25 cents — but in this case, you get what you pay for.”
During a product test, Consumer Reports noted that: “Walmart’s dubiously named Great Value Bathroom Tissue was neither soft nor strong, and it didn’t disintegrate well. It scored a lowly 9 out of a possible 100.”
5. Gift Cards
While not technically classified as “Walmart brand,” gift cards at Walmart are actually pricier when you buy them there. That’s because Walmart sells them at list price, otherwise known as “at face-value.” This means that if you pop into another big warehouse store like Costco, you can purchase a multi-pack with about a 15%-20% markdown.
6. Supplements
Many supplements are sold across numerous stores in the U.S. and it’s up to consumers to check if they’ve been FDA approved, as well as what’s in them. But when it comes to buying Walmart’s store-brand supplements, you might be unknowingly putting yourself at risk due to the inconsistent amounts of vitamins and minerals in the supplements.
Walmart — among a few other big retailers — was cited in a 2015 statement by the New York State Office of the Attorney General saying that the sale of their store-brand herbal supplement products “could not be verified to contain the labeled substance, or which were found to contain ingredients not listed on the labels.”
Save your health and your money by skipping out on these purchases.
7. Snacks
Walmart’s Great Value snacks seem to be the perfect accompaniment for a lazy day on your couch binging Netflix. But take a closer look and you may not be impressed.
In reading the unit size and quantity, you’ll see that the Great Value versions are priced similar to better-known name-brand items, so why not go all out and treat yourself with what you already know to be delicious?
This quality comparison extends to other fun foods like cereal, too.
“There is nothing like the taste of Lucky Charms, Trix, Coco Puffs or Apple Jacks and it is easily recognizable when you grew up eating them,” says Juliette Furla of Spoon University in her taste testing report of Walmart’s Great Value brand cereals. “Great Value just didn’t have the good ol’ taste we know and love.”
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