14 Red Flags To Look Out For When Grocery Shopping At Walmart

It's hard to argue with Walmart's appeal: low prices and everything from milk to microwaves under one roof. But even the best bargain hunter knows not all deals are as good as they seem. There are certain red flags to look out for when grocery shopping at Walmart. Between the occasional mislabeled price tag and a suspiciously soft avocado, a trip to this grocery giant isn't without its pitfalls.

We understand Walmart is a lifeline for millions, providing food at bargain prices. But just like you wouldn't buy a car without checking under the hood, there are a few things worth taking a closer look at before you pronounce Walmart your fave grocery store. Whether it's poor product quality, questionable pricing tactics, or availability issues, knowing the red flags can save you a lot of hassle — and maybe a few bucks as well.

Think of this as your cheat sheet to spotting the downsides to Walmart. Being aware of the potential red flags will help you notice those areas where you're not really saving money or where you're going to be disappointed with the quality of what you take home.

Walmart is usually the place you go when you want the cheapest prices in town, and it's known for being affordable across the board. But here's the reason why you shouldn't buy organic produce from Walmart: you might actually spend more there than at Whole Foods. Yup, the place once dubbed "Whole Paycheck" might just out-Walmart Walmart when it comes to organic kale.

It doesn't seem to make sense at first. Walmart should be the obvious winner when it comes to cheap groceries. But when you think more carefully, it kind of tracks. Whole Foods' whole focus is on organic products, so it allows them to price certain items, like fruits and veggies, more competitively. Meanwhile, Walmart is bigger on conventional options, leaving organic produce as more of a niche, and therefore pricier, category.

Walmart is undeniably cheap in most areas, but it's better to leave the chain's organic offerings on the shelf. You might scoff at the idea of Whole Foods being the cheaper option, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Though, hopefully not an organic cookie or you'll be paying top-dollar. So, if you buy your produce organic, Walmart isn't the best place to get a good deal.

Walmart's produce is a red flag in itself — the quality just isn't reliable. One week, you might find crisp apples and leafy greens that could rival a farmer's market. But the next, it's all wilted lettuce and bananas so brown they're ready to turn into banana bread. That's why one-in-three people agree that Walmart has the worst produce.

Even though Walmart made improvements to its produce departments in 2020, making them less cramped and hectic, it's still not enough. You might think this would improve product turnover so that fruit and veggies don't end up languishing on the shelves but if the fuzzy strawberries and slimy mushrooms are anything to go by, that isn't the case.

The supermarket's produce supply chain is another issue. While Walmart is great at stocking affordable pantry staples, it doesn't seem like fresh fruits and vegetables are its forte. Produce often travels long distances to reach those shelves, which means it's already on borrowed time by the time it lands in your cart.

Walmart is one of the worst grocery stores to buy produce at, but if you find yourself there, you can do your best to pick the best of a bad bunch. Inspect everything before you put it in your cart. Check for firm textures, vibrant colors, and look out for mold or bruising. It might just save your supper.

Walmart's frozen food section is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you're gonna get. Some frozen products are real winners, delivering great quality and value. But others will leave you wishing you'd picked something else. The inconsistency can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to stock your freezer with dependable go-to options.

Take its ice cream and frozen desserts. There are some that taste as good as something on a restaurant menu. But pick a dud and you'll be lamenting your subpar dessert options for weeks. Then, there are the frozen meals. Some are surprisingly delicious, while others are bland, mushy, or loaded with salt to the point of no return.

What makes this tricky is that there's no clear pattern. A brand that nails one product might completely miss the mark on another. It's not about price, either. Sometimes the budget-friendly frozen pizza is a win, and sometimes it's better left in the freezer aisle. We've put together a list of 14 frozen products you should never buy at Walmart but beyond that, you're on your own. Does this make it a big enough red flag to avoid the supermarket chain altogether? Only you can decide.

Price discrepancies at the checkout are a major red flag at Walmart. You might think it's safe to assume that the amount you see on the shelves is what you'll pay but this doesn't always ring true. Some Walmart shoppers have reported pricing issues. When they've reached the register, they've noticed items costing more than they were priced at.

These mismatches don't happen all the time, but when they do, they can add up quickly, especially if you're stocking up on a lot of items. The issue often comes down to outdated shelf tags, so items aren't properly synced with Walmart's system. Or, the other way around; the price and the labeling has changed but the system hasn't caught up. This doesn't make it any less frustrating, though. You expect to pay the listed price after all.

But what can you do? The best thing is to keep a close eye on the prices as you shop. If something is off at the checkout, speak up right away. Staff at Walmart are generally willing to adjust prices when you point out an error, but that only works if you catch it. You could go back at a later point if you notice the difference on your receipt but if the prices on the shelves have since been changed, it might be hard to prove Walmart's error.

Customer service at Walmart can be hit or miss. In fact, when surveyed by Mashed, 50% of readers said that Walmart was the worst grocery store for customer service. But when you look into this corporation's practices, it's not hard to see why.

Walmart has long faced criticism for its treatment of workers, providing low wages, minimal benefits, and limited opportunities for advancement, as well as violating workers' privacy, having unreasonable quotas, and a litany of other horrors. Naturally, that frustration trickles down to the shopping experience. When employees aren't treated well, we don't blame them for not wanting to go the extra mile for customers.

It's not the fault of the employees themselves. Imagine trying to stay chipper and helpful during a long shift with little incentive to care beyond just getting through the day. You might understand why an overworked cashier is being less than enthusiastic when ringing up yet another towering cartload of groceries. But as a shopper, it's still frustrating when service feels rushed or dismissive.

For some, this is enough to reconsider where they shop, not just because of lackluster customer service but out of principle. Supporting a company that skimps on worker rights doesn't sit well with everyone. Looking for alternatives might feel like a more ethical choice.

Sometimes you need something quick and tasty to eat, like deli foods, pre-made dinners, or grab-and-go lunches. But with Walmart's pre-made foods, the quality often leaves much to be desired. Sure, the convenience is tempting, especially when you're juggling a packed schedule, but you might find yourself regretting that tub of potato salad or ready-to-eat mac and cheese after the first bite.

We looked at the best and worst grocery stores to buy pre-made meals and Walmart was among the worst. One common complaint is the taste, or lack thereof. The flavors just fall flat. Whether you're grabbing lunch to eat at your desk or a dinner to wolf down after a busy evening, you're probably going to wind up disappointed.

That's not to say everything is a total flop. Occasionally, you'll stumble across a decent item but they're few and far between. Premade foods from Walmart might be an alright option if they're literally your only one. But if you have another choice for dinner, we implore you to take it.

Here's where Walmart's practices start to get genuinely shady: the grocery chain makes it intentionally difficult to compare prices. We're not talking about accidental problems like making a subpar pizza or falling behind on updating price labels, but actually trying to confuse and mislead shoppers. It ranks among the worst secrets of Walmart and it's not exactly a corporation known for its good karma.

The way it does this is by using inconsistent units on its price labels. Say you're trying to compare the price of two packs of flour. The price label will list the total cost and the "price per x". This latter price is what you need to understand the difference in cost. But Walmart might list the price per ounce of one brand of flour and the price per pound of the other. This makes it less straightforward to compare the prices so you might not be able to easily work out which is cheaper.

And this isn't just a flight of fancy, Walmart has actually faced class-action lawsuits for this practice. It's a sneaky way of trying to get customers to opt for the pricier brands without realizing.

As the name suggests, Walmart's Great Value range offers low prices. There are all kinds of snacks in the range that give you an affordable alternative to the big name brands but they aren't always worth it. They might be cheap, but are they great value? We're not so sure.

Some of it is down to nutrition. The brand's fudge marshmallow cookies and frosted strawberry toaster pastries are among the unhealthiest Great Value foods at Walmart. They may have more additives or an excess amount of sugar to cover up subpar ingredients.

This isn't the only issue, though. We'd be willing to put up with some dodgy ingredients if they tasted amazing but a lot of Great Value products just don't taste that good. It's the worst grocery store private label according to 25% of the people we surveyed, so it's certainly not one of the reasons to head to Walmart.

Shopping for fresh meat at Walmart doesn't always end in success. The inconsistent quality is one of the red flags that suggest the store might not be the perfect place to do your groceries. These kinds of things add up and leave you wondering if you should sack it in and shop at Costco or Aldi instead.

The inconsistency in Walmart's meat department stems from its massive scale and complex supply chain. While the retailer attempts to provide affordable options, this approach sometimes means compromising on meat quality. On some visits, you'll discover perfect restaurant-worthy options, but on others, the products will make you want to give the whole department a wide berth. Quality varies between lines, too. For instance, we looked at the best and worst beef products at Walmart and the difference in quality between them is big.

Ultimately, smart shoppers know when to walk away. A few extra dollars spent at a specialized butcher or local grocery store could save you from a potential dinner disaster. While its low prices might be tempting, the options available might make you want to reach for a pack of veggie burgers instead.

Walmart seems to have an issue with product availability. Products are often listed as in-stock online only for you to discover they're sold out when you head to the store. While this can be an issue at any supermarket, it seems to be a particular problem at Walmart that will leave you wondering if it's more than a simple mistake.

It's natural that stock fluctuates and what might be available one minute is sold out the next. But there's a difference between someone nabbing the last box of Frosties and showing up to a store that has no obvious gap on the shelf where that product would have gone. This seems like less of an issue with products selling out and more of an issue with Walmart drawing people into its stores on false pretenses.

This might sound a bit like a conspiracy theory, but we're not suggesting Avril Lavigne was replaced with an imposter. Rather, we're wondering if this is a ruse from a corporation that's already known for its shady practices. Nothing is certain, but Walmart hasn't exactly shown itself to be trustworthy in the past.

Navigating Walmart's canned food aisle might leave you disappointed. It's another red flag that doesn't say good things about the quality of the chain in general. If it can't even get some basic canned goods right, there's an issue here.

Some canned items stand out as particularly bad choices. In fact, there are some canned foods you should never buy from Walmart. The clam chowder is basically more water than chowder and not a good example of the dish, even for a canned version. Its Great Value chili is another miss. It's incredibly bland, which is hard for a dish full of spices. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Walmart's private label green beans aren't up to much, either. Pale, soggy, and flavorless, they're not going to stand up on their own or in a casserole.

While it wouldn't be fair to write off every canned food from Walmart, it doesn't leave you hopeful about its offerings. If you choose to shop from the canned goods aisle, you might very well end up with something inedible.

Self-checkout at Walmart used to be a huge time-saver for anyone with just a few items and zero patience for long lines. Or a relief on those days you just don't feel like making small talk with anyone. But lately, some stores have been shutting down their self-scan areas, leaving shoppers at the mercy of traditional checkout lines.

The decision seems to be left up to individual store managers, so it's anyone's guess whether self-checkout will be an option on your next trip. This inconsistency can be a real headache. You might just pop in for milk and bread, but end up finding the self-checkout stations roped off and a line stretching down the aisle.

This is especially frustrating because self-checkouts were designed to make quick trips easier. Closing them down removes that convenience and adds unpredictability to the mix. While some stores claim it's to reduce theft or improve customer service, it often feels like a step backward. If you're trying to avoid the hassle, it might be worth timing your trips during slower hours or heading to a Walmart location where self-checkout is still running. But it's the sort of thing that might have you heading to another chain altogether.

If you've ever been tempted by the cookies, cakes, and pastries in Walmart's bakery section, you might not be entirely happy with what you get. It turns out, they aren't as fresh as they might seem. While the displays might look like they've just been whipped up in-store, most of Walmart's baked goods actually arrive frozen and pre-decorated.

This doesn't necessarily mean everything tastes bad, but it can be a bit of a letdown if you were hoping for that just-out-of-the-oven freshness. And, ultimately, nobody was surprised to learn Walmart's little secret. After tasting them, you can absolutely believe that it's supposedly fresh baked goods actually came out of the freezer.

But, like most things at Walmart, these sweet treats are cheap. You might find this trade-off is worth it for the low prices and convenience, especially if you need to grab a quick birthday cake or dessert for a potluck. But if you're after a truly fresh, homemade vibe, Walmart's bakery is bound to disappoint.

Understaffing is a big issue at Walmart. According to some workers, Walmart often expects them to do the work of two people, sometimes even more. This kind of pressure inevitably leads to things slipping through the cracks, which shows up in ways that can make your shopping trip feel like a hassle. It's easy to focus on how this affects you as a shopper, but it's important not to forget it affects Walmart workers more seriously.

If you pick up something that's moldy or close to expiring, that's likely because stock rotation gets rushed or skipped when employees are stretched thin. Shelves can end up looking half-empty or downright messy, and checkout lines can be frustratingly long, all due to a lack of staff.

It's easy to get annoyed at the chaos, but it's worth remembering the root cause. Walmart's staffing practices prioritize efficiency over all else. This might save it money but creates stress for workers and, in turn, frustration for shoppers. If these issues really grind your gears, it might be a good idea to consider supporting stores that prioritize employee wellbeing.