While record-high inflation brought costs way up for just about everything, we're starting to see some relief with many prices finally falling. But that doesn't mean trips to the big-box retailer or grocery store can't still put a serious dent in your wallet. And it certainly doesn't help when generally affordable chains like Walmart claim lower prices while allegedly raising them instead.
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Walmart's "every day low prices" motto has long been emphasized by the company. But that's not why shoppers are up in arms. Their specific complaint surrounds a recently released commercial, promising lower prices to consumers. The "side dish shuffle" short advertises that Walmart will be offering many holiday dinner essentials "for even less than last year."
At the end of the commercial, the retailer highlights its price difference for several grocery favorites. For example, it shows that the cost of a 14.5-ounce Del Monte can of cut green beans has been lowered from $2.82 to $2.00, and the price of Marie Callender's Frozen Pecan Pie has fallen down to $5.63 from $5.98.
But a viral TikTok is calling Walmart's ad into question. On Dec. 14, user @timjr444 uploaded a video of the retailer's commercial playing on his TV.
"OK, Walmart, explain to me where your deals are," he says at the start of his TikTok.
@timjr444 Walmart commercial talking about saving money ? 🤣 room for all your favorites... For even less than last year? I had to pause this to see if I'm seeing things
Pausing at the end of the video, the user notes something peculiar: Several of the items Walmart showcases in the commercial have actually increased in price or stayed the same—despite the fact that the company is advertising lower costs compared to last year.
For instance, a Honeysuckle White Young Frozen Turkey was listed at $15.68 for both 2022 and 2023. And the retailer's whole fresh sweet potatoes have gone up in price this year at $2.16 each, when they were previously $1.95.
"That's a red flag," user @timjr444 says in regards to several of the items that have higher or equal prices. "That is not saving since last year. Where's your savings?"
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The TikTok has garnered over 253,200 views so far, and many shoppers are sharing the same frustrations as @timjr444 in the comment section. "The way they just fully told on themselves," one person responded.
Another asked, "Are the savings in the room with us?"
One noted, "Some prices actually went up? Why include that??"
But a few people pointed out that the fine print for the commercial actually reveals that if you bought all the items listed together, the full amount would be less than last year—though not be much. In the commercial, Walmart states that the total for these holiday food essentials would be $70.18 this year, compared to last year's $72.
"They literally say a savings of $2 dollars ... I didn't know big savings is two bucks," one shopper wrote in the comment section.
Another person added, "Pretty sure the total 'savings,' if you could call it that, don't even cover inflation increase from last year to this year."
Best Life reached out to Walmart about the customer complaints, and we will update this story with their response.
