The new online pricing model vent

[Brian Runau]

Retailers are setting online pricing different from in store pricing, and being an old man it is confusing to me. Walmart, target, advance auto parts, etc....

You can't shop online anymore to make a buying decision about which store to go into and make a purchase. In store pricing is different from what you can see online.

I needed oil for my mower this morning to change the oil for fall. Looked at Advance and Lowes online. Same price same oil. Advance is closer, so I go into the store. Same oil was almost double the price as online. Lowes was $6 and change Advance was $11.29 per quart in the store. I bought Fram brand to save me the trip to Lowes at the bait and switch price of $6 and change. Checked when I got home, If you shop a specific store it says out of stock for the $6 version, but I could buy it online.

Walmart will let you order online at the online price and pick up at a special window in back, but if you walk in and pick it off the shelf it is much higher. I don't see the cost savings for Walmart when it comes from the same in store inventory same carrying costs.

I don't think they have thought his through much. Any time now when I have the time I just buy from Amazon or other retailers without local inventory, this is what their great new pricing models are doing, driving me to Amazon and others.

Brian

[Jim Becker]

I suspect that these big retailers are trying to come to grips with the very real difference in cost structure between the two models as there's a lot more "handling" of products that are stocked in the brick and mortar stores. Sometimes there are readily noticeable disclaimers about price differences. And sometimes it's the opposite...ordering online from Costco for some items is often more expensive than in-store because the cost of shipping is rolled into the price or because the quantity might be different than in-store, depending on the product.

That said, I've been in a habit for sometime now that when I check prices online, I also check availability in the store as that feature is often available.

[Steve Demuth]

Yes. One of the things that "coming to grips with the difference in cost structure" means is that the online operations and brick and mortar operations are operated as different profit and loss centers - businesses within businesses - that have service relationships (they share some elements of supply chain operations), but otherwise operate largely separately. Among other things, that means they are doing their own marketing and selling (pricing) analytics. The overall brand then tries to paste these different trajectories back into a uniform customer experience on the glass (the website) and in the aisle (in-store inventory and pickup), but it really is a cut and paste operation at that point, and the customer is going to see and feel the seams.

This is a fundamentally an attempt by large retailers to get a significant piece of the online pie, so Amazon doesn't eat it all.

[Ronald Blue]

Retailers are setting online pricing different from in store pricing, and being an old man it is confusing to me. Walmart, target, advance auto parts, etc....

You can't shop online anymore to make a buying decision about which store to go into and make a purchase. In store pricing is different from what you can see online.

I needed oil for my mower this morning to change the oil for fall. Looked at Advance and Lowes online. Same price same oil. Advance is closer, so I go into the store. Same oil was almost double the price as online. Lowes was $6 and change Advance was $11.29 per quart in the store. I bought Fram brand to save me the trip to Lowes at the bait and switch price of $6 and change. Checked when I got home, If you shop a specific store it says out of stock for the $6 version, but I could buy it online.

Walmart will let you order online at the online price and pick up at a special window in back, but if you walk in and pick it off the shelf it is much higher. I don't see the cost savings for Walmart when it comes from the same in store inventory same carrying costs.

I don't think they have thought his through much. Any time now when I have the time I just buy from Amazon or other retailers without local inventory, this is what their great new pricing models are doing, driving me to Amazon and others.

Brian

Can you screen shot this from Wal Mart? I look things up with the app and go to the store and purchase often. App price is ALWAYS the same as store price. It tells me aisle location to so it's easy to locate. You have to make sure you select "instore". Because otherwise there will be numerous items that will be shipped to you. If I want to buy online however and pickup they will bring it out and put it in my vehicle though. I needed some LED night light bulbs recently and after checking Amazon they were half the price at Wal Mart. I haven't noticed any prices being different but anything is possible these days.

[Brian Elfert]

I see different prices for buying online with Target or Walmart occasionally. It certainly is not a regular thing. The vast majority of the time the website price and store price are the same. A few times I have saved 20% to 30% by ordering for store pickup rather than in store. As Jim says you need to be sure you are looking at the in-store items when browsing Walmart.com.

[Brian Runau]

I suspect that these big retailers are trying to come to grips with the very real difference in cost structure between the two models as there's a lot more "handling" of products that are stocked in the brick and mortar stores. Sometimes there are readily noticeable disclaimers about price differences. And sometimes it's the opposite...ordering online from Costco for some items is often more expensive than in-store because the cost of shipping is rolled into the price or because the quantity might be different than in-store, depending on the product.

That said, I've been in a habit for sometime now that when I check prices online, I also check availability in the store as that feature is often available.

Another thing I have to retrain my old self to do. Brian

[Brian Runau]

Can you screen shot this from Wal Mart? I look things up with the app and go to the store and purchase often. App price is ALWAYS the same as store price. It tells me aisle location to so it's easy to locate. You have to make sure you select "instore". Because otherwise there will be numerous items that will be shipped to you. If I want to buy online however and pickup they will bring it out and put it in my vehicle though. I needed some LED night light bulbs recently and after checking Amazon they were half the price at Wal Mart. I haven't noticed any prices being different but anything is possible these days.

Ronald, this item says price when purchased online. This may be the same in store, no way to tell. This is not the item I ran across before. I did check pricing and then went to the store to purchase and the in store was definitely higher. I think it is as much as they no longer have their in store pricing displayed on line. Brian

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quaker-St...0&from=/search

[Ronald Blue]

Ronald, this item says price when purchased online. This may be the same in store, no way to tell. This is not the item I ran across before. I did check pricing and then went to the store to purchase and the in store was definitely higher. I think it is as much as they no longer have their in store pricing displayed on line. Brian

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Quaker-St...0&from=/search

I used the link and also did a search with the phone app. Phone app is set for "in-store". Both show a price of $4.86 per quart. I do see a "when purchased online" in the pc web page and in the app. This is the explanation when I click on the "i". That appears more like a disclaimer just stating the price may not be the same. I guess it allows them to charge more in store if they so choose.
Pricing information


Prices, terms, and availability may vary online, in stores, and in-app. Items ordered online may be available for pick up at store, shipping, or delivery. Some items may be available from Marketplace Sellers, who set their own prices, and are not eligible for price match. Items sold online by Walmart may be eligible for price match. See our Price Match Policy

[George Yetka]

In that situation I would look to see if you can purchase online and pickup in store. And just place your order from your phone. Oil is one that gets me. Im not that old but I remember it being under $30 a case for synthetic. Now its expensive and I have 5 trucks on the road that take 8.5 qts and go 4,000 miles a month.

[Rich Engelhardt]

A couple of months ago I wanted to buy some glass cleaner for my car. I looked online for "the best glass cleaner".
Meguiar's Perfect Clarity was mentioned by most so I checked out buying it.
Prices were all over the place - from around $14 a bottle to around $6 a bottle.
Shipped to home, from Walmart was the cheapest. Amazon was the most expensive.
Autozone was close to Amazon at about $13.
I called around to some of the stores and they were all a lot more expensive than Walmart shipping to my house.
I ordered it shipped to home from Walmart.


A few days later, I got a delivery from - Autozone - that contained the cleaner.


This "new sales" model really is a head scratcher.

[Brian Elfert]

A few days later, I got a delivery from - Autozone - that contained the cleaner.

I'm certain this was a third party seller on Walmart.com. There is a good chance the seller was doing something illegal/unethical when they ordered the item from Autozone and had it shipped to you. They could have used a stolen credit card to buy the item, or they work for Autozone and get an employee discount.

[Patty Hann]

I'm certain this was a third party seller on Walmart.com. There is a good chance the seller was doing something illegal/unethical when they ordered the item from Autozone and had it shipped to you. They could have used a stolen credit card to buy the item, or they work for Autozone and get an employee discount.

However there is no way of knowing that for certain. There are other possibilities... the 3rd party may have picked up a boatload of the cleaner from another (4th?) party that was unloading it for whatever reasons.
I shop the way Rich Engelhardt does.... and "When a horse comes along, you ride it."

[Dave Lehnert]

Walmart and Target around here, if you show the cashier the online price, they will match it right there at the register. I do this all the time at Target. Walmart is hit and miss depending on the cashier knowing what to do. I get Energizer batteries at Target like this, The online price is WAY cheaper/

[Rich Engelhardt]

Our Walmart stopped price matching a couple of years ago.

[Jerome Stanek]

I was looking for a Magic jack walmart said they had it for $49 with the aisle number but when i got to the store it was $59. They told me that the $49 was for online order so I went out to the parking lot and placed an order and got an email saying it was ready for pickup. went back in and picked it up