At StyleDemocracy, we know shopping! We deliver the scoop on all things retail related including how to get the best value at your favourite stores and online retailers. Hidden offerings, insider secrets and the ultimate savings… we’ve rounded up the 9 things every Walmart shopper needs to know. Keep reading for the top tips for shopping at Walmart.
Know Your Return Policy
While we love Walmart for their generous 90-day return policy on most items, there are exemptions to this rule. Most electronics can only be returned within 14 days and only if they remain unopened. Trying to return a book or underwear? No way… these types of items are final sale!
Online Orders
Shopping online or through their mobile app for everyday essentials is pretty seamless! Shipping to your home (free with a purchase totalling $50 or more,) will take 2-8 business days to arrive. In our experience, a Walmart order to downtown Toronto has never taken longer than one business day!
Grab Your Groceries
Walmart may not be your first stop for groceries, but they will surprise you with their service and efficiency when shopping online for groceries. They now offer grocery pickup at Walmart stores and select pickup locations across Toronto. Read our review of Walmart’s grocery pickup service here.
Price Matching
Get the best deals with Walmart’s Ad Matching program in-store! Walmart will gladly match the current in-store retail price of any local competitor’s ad (printed or digital) for an identical item (provided that the item is in stock). This is a great time to utilize your favourite shopping app to comparison shop.
Price Adjustments
Keep an eye out for sales and markdowns at Walmart! This big box retailer offers a Price Drop Guarantee. Within 30 days (with receipt), if a customer has purchased an item from any Walmart store that is now offered at a lower Walmart price, the store will refund the difference of the price.
Apply for a Walmart Credit Card
If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, you can’t go wrong with signing up for the Walmart Rewards MasterCard. Earn an easy $25 in Walmart Rewards upon your first two transactions. Then earn 1.25% cash back on Walmart purchases and 1% cash back on all other MasterCard transactions. We love getting paid to shop!
The Best Times to Shop
Walmart aisles and checkouts sure can get hectic in the afternoon and early evening. Avoid the crowds by shopping early. We mean very early (between 7 am and 10 am) for the best selection, service and comfortable while rolling through the aisles of your favourite big box store. This is also the best time to grab the freshest perishable items!
Checkout51 Savings
Clip coupons like a pro at Walmart using the Checkout51 app. We love this app because, like all the best apps, it pays you to shop! Take a quick scan of Checkout51 weekly offers before your shop. Many coupons will be specific to items only if purchased at Walmart. After your shop, snap a photo of your receipt and see your cash back pile up!
Mobile App Barcode Scanner
Can you ever find a Price Checker when you need one inside Walmart? We love the Walmart.ca Mobile App for it’s built in barcode scanner to display prices as well as ratings and reviews of all of their products. Shop online using the Walmart mobile app and ‘favourite’ items to receive notifications when items get marked down.
Do you have any more tips that a Walmart shopper needs to know? Share them in the comment section.
All images by Cristina Avila
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There are way too many articles talking about millennials and how we’re piling on too much debt (i.e.: avocado toast). What people aren’t talking about is how we’re actually being smart with our hard-earned cash.
Yes, it’s true, we love to spend on Starbucks lattes, Instagram-worthy outfits, and the next revolutionary Korean beauty face masks. To balance it out, our tech savvy generation is always aware of the the latest and greatest apps that help us to earn free money, manage our spending, and save on purchases.
So for you non-millennials, here are the hottest apps we’re using right now that reward us for buying our latest Adidas kicks.
Drop
Say hello to free money! Drop allows you to collect points on top of your existing rewards program on everyday spends. All you need to do is link your debit and credit cards and you’ll seamlessly be rewarded for shopping at your favourite brands like Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Uber, Sephora, and more. Instantly redeem your points for gift cards at Amazon, Starbucks, lululemon, and Apple.
Checkout51
Shopping for groceries making you dread spending too much? Or do you end up buying unwanted items? Use Checkout 51 to earn cash back each time you get groceries and save money on every purchase you make. As well, keep an eye out on their daily offers to see which items you can earn extra savings on.
Mint
Want an all-in-one app that keeps track of your bills, daily expenses, investment, and more? Mint does all that. With its extensive array of services, Mint keeps track of your money and lets you make smarter decisions regarding your expenditures. Based on your spending habits, Mint can even let you know where and how you could save money.
Carrot
Another reward point-based app, but specifically for those looking to stay fit. Carrot offers points for your existing reward programs like Scene, Petro-Points, Aeroplan, and more. Designed to help you make healthier life choices, you only get points if you complete their daily step challenges and health trivia questions. Bonus: it’s compatible with Fitbit, Apple Healthkit, and Google Fit. For those who live in Vancouver and Toronto, you can get rewarded even more for being fit by downloading Biko. You get points for every kilometre you pedal.
Wealthsimple
The smart and simple way for you to invest in your future. Wealthsimple is an easy to use robo-advisor that creates and actively manages your portfolio based on your personal risk tolerance. The app allows you to quickly review your portfolio performance, see how your money is being invested, and seamlessly manage your deposits. Pro tip: Sign up for Wealthsimple through Drop for $75 in extra cash!
Many of these apps are not only disrupting industries, but are also making it be super easy to be smart with your hard-earned cash. As millennials, we’re always on the hunt for convenient, seamless experiences from apps that help manage our daily lives and justify our sometimes, unscrupulous spending habits.
About the Author
Derrick Fung is a serial entrepreneur who is currently the CEO of Drop. Prior to Drop, Derrick founded music platform Tunezy which was acquired by SFX Entertainment in 2013. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Business degree, and upon graduating, Derrick worked at CIBC World Markets, where he was a forex trader. It was during this time that he also started working on Tunezy with a former classmate and co-founder, Brandon Chu. In 2014, Derrick was listed on the Forbes Top 30 Under 30.
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