While the U.S. supermarket chain Walmart can be a cheap and convenient place to purchase your weekly groceries, some items on its shelves leave much to be desired. If you don’t know what we mean, here are 18 things that you should never buy at Walmart.
Ground Beef
Walmart was the center of a public health scare in April 2024, when 16,000 pounds of ground beef sold in its stores was recalled. NPR reports that, shockingly, this was due to concerns of possible E. coli contamination, which can cause humans to develop severe health symptoms. Yikes!
Coffee
Coffee is a product that people typically get through quickly, meaning it will likely be on your shopping list a lot. However, most coffee products, whether instant coffee or beans, will be available for purchase in bulk on sites like Amazon, so why pay more at Walmart?
Phone Chargers
It always helps to have a good-quality phone charger that won’t begin to fray or need replacing within a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, Walmart is known for these low-quality chargers, as well as charging crazy prices, meaning you can easily find a better deal elsewhere or online.
Televisions
The television sets on sale at Walmart may seem cheaper than they are at most electronic stores, but that’s likely because they are being adequately priced for the quality they offer. It always helps to shop around and seek out reviews before making a snap purchase at the sight of a low price tag.
Chia Seeds
Health-conscious shoppers were asked to return their chia seed purchases to Walmart in May 2024 due to fears that they could cause potentially fatal infections. According to Newsweek, the store’s Great Value black organic chia seeds were at risk of salmonella contamination… that’s terrifying.
Pet Food
If you’re short on a can or two, buying pet food at Walmart isn’t a bad idea. However, if you’re purchasing it on a regular basis, it’s best to find a retailer online that offers a subscription service, as it will save you a substantial amount of money per month. Every penny counts!
Wooden Furniture
Walmart, as you may have already worked out, is far from a specialized furniture store. Their wooden options are cheap, but this often means they’ll fall apart a lot quicker, leaving you to replace them within no time. It’s always best to shop at a specialized furniture retailer instead.
Shampoo and Conditioner
Purchasing shampoo and conditioner from Walmart is certainly convenient, as you can pick them up during your weekly grocery shopping. It’s not economically sound, though, as the same products can often be picked up from discount stores or online for far less. Dollar Tree is a great alternative!
Fruit and Vegetables
Over the years, Walmart has developed a reputation for selling poor-quality fruit and veggies. One in three people who responded to a Mashed survey believed it to be the worst grocery store in the USA for fresh produce, so you should instead head to your local farmer’s market.
Luggage
We’ve all seen the videos of airport staff recklessly throwing luggage into the hold of a plane with zero regard for the safety of its contents. That’s why it’s always best to shop for something a little more expensive and of better quality than what Walmart has to offer–their suitcases just aren’t durable enough.
Jewelry
As you’d imagine, supermarket jewelry is substantially lacking in quality compared to specialist jewelers. If you’re trying to save money, you’re better off finding something either online or in a clothing store that will last longer and retain its original color. You can do far better than Walmart for this.
Toys
Taking any child to Walmart will inevitably result in you spending around half an hour trying to prise them away from the toy aisle. This is even more frustrating considering Walmart’s hiked prices on kids’ toys, making it far more economical to buy the same product or its equivalent from an online retailer.
Wrapping Paper
Walmart’s prices for wrapping paper are extortionate considering the quality is no better than paper from your local dollar store. You’ll likely save around seven dollars per roll, which is a huge discount, considering it will only get teared up anyway.
Phone Plan
In addition to its usual products, Walmart also offers a monthly cell phone plan called Straight Talk Wireless. It’s tempting due to its low price, but if you choose to invest in the plan, don’t expect big things; it often receives complaints for the below-average quality of its service.
Shoes
If you’re in the midst of a personal financial emergency and need a pair of shoes to get you through the month, then you could maybe give Walmart’s shoes a go. If not, it pays to go somewhere where they sell a higher quality product that won’t need replacing within weeks. They’re not good.
Milk
Back in 2017, Walmart was the subject of a sting report by the Washington Post, which found that its organic milk wasn’t nearly as organic as it was made out to be. There was almost nothing to separate Walmart’s organic milk from regular milk following various tests, which is false advertising!
Fresh Fish
Walmart’s fresh fish is notorious for being of poor quality, with sell-by dates often having expired on products still sitting on the shelf. Questions have also been raised regarding the sustainability of the fishing process used by Walmart’s suppliers, adding further reasons to avoid its fresh fish.
Bedding
Last but not least, despite Walmart marketing its bedding as luxurious and soft, there are plenty of better options out there. For the sake of your comfort, it’s worth spending a little extra to guarantee yourself a great night’s sleep rather than putting up with lesser-quality bedding because of convenience and a low price.