Is Walmart shunning in-store shoppers in favor of online fulfillment orders

I have not noticed that over here in northern Colorado, but what I have noticed is that when I do my online orders there are some items that I know are higher priced on their online ordering than in the physical store. I actually went in once and compared the receipt of my online grocery order to the prices listed on the shelves and a few of them were quite a bit lower on the shelf. I'm thinking they are charging more on their online grocery items when they can get away with it.

originally posted by: StoutBroux
I shop at Walmart. The closest Walmart is 35 miles away to the north (around 8k pop.) with no pharmacy and to the east is another where I get my prescriptions filled but is 45 miles away (approx. 14k pop.). These towns are huge in comparison to my rural town of about 1,400 pop. I shop at Walmart to the east when I get my prescriptions filled or the other one which is closer when I need more than a few things that I can pick up locally, but are pretty expensive. I'm aware that many here hate Walmart but this isn't a Walmart bashing thread (because they destroy all their local brick and mortar store competition). It is about how Walmart may be shunning their in-store shoppers in favor of fulfilling online orders.

It just so happens that recently I've visited both Walmarts pretty frequently in the last month or so. I usually only go every other month or three. Every time I've gone since Covid hit, there are certain items that are either not there, or are there occasionally/rarely and in small quantities. I or my housemate have been there frequently recently and I was just at each of them last week.
i did notice too.

i liked the super store in mattoon, IL. i use to go to once a week.

i even won a giant simba the lion in a raffle there!

but lately when i try to find something online, wal mart pops up with it.





For instance:

Equate sugar free cough drops. Not a one to be found and very few of any other choices. Where there should have been approximately over 50 or more bags of a variety of options, there were only 7 bags in total of mixed varieties.

Great Value sugar free powder coffee creamer, vanilla or hazelnut flavor not available, again. Very rarely in stock anymore.

Great Value coffee. Rarely available but occasionally I can get a couple cans to last until the next time I go shopping.

I can order this stuff and have it shipped to my house except for the creamer because it isn't a deliverable item in my area. The coffee and cough drops are shippable so I have resorted to online ordering to obtain the items. I can order the creamer onlinne but have to come in for curb-side pickup.

Last week I had visited both Walmarts on different days. Neither place had any of the above items, as usual, so I ordered online for the deliverable items to my house. Today, I had another prescription and sent my housemate to the WM in the east to get the meds. I decided to order curb-side pickup of the above grocery items as a test of my theory. This was at 8:00 a.m. I filled my cart with several of each item and received a confirmation number and was instructed that I could pick up my items at 11 a.m. I told my housemate to check the these items to see if they were in stock and available on the store shelves prior to picking up the online curb-side pickup order. My housemate checked each item's area and once again, none to be found. But my order was ready and picked up at 11:15. Same day order and pick up in just a couple of hours.

I believe Walmart isn't putting out their stuff out on the shelves for in-store shoppers but instead are filling online 'curb-side pickup' and 'ship to home' orders. I just think it's weird. I've been thinking this for quite sometime but today was the first time I remembered to actually test out my theory.

Has anyone else experienced this?

i did notice too.

i liked the super store in mattoon, IL. i use to go to once a week.

i even won a giant simba the lion in a raffle there!

but lately when i try to find something online, wal mart pops up with it.

a reply to: TonyS

Prices online or in store are still the same. If you order over a certain amount, like $40 - $50 or so, there is no shipping fee. I refuse to do paid memberships with anyone, including Amazon. I simply order the minimum to take advantage of the free shipping. If they had different prices online vs in store shopping, that would be a big no-no for a lot of people. Or at least they would need to notify the consumer of the price difference.

In one town, there is also an Aldis and in the other, an Econo foods. Aldis is cheaper for some things but the selection is hit or miss and most of the stuff I buy isn't at Aldis. Econo foods is more expensive. Since I don't love shopping, it's just easier to go to Walmart and get what I need.

oh, BTW.

someone just shot one up

almost 10 dead.