Wondering if Walmart Grocery Pickup is a good fit for you? I’ve tried it for ten months and here’s how it’s worked out for me.
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Last spring I did something I never thought I would do. I ordered groceries via an app to pickup at the store.
Yep. I surprised even myself. Let someone else do the shopping? That was unheard of. I don’t even delegate that to family members!
The truth is I like to shop myself, primarily because secretly I think I will do a better job. And because it’s a fun thing to do. Usually.
But as we became more entrenched in stay-at-home orders last spring, I decided it was time to give it a try. The mask-wearing, the one-way aisles, the lack of order at the store, the shortages…. grocery shopping was no longer fun.
I placed an online order with Walmart Grocery Pickup. And then another. And another.
Turns out, I’m okay with letting someone else grocery shop. More than okay. I’ve been doing grocery pick up at least once a month since April and I must say: I’m a believer.
Here’s why:
Benefits of Grocery Pickup
I can shop whenever and wherever I want.
One of the things I love about grocery pickup is that I can place my order (ie do my grocery shopping) whenever and wherever I want: in bed late at night, in the car returning from a road trip, while I make pancakes on a Sunday morning.
It’s super convenient to shop without leaving my house.
I can see the total before I complete the purchase.
Keeping to a grocery budget is one step to maintaining financial health. This can be hard to do when you’re walking through the store hangry, throwing things higgledy-piggledy into the cart.
When I use grocery pickup, I can see a running total as I shop and make adjustments as I go. Just delete when the total gets too high.
I don’t have to schlep through the store.
As much as I love to grocery shop, I am happy not to have to fight my way through the aisles every time I need groceries. If this service had been available when I was carting all six kids through the stores? Wow. Just wow.
Not only that, I don’t have to unload the cart onto the belt, wait in line, or repack the cart. Mischief managed.
I don’t have to load the car.
Something better than not having to shop is not having to load the car!
Instead I drive up to the designated area, tap on the app to let them know I’m there and which spot I’m parked in. Then I wait for someone to cart out the groceries and load the cart.
After ten months of at least one monthly pickup, I’ve never had to wait for more than five minutes.
I save a ton of time and stress.
I’ve realized that as much as I love to grocery shop, there are times when it’s better for me to let someone else do it for me. I save time and avoid stress by delegating this task.
And since it doesn’t cost anything extra, why not?
Caveats
There are limitations to all good things. While I am a huge fan of Walmart’s grocery pickup, I realize that it might not be for everyone. Here are some of the caveats I see that might not make it a win for you:
- You’re counting on getting everything you order. Even though it may be in stock when you place your order, the store may run out of that item before you pick it up. When this has happened, I’ve stopped at an alternative store to get those items prior to picking up my Walmart order. If you are adamantly opposed to making two stops, this could be a deal breaker.
- You love to bargain shop. While you will get the same prices as shopping in-store, you will not find clearance items in the app. I love clearance shopping and manager’s specials, but not typically at Walmart. My location doesn’t often offer clearance items, so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not shopping in store.
- Your Walmart is more expensive than other stores. I was pleasantly surprised that my Walmarts offer competitive pricing to ALDI. Totally not what I expected, but a pleasant bonus feature. The same may not be the case for you. If Walmart isn’t competitive where you live, it may not be worth it, even if pickup is free.
- You make lots of impulse buys. If you love to be spontaneous while grocery shopping, then online ordering might not be the thing for you. You need to decide sight-unseen what you’re buying.
- You don’t like blind shopping. If seeing the item before you purchase it is important to you, then don’t do grocery pickup. I’m pretty picky about the produce I choose in-person, so the first few times I ordered, I opted not to buy fresh produce. After packaged goods proved to be successful, I expanded my options. For the most part, it’s all been fine, but if you want to choose everything, then go in person.
- Your location is sucky. I don’t know how else to put it, but some locations of a brand aren’t always as good as others. I have ordered online from two different Walmart locations, and both experiences were positive. Your mileage may vary.
Tips for Success
Read the item description carefully.
Since you’re not picking the physical item up in your hand, but virtually adding it to your cart, some fine details may get overlooked.
Pay special attention to size or quantity of the thing that you’re ordering. A friend thought she were ordering ten bananas and received ten pounds of bananas. Another friend ended up with five pounds of Twizzlers because she didn’t read the fine print.
Be aware of the substitutions.
When an item is out of stock, the personal shopper will often choose something to substitute. Sometimes, this is an upgrade to what you ordered, like organic instead of conventional, for the same price. That’s awesome!
Other times, it’s a completely different or vaguely similar product. Not so awesome.
Thankfully, Walmart will email you about the possible substitutions and you get a chance to decline them when you pick up your order.
Check your order when you get home.
Humans make mistakes. That is life. Check your order to be sure you got the correct size and quantity you were charged for.
In the last six months, I’ve had only one order with errors. A cucumber was mushy and rotten; I received 1 onion instead of one 3-pound bag of onions. I called to report the errors and was immediately issued a refund. Easy peasy.
How to Save More Money
Use Ibotta.
Once you’ve established your Walmart account, link it to your Ibotta account. Ibotta offers cash back offers. With most in-store purchases, you need to upload your receipt to the Ibotta app. Once you link your Walmart account to Ibotta, you’ll receive the cash back instantly.
Work the Good Cheap Eats System
Don’t forget that savvy grocery shopping is only one step of the Good Cheap Eats System. You’ll save more money if you remember to shop your kitchen, meal plan to save money, avoid food waste, cook from scratch, and freeze extras for later.
While I still love to grocery shop in person—finding deals is one of my hobbies! — I’m more than happy to let Walmart do my shopping for me. It’s turned out to be one of the silver linings of pandemic living.
So, what do you think…
Is grocery pick up a good fit for you?
Eileen
I’m not able to use grocery pickup services but I rely on delivery. My local Shoprite and Stop and Shop both have their own online systems, shoppers and delivery people. The Shoprite service is excellent. They or call about out of stock items and will talk about substitutes with you. Stop and Shop doesn’t let you know until delivery which made me stop using it. My devotion to Aldi has me using Instacart. A big caveat-the prices are not the same as in the store. The difference for Aldi is small so its still worthwhile. The shoppers chat with you as they get your order and you can make instant decisions about substitutes. You can add extra items up until checkout. The Aldi stores by me have added curbside pickup so keep your eyes peeled Jessica
Joanne
Hello I ordered at least once a month till in December when I ordered a item for $60.00 and never received money nor a refund I’ve connected by email have gone to store seems nobody can help me disappointed since then I have not shopped in Walmart since December 2021.. Good luck with pick up! Until then I loved the pickup I told all my friends use!
Jessica Fisher
Joanne, please call or get online to text with them. In my experience, they are very good about fixing errors quickly and issuing refunds.
Angelica
This post couldn’t have come at a better time. I was just thinking of trying Walmart pickup yesterday and chickened out. Your points explained helped me realize I should give it a try. Thanks!
Marlene
I have been a Walmart pickup shopper for 7 years because I do not like shopping. Started it when first began and have been doing it since then, not just because of Covid.
Rachael
Just a little insider information about the substitutions, the shopper most likely did not choose what was substituted, the app they use to shop orders gives the substitutions. You can choose your own substitutions in the app before you finalize your order. It takes some work to find, however it is there. Walmart is very good about correcting mistakes that happen, multiple people pick your order to ensure that everything is ready in a timely manner and is as fresh as possible.
Jessica Fisher
Interesting. I’ve been able to decline substitutions but not choose them. I will have to look. Thanks!
Janet
I started using Kroger pick-up at the start of the Pandemic. For me, the biggest benefit is having someone else lift all the heavy items into the trunk for me. As I struggle with arthritis this is huge! The biggest downside to pick-up is the inability to shop the clearance items.
Jessica Fisher
Not schlepping through the store is also another bonus. When I’m tired, grocery pickup the best way to shop.
Lanita
I have been using Kroger pickup and delivery and Amazon Fresh delivery. They are both awesome and I will never go back to Walmart pickup and delivery. I started out with Walmart and between canceling your order without giving you any type of notice or canceling your pick up without giving you any type of notice I had to leave them! They were very unprofessional and I refuse to spend money where my money is not appreciated.
Bobbi Kiser
I’ve been a die hard Aldi fan for years but once I tried Walmart pickup I quickly became a fan! I find it much easier to comparison shop and review ingredients and nutrition without trying to dodge other shoppers. My Walmart prices are competitive with Aldi. I still find I enjoy the vegetables, fruit, and coffee a little better at Aldi and stop there a couple times a month. My daughter, the mom of three littles 4 and under convinced me to give it a try. I’m so glad I did!
Jessica Fisher
I was die-hard ALDI, too, but pandemic made me do it. So glad to have another option. I still go to ALDI, but it’s nice to have this in my back pocket for easier weeks.