Walmart and Target are among America’s most well-known household names. Both retail chains have made their name on competitive pricing and a wide range of products. For many, they’re one-stop shops.
But if you use either of these stores exclusively, you won’t always land the best deals.
Spoiler alert: Sometimes, Walmart beats Target’s prices, and sometimes, it’s the other way around. So if you’re open to shopping at both, you can optimize your savings by knowing where one tends to top the other.
Today, I’ll go over some price comparisons between Walmart and Target. While costs aren’t always going to be your only consideration, they’re definitely the most important factor for many shoppers.
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Table of Contents
Where Walmart Has Better Prices Than Target
Walmart’s current slogan tells shoppers to “Save Money. Live Better.” It’s catchy, and in a lot of cases, it’s not wrong—many of Walmart’s products will indeed help you save money!
Check out some of the products that are cheaper at Walmart than Target.
Note: All prices are as of the original publication date. Prices may change in the future.
1. Frozen Pizza
Generally, Walmart has lower frozen pizza prices than Target. For instance, let’s take a look at Digiorno Four Cheese Rising Crust 24.6 oz pizza. At Walmart, that pizza costs $5.97. At Target, the regular price is $6.49 for the exact same pizza.
Here’s another example. Jack’s Original Thin Crust Pepperoni pizza at Walmart costs $3.86. Meanwhile, each of those pizzas costs $3.99 at Target. (Sure, it’s only a slight difference, but the more you stock up on emergency frozen pizzas, the more the difference matters!)
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2. Birthday Cards
Is a loved one’s birthday coming up? Assuming you have the necessary supplies, making a card is the most affordable option. But, sometimes, you’re in a rush.
If you need to make a quick stop on the way to a party to pick up a card, you’ll find cheaper birthday cards at Walmart than you will at Target.
Birthday cards at Target frequently cost around $4.99. At Walmart, they range substantially depending on the card, but while you can find a few that are more expensive than Target’s cards, you’ll more often than not find them cheaper—and you can find a great many options for less than $2.
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3. Chips
If you’re hosting an event and need to stock up on chips, Walmart will save you more money on popular chip brands.
For example, a 9.25-ounce bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese chips currently costs $4.48 at Walmart. The same-sized bag at Target would cost $5.19.
Prefer to get a bag of Party Size Ruffles Original chips for dipping in a tasty French onion dip? That bag of chips is priced at $5.94 at Walmart. At Target, you would have to shell out $6.69 for it. (By the way, a 16-ounce container of Dean’s French onion dip costs about 15¢ more at Target, too!)
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4. Private-Label Milk
Whether you prefer whole, 1% low-fat, or something in between, Walmart is likely going to be the cheaper place to buy private-label milk. As a for instance, right now, a gallon of Great Value milk is selling for $2.66. Target’s Good & Gather brand milks have varying prices, depending on the type. For example, a gallon of Vitamin D Whole Milk costs $3.79, while 2% Reduced Fat Milk only costs $3.39.
No matter which kind, though, Walmart wins in the price department.
But Target’s milk has notably higher ratings. For example, Walmart’s generic Whole Vitamin D milk has an average rating of 2.7 stars out of a possible five. Target’s Vitamin D Whole milk boasts a 4.7 rating.
The taste might not matter if you’re using milk for baking, but if you love it for the taste, it might make sense to ante up for Target’s moo juice.
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5. Name-Brand Garbage Bags
Walmart and Target both sell a variety of name-brand trash bags. Unfortunately, both stores sell them in different quantities, so you can’t just focus on the overall price—you need to know the cost per bag.
Looking at this number, Walmart tends to be the price winner.
A box of Glad ForceFlex 30-gallon large trash bags costs $13.78 at Walmart and comes with 40 bags. That puts the per-bag cost at about 34.5¢. Comparatively, Target sells the same type of bags for $13.29, but the box only has 34 bags, putting the per-bag price at about 39¢.
Hefty-brand bags are a bit cheaper at Walmart too. Hefty Strong 30G Multipurpose trash bags cost $12.98 for a 40-count box at Walmart. That comes out to about 32.5¢ per bag. Target sells 36 bags to a box for $12.29, which is about 34¢ each.
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Where Target Has Better Prices Than Walmart
Target’s current slogan encourages customers to “Expect More. Pay Less.” Target has indeed built its reputation by trying to be a higher-quality version of its big-box rival, but in some cases, you do pay less at Target than you would at Walmart for the same items.
Let’s take a peek at some of the shopping situations where you save money by shopping at Target.
1. Shredded Cheese
Getting ready for Taco Tuesday? Then you need to load up on shredded cheese.
No matter what flavor you seek, an 8-ounce bag of shredded cheese from Target is cheaper than it is at Walmart. Currently, an 8-ounce bag of shredded cheese at Walmart costs $2.24, while the same amount will cost you just $1.99 at Target.
In addition to being more affordable, Target’s shredded cheese also has better ratings. The obvious choice (in my opinion) for taco cheese from Walmart is the Fiesta Blend, which has an average rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars. The Target equivalent would be the Mexican-Style shredded cheese that has an impressive 4.7 average rating.
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2. LEGO Creator 3in1 Toys
Full disclosure: I didn’t look through every single LEGO Creator 3in1 toy on both websites (there are a lot). But a number of comparisons showed the prices for the same sets were largely the same or cheaper at Target.
For instance, the LEGO Creator 3in1 Deep Sea Creatures Sea Animal Toy Building Kit at Walmart currently costs $21.64, while the same set at Target is priced at only $12.99. And Target shoppers can snag the LEGO Creator 3in1 Mighty Dinosaurs Model Building Set for just $11.99, but at Walmart, that same toy rings up at $15.96.
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3. Fresh Berries
Target beats out Walmart both in terms of fresh berry prices and quality.
Currently, fresh strawberries are on sale at my Target, but even if they weren’t, they would be cheaper than Walmart. One pound of strawberries at Target, which has a 4.2 average rating, costs $2.79; meanwhile, a pound of strawberries at Walmart costs $2.82 but averages just 1.5 stars.
If you prefer blueberries, a pint of organic blueberries at the Target near me costs $3.99 and has an average star rating of 4.6. Comparatively, organic blueberries at Walmart currently cost more ($4.96) but have a drastically lower average star rating (2.1).
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4. Batteries
Is your remote out of batteries? You may want to run over to Target, rather than Walmart. A 24-pack of Duracell Coppertop AA batteries is priced at $16.49 at Target. A 24-pack of the same batteries costs $20.78 at Walmart.
Energizer batteries are cheaper at Target as well. A 24-pack of Energizer Max AA alkaline batteries is marked as $15.99 at Target. Buying those same batteries at Walmart would put you out $17.98.
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5. Oscar Mayer Bacon
If bacon is a breakfast staple in your household, you may want to stock up at Target instead of Walmart.
A 16-ounce package of Oscar Mayer Hardwood Smoked Bacon costs $6.99 at Target. For the same amount of that brand’s hardwood smoked bacon, you would have to pay $7.48 at Walmart. It’s the same deal for 16 ounces of Oscar Mayer Thick Cut Bacon ($6.99 at Target and $7.48 at Walmart).
Are those portions too small for your family’s appetite? A 22-ounce package of the Original Hardwood Smoked bacon is $9.39 at Target and $9.48 at Walmart.
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Other Shopping Considerations
While product prices may be many people’s main factor when choosing a store, it shouldn’t be the only consideration. Keep the additional following factors in mind when deciding if you should head over to Target or Walmart:
— Product quality: When prices are similar, compare on quality. If you have to toss half of your fresh produce because it’s rotten, you’re literally throwing away your savings.
— Location: Let’s say the store down the street is slightly more expensive than another store 25 minutes away. What you save in gas could very well make up the difference.
— Ambiance: Is one store cleaner? Better lit? Has superior customer service? These things aren’t the bottom line, but they matter psychologically.
— Memberships: Do you have a free Target Circle membership? Are you paying for a Walmart+ membership? Price comparisons change after you add in membership discounts.
At the end of the day, no store is perfect. Do your shopping at whatever store makes more sense for you.
Do you want to get serious about saving and planning for retirement? Sign up for Retire With Riley, Young and the Invested’s free retirement planning newsletter.
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