Will a new policy make Walmart shoppers think the chain is throwing up the white flag in its price battle with Publix or just offering them a better alternative to the deals they are getting from the chain? Walmart has announced it will no longer match Publix's buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free offers in its Florida stores and instead will direct customers to use its Savings Catcher program.
Walmart's Savings Catcher program asks customers to scan or enter a receipt number using an app. From there, Walmart matches local competitor's print ads on the same item and then sends an eGift card for the difference.
A Walmart and Publix shopper identified by the Tampa Bay Times as Lisa Gabrelcik said she didn't like using the Savings Catcher app and having to wait for a gift card to exchange at a later date. She also thought others, including the elderly and those without access to PCs or mobile devices, would be penalized as a result.
Others are welcoming the change. Walmart cashiers, according to the Times report, often struggle to figure out how to match the BOGO offers from Publix. Eliminating the practice, according to some, will reduce the hassle of checking out at Walmart.
Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman told FOX 13 in Tampa that it is possible some shoppers may spend a few pennies more in cases where there is a Publix BOGO offe, but that overall the chain's prices are lower than the competition.
"We still are offering a very compelling ad match policy," she said.