Large retailers, including major U.S. competitors Walmart and Target, are turning to price-matching programs in order to compete with one another to retain customers who do not have the time or desire to shop at multiple stores.
Walmart’s Savings Catcher program is now offered across the U.S. to its in-store customers, which allows customers who find lower prices on branded items to be refunded the difference in a Walmart gift card. Walmart’s program will allow customers to compare prices from Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Food Lion, Kroger and Aldi stores, and may also include CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Target and Kmart.
Meanwhile, Target Canada is testing an expanded price match policy using a digital flyer on a shopper’s mobile device from a list of selected retailers, including the online homes of Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Canadian Tire, Future Shop, and Sears. The guarantee also stretches to local competitor’s flyers in print or digital form.
Savings Catcher will not be valid on store-brand items, meat and produce by the pound, deli and bakery items, clothes, toys, electronics and other general merchandise. It will also not include special promotions for free items, drugstore rebates, buy one get one free deals without a price listed, percentage discounts and closeouts.
