Post by dealstime on May 24, 2020 11:56:32 GMT
A study breaks down who has the best prices between Amazon, Target, and Walmart in 5 different categories — here's where to shop for what
Amazon has been dominating the e-commerce space for a while now. With its free, two-day Prime shipping, it's been lauded as the place to shop when you're looking for convenience and great deals.
But Walmart and Target are proving they're not to be forgotten. Each retailer offers free two-day shipping on orders of $35 or more, and you don't even need a membership to get these perks. What's more is that they both have competitive pricing, so it can be hard to know which of the big three mega-retailers truly has the best prices.
The only way you could really know which brand is the cheapest is if you combed through each site and compared the prices of a random sampling of products to ultimately come to a conclusion. That seems like it may be more effort than it's worth.
That's why LendEdu, a company that educates consumers on financial products like loans and credit cards, did that work for you by comparing 50 nearly identical items from Amazon, Walmart, and Target to see how pricing differed at the three retailers.
Products were split into the following categories:
You can find the whole report here. Below, we'll break down the comparisons by category, crowning a winner that offers the best prices on average in each, to give you a better understanding of what these price differences really look like. You may be surprised at some of the findings.
Note: Percentages used in the report are based off prices at the time of publication. Prices in this article may differ from report to reflect any updates or changes in price.
Home goods
Lysol wipes were significantly more expensive at Target than Walmart or Amazon. Target
Winner: Walmart
On average, Walmart had the best prices on home goods like soaps, toothpastes, detergents, and more. Compared to Amazon, Target was 1.30% more expensive in total, while Walmart was 0.67% cheaper. Amazon still offered the best price on certain products, like Lysol wipes.
Products:
Food and beverage
Stock up on snacks like Lay's at Target if you're looking for the best savings. Amazon
Winner: Target
Target, Amazon, and Walmart all have their own flourishing grocery operations, but in this category comparison, Target came out on top. On average, Target was 7.30% less expensive than Amazon. Walmart was next — on average, food and beverage products at Walmart were 4.61% cheaper than at Amazon. Food and beverage items were classified as anything for human or animal consumption.
Products:
Kitchen and appliances
You can find a Crock-Pot for $49.99 at Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Amazon
Winner: Amazon
Most prices in this category were the same, but when they weren't, Amazon offered the best value on average. Anything normally found in a kitchen setting (think: microwaves, coffee makers, etc.) fit into this category. LendEdu found that, on average, items at Target were 1.16% more expensive than those at Amazon, while Walmart's products were 10.62% more expensive than Amazon's, on average.
Products:
Technology and entertainment
If you want a GoPro Hero7, Walmart has the best price right now with Amazon not far behind. Amazon
Winner: Walmart
Walmart may not be your destination for all things tech, but maybe it should be. LendEdu found that, on average, tech products were 4.19% cheaper at Walmart than Amazon. Tech at Target was a little more expensive than at Amazon — 1.42% more on average based on findings. Still, a few items at Walmart were more expensive than at the other two retailers.
Products:
Miscellaneous items
Amazon and Walmart share the best price on these powerful Fiskars hedge shears. Amazon
Winner: Amazon
Miscellaneous items were classified as household items that did not fall into the other four categories, like pens and sunscreen. While Target did have a price win this category, the overall winner was Amazon, with the lowest prices on majority of products in the category. On average, Target was 4.39% more expensive in total, while Walmart was 4.99% more expensive in total compared to Amazon.
Products:
Bottom line
Shutterstock / Africa Studio
Overall, LendEdu found that Target was only 0.97% more expensive than Amazon and Walmart was only 1.79% cheaper than Amazon, across all categories. If anything, these percentages show that the price differences between these three retail giants are only getting smaller. Each of them are incentivized to get more competitive with their pricing to stay relevant, which is good news for you, the consumer.
If you're going to walk away with anything from these findings, make it this: Do your research if you want the best price. You can sometimes stumble upon some really great prices, whether they be on home goods or technology, just by checking out products on a few different sites. Maybe you want to do your snack shopping at Amazon, get your home goods at Target, and buy your tech at Walmart. Or, maybe you want to stick to doing all of your shopping on one site for ease of ordering, or an allegiance to a certain retailer, and that's okay.
Prices at these retailers frequently change too, so there really isn't one retailer who will consistently be cheapest. Just know that the most convenient and affordable price may not always be where you think it is.
Read the full LendEdu report
Amazon has been dominating the e-commerce space for a while now. With its free, two-day Prime shipping, it's been lauded as the place to shop when you're looking for convenience and great deals.
But Walmart and Target are proving they're not to be forgotten. Each retailer offers free two-day shipping on orders of $35 or more, and you don't even need a membership to get these perks. What's more is that they both have competitive pricing, so it can be hard to know which of the big three mega-retailers truly has the best prices.
The only way you could really know which brand is the cheapest is if you combed through each site and compared the prices of a random sampling of products to ultimately come to a conclusion. That seems like it may be more effort than it's worth.
That's why LendEdu, a company that educates consumers on financial products like loans and credit cards, did that work for you by comparing 50 nearly identical items from Amazon, Walmart, and Target to see how pricing differed at the three retailers.
Products were split into the following categories:
[*]Home goods
[*]Food and beverage
[*]Kitchen and appliances
[*]Technology and entertainment
[*]Miscellaneous items
You can find the whole report here. Below, we'll break down the comparisons by category, crowning a winner that offers the best prices on average in each, to give you a better understanding of what these price differences really look like. You may be surprised at some of the findings.
Note: Percentages used in the report are based off prices at the time of publication. Prices in this article may differ from report to reflect any updates or changes in price.
Home goods
Lysol wipes were significantly more expensive at Target than Walmart or Amazon. Target
Winner: Walmart
On average, Walmart had the best prices on home goods like soaps, toothpastes, detergents, and more. Compared to Amazon, Target was 1.30% more expensive in total, while Walmart was 0.67% cheaper. Amazon still offered the best price on certain products, like Lysol wipes.
Products:
[*]Gain Flings Liquid Laundry Detergent Pacs, 96-count:
[*]Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Deodorant Twin Pack:
[*]Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, 105-count:
Food and beverage
Stock up on snacks like Lay's at Target if you're looking for the best savings. Amazon
Winner: Target
Target, Amazon, and Walmart all have their own flourishing grocery operations, but in this category comparison, Target came out on top. On average, Target was 7.30% less expensive than Amazon. Walmart was next — on average, food and beverage products at Walmart were 4.61% cheaper than at Amazon. Food and beverage items were classified as anything for human or animal consumption.
Products:
[*]Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 64-ounce:
[*]Poland Spring 16.9-ounce Water Bottles, 24-pack:
[*]Lay's Classic Potato Chips, 12-pack:
Kitchen and appliances
You can find a Crock-Pot for $49.99 at Amazon, Target, and Walmart. Amazon
Winner: Amazon
Most prices in this category were the same, but when they weren't, Amazon offered the best value on average. Anything normally found in a kitchen setting (think: microwaves, coffee makers, etc.) fit into this category. LendEdu found that, on average, items at Target were 1.16% more expensive than those at Amazon, while Walmart's products were 10.62% more expensive than Amazon's, on average.
Products:
[*]Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Slow Cooker
[*]Rachael Ray 12-Piece Aluminum Cookware Set:
[*]Char-Broil Classic 2-Burner Gas Grill:
Technology and entertainment
If you want a GoPro Hero7, Walmart has the best price right now with Amazon not far behind. Amazon
Winner: Walmart
Walmart may not be your destination for all things tech, but maybe it should be. LendEdu found that, on average, tech products were 4.19% cheaper at Walmart than Amazon. Tech at Target was a little more expensive than at Amazon — 1.42% more on average based on findings. Still, a few items at Walmart were more expensive than at the other two retailers.
Products:
[*]Xbox One X 1TB Console with Controller:
[*]GoPro Hero7 Black:
[*]SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive:
Miscellaneous items
Amazon and Walmart share the best price on these powerful Fiskars hedge shears. Amazon
Winner: Amazon
Miscellaneous items were classified as household items that did not fall into the other four categories, like pens and sunscreen. While Target did have a price win this category, the overall winner was Amazon, with the lowest prices on majority of products in the category. On average, Target was 4.39% more expensive in total, while Walmart was 4.99% more expensive in total compared to Amazon.
Products:
[*]Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen:
[*]Fiskars Powergear 2 Hedge Shears:
[*]Biotrue Contact Lens Solution:
Bottom line
Shutterstock / Africa Studio
Overall, LendEdu found that Target was only 0.97% more expensive than Amazon and Walmart was only 1.79% cheaper than Amazon, across all categories. If anything, these percentages show that the price differences between these three retail giants are only getting smaller. Each of them are incentivized to get more competitive with their pricing to stay relevant, which is good news for you, the consumer.
If you're going to walk away with anything from these findings, make it this: Do your research if you want the best price. You can sometimes stumble upon some really great prices, whether they be on home goods or technology, just by checking out products on a few different sites. Maybe you want to do your snack shopping at Amazon, get your home goods at Target, and buy your tech at Walmart. Or, maybe you want to stick to doing all of your shopping on one site for ease of ordering, or an allegiance to a certain retailer, and that's okay.
Prices at these retailers frequently change too, so there really isn't one retailer who will consistently be cheapest. Just know that the most convenient and affordable price may not always be where you think it is.
Read the full LendEdu report