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ShopRite vs. Walmart: Which Is Better for Groceries?

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Stores

Neither ShopRite nor Walmart are fancy grocery stores. Both grocers are known for no-frills, low priced products in a fairly generic setting. But is one better, cheaper, or more convenient than the other? Today, we’ll examine ShopRite vs. Walmart: which is better for groceries?

Comparing ShopRite vs. Walmart, ShopRite is known for its better quality produce and for a wider range of products. On the other hand, Walmart has a MUCH larger number of stores in more places and offers much lower prices than ShopRite. 

However, cheaper doesn’t necessarily amount to better quality.

So I’ll be covering whether Walmart offers low prices comparing apples to apples. You’ll want to stick around to find out what you should never buy at Walmart and how its delivery compares to ShopRite’s.

I’ll also go into detail about which of the two grocery chains have the best products. Let’s get into it!

Are groceries cheaper at Walmart than ShopRite?

Yes. Most groceries are cheaper at Walmart than Shoprite. ShopRite does have low prices compared to many of its competitors, but Walmart, with a much high number of stores and its own distribution system, beats ShopRite on price on almost everything.

Keep reading to find out why!

As of January 31, 2020, Walmart has 4,756 stores spread across all 50 states. They use this as leverage, and it allows them to demand and receive the lowest prices from vendors.

ShopRite has been in the grocery game for almost as long as Walmart, but they are not as widely spread.

ShopRite only operates in 6 states: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, with only 300 stores.

That’s a weak competition against a retail giant. Another fact is that ShopRite doesn’t own its own distribution, so it’s much harder to maintain really low pricing.

Here are other ways Walmart’s prices beat those at ShopRite.

Competitor Price Match

Unlike ShopRite, Walmart will price match for your online orders. They have stopped doing this in stores, but if you find a retailer selling the same item as Walmart at a lower price, they will price match online.

Simply contact them via online chat or phone before you place your order online.

The item must be identical in brand, quantity, color, size, and model. Here’s a comparison of two identical items purchased at both stores:

Product Walmart Price ShopRite Price
40oz Jif Peanut Butter $5.64 $6.94
10oz Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips $1.98 $2.49
Organic Chicken Broth $1.84 $3.59
Large Haas Avocado .50 cents $2.50
Sharp Cheddar Cheese Block $2.22 $4.99

Cashback on Walmart’s Credit Card

ShopRite’s Price Plus Card offers great coupon savings but no cashback or other benefits.

The Walmart credit card gives you 5% cashback on all orders placed on Walmart.com. There is no annual fee, and you can get cashback even if you shop elsewhere. You are awarded 1% cashback wherever MasterCard is accepted.

Walmart’s Private Label Brand

Let’s talk about house brands between both retailers.

Walmart’s Great Value brand is less expensive than national brands and has 1000+ items under its name. If you’re looking for a bigger bargain than Walmart’s already low prices, then it’s the brand for you.

The brand carries all the staple items you’d get at your local grocery store.

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll get what you pay for, so some products won’t be the best quality. In comparison, ShopRite’s brand Wholesome Pantry is cheaper than national brands but with less than 500 items.

The simple fact is that ShopRite is not a big competitor when it comes to beating Walmart’s prices. That being said, cheaper doesn’t amount to better quality. Don’t worry, we’ll get to that next so keep reading!

Are Walmart Groceries good?

Unfortunately, not all of Walmart’s groceries are high-quality. Their main goal is low-price compared to more high-end grocers like Whole Foods Market. However, they have many great items, at low prices, under the Great Value house brand.

You won’t find as many healthy products as you would at ShopRite, so you might want to shop there for a better selection if your main goal is quality vs price.

At Walmart, you get what you pay for. There are good quality products there, but you’ll have to sift through to find them.

Here’s are some of the top house brand items at Walmart that are not only a great price, but also quality products:

  • Great Value Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes, 7 oz – $1.98
  • Great Value Long Grain Enriched Rice, 10 lbs – $4.54
  • Great Value Tomato Ketchup, 64 oz – $2.52
  • Great Value Clover Raw Honey, 32 oz (100% real) – $7.93
  • Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17 fl oz – $3.96

One thing Walmart does sell a lot of are cigarettes and other tobacco products.

With grocery delivery being such a hot commodity these days, you may have wondered about getting tobacco delivered. There are some restrictions, but believe it or not, you can get smokes delivered to your house. Learn more here in my recent article.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

How much is the ShopRite delivery fee compared to Walmart?

ShopRite’s delivery fee is set at $10, and there’s no minimum order. While Walmart charges between $7.95 and $9.95 depending on the delivery window, and until you meet the $30 minimum threshold. Walmart’s Delivery Unlimited membership gets you free unlimited delivery and costs $12.95 a month or $98 a year.

Also, at Shoprite, while the service fee won’t be waived if you opt for grocery pickup, in some cases, there won’t be additional fees for delivery.

Want to save even more money on grocery delivery?

Check out my recent article on DoorDash delivery from Walmart. This is a must-read as I’ll cover the best perks that DoorDash offers to Walmart customers.

Just click on the above link to read it on my website.

What should you NOT buy at Walmart?

Though Walmart sells almost everything, there are some things that you should not buy at Walmart because their quality isn’t all that great. For example, Ground beef, seafood, and some fresh produce are things you should skip at Walmart. 

Ground Beef

I’ve sold a lot of beef in my 20+ years in the grocery industry, so you can trust my word on whether beef is of good quality or not.

All of Walmart’s meat is “case-ready.”

This means that their meat is cut and packaged at a meatpacking plant and not by an in-store butcher. While there’s a low risk of spoilage compared to meat prepared onsite, it’s the preservatives used that is a cause for concern.

Based on recent customer reviews, the quality of their beef is not all that great.

A few reviews stated that the ground beef had so many tendons and connective tissue that it was hard to chew. Others stated that they found pieces of bone.

Walmart also lacks transparency about their meat sources, making it harder to trust them.

Seafood

Walmart is not big on the sustainability of seafood.

You might think that’s a loose claim but if you do make a trip there, check the packaging on their imported shrimp from Thailand. The workers, including children, are treated poorly and work in unsavory conditions to farm shrimp.

According to Greenpeace, Walmart is ranked among the lowest in the industry for seafood sustainability.

A lot of the fish contain large amounts of mercury. The worst part is that there is very little transparency about all this.

Fresh Produce

While the loaded bins at every Walmart store tempt you with brightly colored fruits and vegetables, they may not be as fresh as you think.

Walmart was ranked as the worst grocery store two years in a row, based on a consumer survey done by 7,000 Americans. They were rated on numerous categories, including the quality of their produce.

While Whole Foods gets its produce from farms less than a couple of hours away, Walmart has a different definition of local.

By Walmart’s definition, any product sold in the same state it is grown is considered local. This is possibly the reason Walmart’s produce is usually not that good.

They are transported many miles before reaching the shelves.

Does ShopRite have better products than Walmart?

ShopRite offers a healthier selection than Walmart, and the prices are reasonable for the quality you’ll get. For example, Walmart’s meat quality is somewhat questionable, whereas ShopRite is known for its excellent beef quality.

So, while ShopRite stores are at a disadvantage for their accessibility, it might be worth it to make a trip to the store closest to you.

Wholesome Pantry Organic is a USDA Certified Organic brand that ShopRite has.

This is one brand you can count on for quality organic products at low prices. Maybe not as low as Walmart’s Great Value brand but low for “organic.” The products are free from 110 preservatives and artificial flavors, so it’s definitely worth trying.

ShopRite’s Bowl and Basket brand is a great option if you want reasonably priced prepared salads.

The same can’t be said for Walmart, as we discussed in a previous question.

ShopRite has a larger selection of food that fall under special diets. This includes Kosher, Asian, and Polish. You would have a very hard time finding these at Walmart.

We already established that Walmart’s meat quality is more than a little concerning. On the other hand, ShopRite has been recognized for excellence in beef. They received the award for meat quality, sales, and marketing.

So, you’re learning a bit about ShopRite here, but there’s more to it.

At this point, you might want to know how ShopRite compares to other grocers who are big in the grocery game. Check out my recent article on Whole Foods versus ShopRite.

I’ll get into the details of how the world’s largest supermarket cooperative and the world’s largest retailer of organic foods differ.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we covered exactly why Walmart is cheaper than ShopRite.

The main reasons are a large number of stores they have compared to ShopRite and their price match policy. We compared the delivery service fees of both retailers and saw that Walmart offered more perks.

You also learned that Walmart’s products are some of the lowest rankings in the industry, and ShopRite has better products.

What’s most concerning about the products are the ingredients used, methods to source them, and the quality of their produce. I talked about whether Walmart’s groceries are good and items you should definitely not buy there.

Additional sources – https://www.businessinsider.com/whole-foods-wegmans-shoprite-price-comparison-2019-4

Photos which require attribution:

Walmart by Mike Mozart and ShopRite North Bergen, NJ 2 by Mike Kalasnik are licensed under CC2.0

Jeff Campbell
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By Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Stores