Price Matching

Price matching is a process which usually involves flyers, sales and coupons. A "price match" is when a store offers (for example) a sale on an item.

Whether an item is either sold out or it's just more convenient to shop all in one place, price matching saves money!

Take your local flyers (generally the flyers have to be within a radius of the store you are price matching too; you can't expect a store to price match with a store hours away if it's a speciality store)...

So, look at your flyers... here's a sample list:

Store: Rexall/Pharma Plus
Sale items: Campbell's condensed soups
Sale price: 49 cents per can
Sale: August 27 to August 31, 2011

I only find the one item at Pharma Plus on sale, so I circle it on my flyers, write it on a list (this is going to keep you organized when you are at the check out).

I move on to my next flyer(s) and follow the same example (writing on a piece of paper the name of the store, the item and it's price. Also, if I have a coupon to use with the price match, and the quantity.

Then I proceed to a store that price matches. Walmart is by far the leader in this area, they accept more coupon types (printables, internet (mail to you), manufacturer, off the packages and even competitors own coupons!); so in my example, I will be "shopping" at Walmart.

I pick up each item on my list, I am sure to put aside the coupon that I am using and mark the list with a highlighter in case there is a change (something the store doesn't carry, a brand difference, they are sold out, etc) because if I want the item, I will have to go to the original flyer and that store to purchase it.

I take my flyers, (this is VERY important, you MUST have proof that there is an advertised sale; the ad MUST be current as well); I put the items on the conveyor belt and proceed with the price matching.

Here's the way I do it:
I let the cashier know that I will be price matching a substantial amount of products today, and using a hefty amount of coupons as well. This gives her/him a chance to put up a "please use other checkout" if they feel it will add less pressure to them as they concentrate. (A practice which is highly commendable at Walmart that not all cashiers do, but should consider).

I take the items for each flyer and try to have them on the belt in the order to save flipping back and forth through flyers. Example: all the Pharma Plus sale related items together, so all the Campbell's soup would be together, not just all over on the conveyor belt.

An organized shopper makes for a less impatient cashier... in most cases.

Move from one flyer to the next. Don't forget your coupons with each purchase! That will save the cashier from having to look over your hefty list of items now in bags... and try to remember if she rang that item in or not.

Final Word About Price Matching:

The item you are matching should be the same brand, size, type, colour, etc. specified in the ad.

IF you find that a store is out of an item that you are wanting (for example, Walmart is sold out of 24x 500ml Nestle Pure Life water and you are price matching it for $2.44 at Pharma Plus; Walmart MAY (this is NOT a guarantee) choose to sell you the 12x 500mL water (same brand) for $1.22 to make up for the short fall in their stocks).

This happened to me last week when I was in the Walmart store. I bought the 12 packs for the $1.22 price because Walmart was sold out of the 24 packs (which I was going to price match to $2.44 each.

They did not have to do this. I didn't ask, nor did I even think that was an option.

Apparently, Walmart is for serving the customer and keeping the business. I was impressed with that.