Yahoo Finance Shopping for Groceries at 2 Stores? These Are the Best Pairings for Your Budget
More and more shoppers struggling to cope with stubbornly high food costs are splitting their time between multiple retailers because each tends to offer better prices on some things than others.
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“Consumers are spreading out their grocery purchases across different stores to get better deals,” said Andy Cooper, financial analyst and market trends expert at CouponBirds. He said one study from 2023 indicated that 40% of consumers shopped at multiple grocery stores to find the lowest prices.
The trick is knowing which stores to pair up according to what you intend to buy. Here are some tried-and-true duos to consider.
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First, Understand the Good and Bad
Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews, outlined the drawbacks and benefits of shopping at more than one store to save the most money.
The Pros
The first benefit is that you’re more likely to increase your savings by spreading your money around.
“By shopping multiple stores, you can ensure you’re getting the best unit price on your favorite items rather than having to settle for a product or brand you might not ordinarily purchase just because it’s all that’s available,” Ramhold said.
Another pro is the ability to cash in on multiple loyalty programs.
“Many retailers have some form of loyalty program now, so by shopping multiple stores, you can take advantage of all of those perks,” Ramhold said. “It does mean needing to take the time to decide which store is best for a particular item in any given week, but it can be worth it if it results in major savings over time.”
Finally, there’s the benefit of scoring discounts on different generics.
“Most, if not all, store chains have their own in-house brands of different items, especially when it comes to groceries,” Ramhold said. “But not all generics are created equal; and, honestly, even the best generic labels may not have superior products across the board.”
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The Cons
The biggest drawback is the tradeoff of spending time to save money.
“Shopping multiple stores takes more time overall,” Ramhold said. “Driving to stores and physically doing the shopping for multiple retailers is going to take up a decent chunk of time, and every store you add to the list is only going to make that worse.”
Another negative is that more stores make shopping more complicated.
“Not only does it mean going to multiple retailers, but it also means making different lists and organizing different offers or coupons to use at each location,” Ramhold said. “Additionally, if you go to one store first and skip an item on your list because you’re planning to buy it at a later stop, only to discover the item is sold out elsewhere, then you’ll have to backtrack to get the item. And, if it’s full price there, then that also means you’re spending more than you wanted.”
With that in mind, these are the best retail duos for saving money on groceries.
Target and Walmart
Ramhold said the tandem that she calls “the OG big-box stores” offer affordable prices on a wide range of products — and budget-minded shoppers can get the best from both.
“It’s especially useful if you’re shopping for groceries since Walmart may have different items compared to Target or items geared towards different kinds of shoppers,” she said. “For instance, you may find certain specialty items at Target that you can’t find at Walmart or even vice versa. Walmart is also known for partnering with some brands to release exclusive products; so, if there’s a particular item you’re looking for, Walmart may be the only place you can find it.”
Target and Kroger
Because Kroger is more of a traditional grocery store, Ramhold said, it complements Target well for those looking to pick up select groceries and seeking a bigger selection than Target’s.
“Target is still worth shopping for some items, particularly dried goods, but you may find more choices at Kroger,” she said. “So, if you’re looking for a particular baking mix for instance, it’s worth shopping there. Additionally, Kroger will have better ‘stock-up’ sales, with buy-more-and-save types of promotions. That said, Target has Target Circle, which has hundreds of savings offers every week, so don’t assume Kroger will always have the best price.”
Walmart and Kroger
Kroger also pairs well with the other OG big-box store.
“While Walmart may not have buy-more-and-save types of promotions, Kroger certainly does,” Ramhold said, “so you may find Walmart suitable to get most items and Kroger best for stocking up during certain sales.”
Walmart and Aldi
The previous duos are all good, but Walmart and Aldi make up Ramhold’s favorite one-two punch.
“This may be the most affordable of the store pairs, as Aldi has excellent prices on a ton of goods, especially under its in-house brands,” she said. “However, it’s usually best to avoid shopping for name-brand items at Aldi; so, if you’re hoping for Oreo cookies or Kellogg’s cereals, Walmart should be your go-to for items like that in this pair.”
Walmart and Costco
As the world’s largest retailer, Walmart offers deals that shoppers can’t find in their regional grocery chains.
“Walmart offers the best deals on fresh produce,” Cooper said. “For example, 11 ounces of fresh blueberries cost $3.87 at Walmart or $0.35 per ounce. At Safeway, 18 ounces of blueberries cost $7.99, or $0.44 per ounce — 26% higher than Walmart.
“Additionally, a 4-pound bag of cara cara navel oranges at Walmart costs $4.97, or $1.24 per pound. At Safeway, the unit price of cara cara navel oranges is $1.99 per pound — 60% higher than Walmart.”
But Costco, the country’s largest warehouse membership club, can beat Walmart on things such as batteries, milk, coffee, bakery goods, flowers and non-perishable items, Cooper said.
“For example, 43.5-ounce Folgers Classic roast ground coffee costs $12.99 at Costco,” he said. “At Walmart, the same product costs $21.45, or 65% higher.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Shopping for Groceries at 2 Stores? These Are the Best Pairings for Your Budget
