Today I wanted to tell you how to price match local sales flyers in your area.
I’ve received tons of emails over the last few months asking me how I price match, if it’s easy or difficult, if I get any trouble from the cashiers – and I’m here to tell you that price matching is very easy.
Just follow these steps and you’ll be good to go:
Find the Deals
The first thing you want to do is look through your flyers and circle all of the deals that you want to price match. It’s also a good idea to write down the number of each item that you want to price match right on the flyer itself.
Make Your List
After you’ve gone through your flyers and decided what you want to price match, you need to make your shopping list.
Divide your list in two, with one section for non-price matched items and the other section for items that will be price matched (being sure to include the store name that you want to price match beside each item).
Know the Policy
You want to make sure that you know your store’s price match policy.
Determine if the store allows price matching, if there’s a limit to how many items can be price matched, and if you are allowed to use a coupon on an item you have price matched.
Bring Your Flyer(s)
Most stores require you to bring in the flyers that you want to price match to show your cashier, so make sure you have them with you and ready to go when you get up to the cash register.
There are some stores that will allow printed flyers, but only if the store is in your area. You can NOT price match stores that aren’t local.
Get the Right Item
Make sure you read the fine print of each ad you want to price match to ensure you purchase the right size, flavour, brand, etc.
If there are limits to how many items you can purchase at the store you are price matching, you will have those same limits at the store you are shopping at.
Yes, you CAN price match meat & produce.
At Walmart, they do allow you price match meat & produce.
We regularly price match things like broccoli, grapes, berries, chicken, pork chops, celery and lettuce (among other things).
Walmart price matches these items by the kilogram, so make sure the kilogram price is noted in the store ad you are price matching.
Tell Your Cashier
Let your cashier know at the beginning of your transaction that you plan to price match.
Some cashiers are very fast and if you’re not paying attention, they may scan the items you plan to price match at full price before you have a chance to tell them otherwise.
Separate Price Matches from Regular Purchases
I suggest keeping all price matched items either at the beginning or end of your transaction, instead of spread throughout. This makes it much easier for the cashier.
Price matching is one of the best ways to save money on your grocery bills every time you shop.
Though it may be a bit overwhelming at first, it gets much easier the more that you do it.
Do you price match when you go shopping?
Ok! I think I am feeling brave enough to give it a try next weekend.
Crystal: Nope, only dollar and cents offers. Also, no to the store card question.
Leah: I have only ever done it at Walmart, so I can’t say for sure in regards to other stores, but I have not heard of anyone price matching meat or produce anywhere other than Walmart. Also, no, it does not need to match the country of origin.
Beside Walmart RCSS, No Frills, Fresh Co price match items
Is Walmart the only place that price matches produce and meat ? And does the produce need to match the country of origin stated in the flyer?
I always price match at Walmart. Just few days ago I price matched Dempster’s Whole grain bread (High Land Farms – each @ $1.99) and then I also used a coupon (on 2 loaves of Dempster’s whole grain $1.00 off) and on top of it I used my employee discount …….. YAY!!! more money in my pocket. I go through the flyers, circle what I need and at the same time I write it on a piece of paper. I write down the store, the item I need with the discounted price and the Gram/Kg/L, that way I can quickly look at my list and find out if WM’s price is cheaper or the other store is cheaper without going through the flyer in middle of my shopping. At checkout I place regular price items first and PM last with the appropriate flyer. Again I refer to my list to see which flyer needs to go with which item. Keeps me organized and saves time.
And beside watching the monitor at check out also check your receipt before you leave. I have been overcharged or undercharged few times…………………. Happy Price Matching Everyone!!!
What about stores that have a deal but you need to use the store card to get the deal, can you PM those as well?
Can you PM Bogo’s or other similar deals? Thanks for the awesome info. Cassie!!! Keep it up
Tina: No, they would not price it, because it’s not a specific price.
Hi, i have a question. For Example the ads in sobeys says Catelli is 3 for $5, can I price match it in walmart?
I love price matching. I just started doing it this past year. Walmart is the best for it. At the No Frills near me they used to have to get a manager to come approve it, which of course held up the line.
I could care less what people think of me doing it. I want to be a good steward of our resources and not pay more than I have to.
You have inspired so many of us.
Thanks!
Vicki – Yes, you can.
Ashley – More people price match than you think, so many cashiers are used to it.
Julie – At Walmart, yes! Meat too.
luv2shop – Thank you!
Jenna – I actually just started doing this a few months ago and it has helped tremendously!
questiongurl – You will only be able to price match on the days thatthe item is on sale.
Angela – I agree. If people get upset that it’s taking awhile to ring through coupons or price match, I tell the people behind me that if they want to pay for my groceries, I won’t use the coupons/price match and things will be faster. I always warn people behind me that I will be awhile if I have lots of coupons to use. If they choose to stay, well – they can’t say I didn’t warn them!
Erin – Thank you so much! I am so glad that I am hekping your family save.
luv2shop – Wow, that was very rude of the lady to say!
Linda – I have never had a problem doing it.
questiongurl – yes you would only be able to pm those items on sun and mon at wal mart
you can price match produce and meat too
vicki – when you use a comp. coupon they over ride the price instead of treating it like a pm, expect the cashier to give you a hard time though as most don’t know that wal mart accepts comp coupons, i didn’t and have been employed there for four years
Great tips Cassie!! I thought you couldn’t price match weekend only specials at Walmart and Zellers. Price matching has saved me tons of money.
@luv2shop – I would have told her that nosey people weren’t allowed in that line. lol, can you you believe how some people can be so dumb?
Wow Angela, you’re such a great cashier!! I love your attitude!! You’re probably one of the very few cashiers who seem happy to see us couponers and price matchers! Everyone I encountered so far seemed less than thrilled when we have some coupons!
I went to Walmart last night and I had about 7 coupons and one lady in the line said “Extreme Cpuponing not allowed”. As if we could do anything similar to what the Americans do.
Hey Cassie – Thanks so much for all your help!! You are definitely helping our family save a TON of money. I also wanted to say – that is an AWESOME tattoo!!
Have a great weekend!
I’m back..lol.
I forgot to mention about the slip once we finish the price match at the check out. The cashier than needs to make a notation on the slip where the price match starts..At times when it is at the end of the slip, and it’s a loooooooooooong one (since we are becoming extreme price matchers here in Canada,,yahoo..gotta love it!), it can be difficulty to find where it started (or it can just be me having the hard time,,lol).
I LOVE telling customers are price matching, especially when I see them come in with all the coupons. I just told a customer last night about it. She had no idea. She had two binders filled with coupons, all dated and organized (must have found you Mrs January,,lol).I explained what Price Matching is and I told her I hope to see her next week with all the flyers..lol.
Actually, many of the cashiers will prefer you price match first..It helps keep the print out we need to take out a lot shorter than at the end.(Cashiers are required to keep a slip of all price matched items, and the list of stores) I know many customers are concerned about environment, (plastic bag use and such)…so this helps save on paper…
After being a home daycare provider for 20 years and retiring in November, I headed off to work at Walmart (my ever so favorite store!!).
I tell the customers..’we may not be able to be ‘extreme coupon’ like the Americans, but we definitely can be extreme prime matching.lol
I have saved 60 dollars a week from price matching.
Julie asked if we can price match produce, the answer is yes.
Some think they have to customer service to price match.
The cashiers at the check outs can help as long as you bring the flyers.
Someone stated about ‘holding up the line’..I tell my customers..”if they are willing to pay your bills, than fine, until than, we all have to save money to help pay the rising costs’…
It really doesn’t take that long at the check out to price match items.
I was planning on doing my own you tube video soon to share with my followers about price matching. Not only does it save you money at the store, it saves you gas from driving to all the other stores and save you time.
I keep saying..our time is money also.
Blessings smart wise lady!!!
Love the idea of circling the item in the ad & noting the quantity. When I used to PM years ago (SOF used to PM, but the one in Victoria stopped years ago and they weren’t on your PM list), I could never find the item I was price matching in the ad and people would get so mad. lol.
u know how SDM has those items that are sometimes like sunday and monday only?
if i were to go price watch at walmart with the SDM flyers for the item that is featured in their “sunday/monday” special, will i only be able to PM at walmart on those two days? or for the rest of the week as well?
Thanks Cassie for the video – it’s been very helpful!
P.S. I love seeing your stockpile behind you!
Thanks for the video! I used to feel like I was inconveniencing them and/or holding up the line for PMing… but now, forget it(!) I’ll PM whatever I can
Can produce be price matched?
when you note that Walmart will take competitor coupons does that mean the ones I find at the RCSS or Zehrs I can use at Walmart?