Unprofitable and low-quality: 8 products you can't buy at Walmart

Sometimes buying from a leader with low prices does not turn out to be a bargain. MoneyTalksNews.

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Despite all the changes in the shopping world in recent years, one thing has remained remarkably constant: if you want to get the most out of your investment, Walmart is the place to be.

The low-priced leader continues to offer the best deals in town on many of the items you need and want. However, there are times when buying something at Walmart is not profitable or the product will not last long. Here are some of these products.

1. Batteries

If you buy batteries from Walmart, you can get a decent deal. The problem is, you can get more elsewhere.

A pack of 40 Duracell Coppertop Alkaline AA alkaline batteries at Walmart costs $ 29,99. But if you go to your local Costco, you can find the same batteries for $ 17,99.

Even cheaper are batteries from Costco's own brand, Kirkland Signature, which are actually manufactured by Duracell.

2. Some personal care products

Before buying a favorite brand product, such as shower gel or lotion, from Walmart, check to see if Target sells a similar product.

The Target Up & Up brand has many products similar to the popular ones. For example, Money Talks News managing editor Carla Boucher says she buys several Up & Up products that are intended to be Aveeno equivalents. She believes the counterparts are good enough for her and cheaper than branded versions, even at Walmart prices.

Other counterparts that she saw in Up & Up are compared to products from brands such as:

• Aquaphor
• Cetaphil
• Gold bond
• Jergens
• Neutrogena
• St. Ives
• Vaseline

You can find the Up & Up analogy by looking at the front of the Up & Up product packaging with the word "Compare with" followed by the name of the branded product.

3. Wooden furniture

Wood furniture may be inexpensive at Walmart, but that doesn't mean it's a bargain.

Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst at DealNews.com, told Reader's Digest that the cheapest wood furniture at Walmart tends to be made from materials like chipboard.

“Unfortunately, this often means these parts won’t withstand one move, let alone several, and won’t be able to handle minor scuffs and scratches,” she said.

The best retailers for purchasing wood furniture are Ikea and Amazon.

On the subject: 24 Costco Shopping Secrets Only Employees Know About

4. Mobile tariff with prepaid

If you're buying a low-cost mobile phone plan, it's natural to assume that Walmart will be one of your best options.

But that's not the case, according to the staff at Tom's Guide. Four years ago, they reviewed Walmart's exclusive cellular service, Straight Talk, and declared, "Straight Talk is the worst phone carrier in America."

“Straight Talk had the slowest LTE speed of any carrier we tested, and it was also last when we tested customer service. "Straight Talk's performance in other areas - smartphone plans, phone selection and special features - was not sufficient to close the gap between it and other carriers," they said.

True, a lot could have changed in four years. However, in a more recent review, Clark.com also voiced some negative thoughts about Straight Talk. After examining the service, the website concluded that it is not very suitable for those who want maximum data transfer speeds, frequent customer support, or require an unlimited mobile hotspot.

5. Fresh fruits and vegetables

Two shopping experts, Kendal Perez and Trae Bodge, say the fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs sold at Walmart are withering in the face of competition and often aren't as fresh or cheap as you might expect.

Perez says her local farmers' market usually offers better deals. For his part, Boge offers to buy organic produce from Trader Joe's or Aldi. She also notes that Amazon Prime members who shop at Whole Foods often receive exclusive discounts on select items.

On the subject: Inexpensive items not worth buying at Costco

6. Suitcases

Have you finally booked a vacation after a year of the pandemic? Don't rush to Walmart for your suitcases.

Consumer Reports says luggage from Walmart and other retailers such as Sears, Burlington, Target, Ross, Hudson's Bay and Marshall's are "at the bottom of our rankings."

CR says shopping at independent specialty luggage stores is your best bet. He adds that the following brands also score highly (in that order):

• Luggage pros
• Away
• Amazon
• LLBean
• REI
• Rick steves
• eBags
• Costco
• Tumi

7. Laptops

Buying a laptop at Walmart is probably not a good fit for most people.

Lindsay Sacraida, director of content marketing for DealNews.com, told GOBankingRates that "less than 1% of DealNews laptop deals were from Walmart, which means your chances of finding a good price there are very slim."

Sacraida says you're luckier if you search for coupons and shop in the Microsoft Store or buy directly from Lenovo, HP and Dell.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

8. Nuts and seeds

Experts on the Internet are united in their belief that it is not worth buying nuts and seeds from Walmart. You can almost certainly find better deals elsewhere. As Regina Novickis from Slickdeals told GOBankingRates:

“You'll find much better deals on nuts and seeds at stores like Aldi and Trader Joe's,” she said. “On average, Walmart costs about $1,50 more per pound for whole almonds than Trader Joe's, and mixed nuts cost about $1 more per bag than Aldi.”

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