Which is cheaper, Wal-Mart or Dillon's?

Test Shopping Trip

I had several things I needed to buy this week and decided to use these items as a random sample to compare prices between Wal-Mart and Dillons.  Price comparisons are between store brands unless otherwise stated. Prices were compared in Topeka, Kansas on September 4, 2012.

                                                          Wal-Mart                      Coupon                         Dillons

Nine lives cat food, pack of 24 cans        $9.48                                                              $9.75
Greek Yogurt, 3 large containers            $9.76 (Oikos)                                                  $6.58 (store)
1/2 gallon milk                                        $1.96                                                               $2.19
1/2 gallon cream                                     $3.98                                                               $3.79
Vegetable Oil Spray                               $1.50                                                               $1.67
48 large Tea Bags                                  $2.88                                                               $2.09
Coffee                                                   $6.28 (33.9 oz)                                                $5.28 (34.5 oz)
Raisins                                                  $1.98                                                                $1.79
Suave Deodorant                                   $1.67                                                               $1.79
Axe Cologne, 2                                      $7.47                                                               $8.52
Onion (3 pounds)                                   $2.34   (.78 pound)                                          $2.67 (.88 pound)
Palmolive Dish Detergent, 10 oz             $1.46                                                               $ .89
Quilted Northern Bath Tissue                  $3.04   (.76 roll)                                              $1.89 (.47 roll)
Butter                                                     $2.48                            $.40 (Dillons in store)  $2.29
Ramon Noodles                                      $ .78                             $.50                           $ .85

                                                               $57.06                                                            $52.04
Minus coupons including store issued
 coupons good only at Dillons and
doubled at Dillons
                                                               $   .75                                                              $ 1.90
Total after coupons (before tax)              $ 56.31                                                             $ 50.14

The answer is each store has items that cost less than the other store.  The trick is to try and buy as many items as possible at the store with the lowest price.  If you purchased all of the above items where they were cheapest after coupon,  you would pay $48.12 before tax.  This is about an $8 difference. If you saved $8 every week, you would save $416 in a year.

The prices above include Dillon's sale prices for the week purchased.  I have found many grocery store sale prices are less expensive than the regular price at Wal-Mart, especially when you factor in double coupons. You can price match at Wal-Mart but they do not double coupons. This is why it is good to keep a price book to compare prices (see previous post).