Shopping for groceries shouldn’t be stressful or expensive. If you’re looking for the best deals and a good experience, you may want to compare LIDL and Walmart.
Both shops can be great for different people. Consider your situation and learn more about each store to help choose where to spend your money.
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How Do LIDL and Walmart Compare?
Walmart and LIDL both offer low prices, though neither is cheaper across the board. Of course, Walmart has more products and locations. But you might get better quality items if you shop at LIDL, even if you have fewer items to choose from.
Before you shop at either store, think about the differences. Then, you can decide if one is better for you or if you want to shop at both stores.
Store Brand Pricing
One of the most important comparisons is how each store will affect your wallet. LIDL and Walmart are both cheaper than the other in certain categories.
You’ll find cheaper prices at LIDL when shopping for:
- Canned goods
- Cleaning supplies
- Frozen foods
- Personal care items
However, Walmart has the cheaper prices when it comes to:
- Beverages
- Baking goods
- Dairy
- Dry goods
If you live close enough to both stores, split your shopping. That will be the best way to save more money on your total bill. But if you only live near one or the other, you can still save, even if it’s only in a few categories.
Number of Products
Another significant factor in choosing where to shop is how many items you can pick from. If you’re a picky eater or have a picky eater in the family, this can be critical. And the difference in product variety is massive between LIDL and Walmart.
If you shop at LIDL, you can choose from 3,500 different products. This includes all of the various brands and sizes of packages. However, shopping at Walmart gives you access to 120,000 items.
Now, that large number may include items outside of the grocery section. Still, they probably have more food items than your local LIDL store.
Product Recalls
You should also consider the quality of products, and looking at the recalls can help. Both stores have had some recalls, and it’s hard to completely avoid them. But looking at the numbers and percentages can offer a look into the quality.
LIDL has had five food and beverage recalls and one animal and vet item recall. Meanwhile, Walmart has faced 21 food and beverage recalls. When you include the two animal and vet items and six drugs that have had recalls, the total comes to 29.
That may sound like a lot, but compare those totals to the number of products overall. The six LIDL recalls come out to 0.17% of all products. Even though Walmart has had more recalls, its recall rate is 0.02%.
Locations
Whether you travel often or move frequently, you should consider if you can use the same store in different places. That way, you won’t have to find a new store every time you leave town.
If you shop at LIDL, you can find 175 stores across 147 cities in 9 states. All of those locations are on the east coast ranging from Georgia up to New York.
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Walmart is much larger. You’ll find at least one Walmart location in all 50 states plus Washington DC. The company also has stores abroad, and the worldwide number of stores surpasses 10,000.
Rewards Program
If you want to save as much money as possible, you should join a rewards program. Luckily, both grocery stores have at least one option.
At LIDL, you can join MyLIDL Rewards to earn exclusive perks that change each month. The more you spend, the more rewards you’ll earn. Discounts are the most common reward, and you can use their app to track your progress toward a reward.
Walmart has a couple of programs that can help you save money. First, you can join Walmart+ to earn rewards when you shop online or in a store. Then, you can redeem those rewards when you reach the checkout counter or page. There’s also a Walmart credit card that will give you cashback when you use it to purchase items at Walmart and elsewhere.
Working There
You might also want to consider what it’s like to work at each store. Maybe you need a job or a second job, or you may just want to know how the employees feel.
LIDL employees rate their CEO about seven percent higher than Walmart. The smaller grocery store also ranks higher when it comes to overall culture, gender, and employee perks and benefits.
However, Walmart has a higher score when it comes to diversity and professional development. So consider your priorities for a job if you want to work at either place.
Shop at Both LIDL and Walmart
If you live near both stores, you can shop at LIDL and Walmart. Doing that can be a great way to lower your overall grocery spending.
You can buy specific items at the cheaper store. For example, you might get canned and frozen foods from LIDL but buy dairy and dry goods at Walmart.
Is LIDL Better Than Walmart?
LIDL is a much smaller grocery chain than Walmart. However, it charges less than the massive retailer in certain categories, such as personal care items. Be sure to consider how close you live to each store, and don’t be afraid to shop at both for your necessities.