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In a retail world that Amazon seems to be taking over, Target and Walmart are doing whatever they can to drive traffic to their stores and websites — including being very competitive when it comes to price.
But is a price war between these two retail giants really going on? Team Clark decided to take a closer look…
For Clark.com’s June 2019 price comparison, we chose to focus on Target and Walmart’s online prices now that they both offer fast and free shipping on eligible items for orders over $35 — no membership required.
I reviewed the prices of 30 items from national brands in categories like health and beauty, cleaning supplies, food and toys.
Big-box retailers don’t always make it easy to conduct an apples-to-apples comparison. For example, Walmart and Target both sell Bounty paper towels on their websites, but they’re packaged in different sizes and quantities.
I left out items like those from this price comparison and included exact matches only. Check out what I found…
Target vs. Walmart price comparison — June 2019 | ||
Item | Target price | Walmart price |
| Tide Original Liquid Laundry Detergent, 100 oz | $11.99 | $11.97 |
| Downy April Fresh Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets, 240 count | $9.29 | $8.94 |
| Angel Soft Toilet Paper, 18 mega rolls | $14.99 | $14.97 |
| Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 55, 3 oz | $7.99 | $7.97 |
| OFF! Smooth & Dry Aerosol Twin Pack, 8 fl oz | $11.89 | $11.89 |
| Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean Shampoo, 20.1 fl oz | $4.99 | $4.97 |
| Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Deodorant Stick, 3 oz | $4.49 | $4.43 |
| Secret pH Balanced Powder Fresh Invisible Solid Antiperspirant and Deodorant Twin Pack, 5.2 oz | $4.99 | $4.97 |
| Crest 3D White, Whitening Toothpaste Radiant Mint, 4.1 oz, Pack of 3 | $9.99 | $9.97 |
| Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash Oral Care And Breath Freshener, 1.5 L | $6.59 | $6.57 |
| Philips Sonicare Essence Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush | $24.99 | $24.97 |
| Olay Moisturizing Face Lotion for Sensitive Skin, 6.0 fl oz | $9.49 | $9.49 |
| Opti-Free Pure Moist Contact Solution, 20 fl oz | $16.99 | $16.96 |
| Windex Original Glass Cleaner Spray, 26 fl oz | $3.29 | $3.12 |
| Febreze Fabric Refresher with Gain Original, 27 oz | $4.99 | $4.94 |
| Pledge Multi Surface Antibacterial Everyday Cleaner, 9.7 oz | $4.69 | $4.48 |
| Shark Navigator Freestyle Cordless Stick Vacuum | $119.99 | $97.87 |
| Magic Bullet NutriBullet Pro 900 Series | $79.99 | $79.00 |
| Keurig K-Select Single-Serve Coffee Brewer | $129.99 | $129.99 |
| Energizer Max AAA Batteries, 4 count | $4.49 | $4.11 |
| Larabar Fruit & Nut Food Bar, 5 count | $5.29 | $4.77 |
| Oreo Cookies, Chocolate, 19.1 oz | $3.69 | $3.56 |
| Coca-Cola, 12 fl oz, 12 count | $4.89 | $4.88 |
| Folgers Gourmet Supreme Dark Roast Ground Coffee, 24.2 oz | $7.49 | $7.48 |
| Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, 40 oz | $5.49 | $5.44 |
| Doritos Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips Party Size!, 15 oz. | $4.79 | $3.98 |
| Rold Gold Tiny Twists Pretzels, 16 oz | $2.99 | $2.48 |
| LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 | $11.99 | $11.99 |
| Monopoly | $13.49 | $13.49 |
| Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon | $99.99 | $119.90 |
| Total | $646.20 | $639.55 |
| Price comparison conducted on June 24, 2019 | ||
Walmart was $6.65 cheaper than Target, though many items were priced the same or separated by only a few pennies.
Team Clark conducted a similar Target and Walmart price comparison back in June of 2018. At the time, Walmart was less than $5 cheaper than Target on nearly $600 worth of merchandise.
We tried to compare the same items this year, but made substitutions when identical products weren’t available.
Target vs. Walmart price comparison — June 2018 | ||
Item | Target price | Walmart price |
| Tide Original High Efficiency Liquid Laundry Detergent, 100 oz | $11.99 | $11.97 |
| Bounce Fabric Softener Dryer Sheets, Outdoor Fresh, 240 sheets | $9.99 | $8.94 |
| Angel Soft Toilet Paper, 18 mega rolls | $14.99 | $14.97 |
| Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 55, 3 oz | $7.99 | $7.97 |
| OFF! Smooth & Dry Aerosol Twin Pack, 8 fl oz | $11.89 | $11.99 |
| Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean Shampoo, 20.1 fl oz | $4.99 | $4.97 |
| Dove Men+Care Clean Comfort Deodorant Stick, 3 oz | $4.39 | $4.43 |
| Secret pH Balanced Powder Fresh Invisible Solid Antiperspirant and Deodorant Twin Pack, 5.2 oz | $3.99 | $3.97 |
| Crest 3D White Radiant Mint Whitening Toothpaste, 4.8 oz, dual pack | $6.99 | $6.92 |
| Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic Mouthwash Oral Care And Breath Freshener, 1.5 L | $5.99 | $5.97 |
| Philips Sonicare Essence 1 Series Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush | $19.99 | $19.95 |
| Olay Moisturizing Face Lotion for Sensitive Skin, 6.0 fl oz | $8.99 | $8.99 |
| Opti-Free Pure Moist Contact Solution, 20 fl oz | $16.99 | $16.96 |
| Windex Original Glass Cleaner Spray, 23 fl oz | $3.09 | $3.12 |
| Febreze Fabric Refresher with Gain Original, 27 oz | $4.99 | $4.94 |
| Pledge Multi Surface Antibacterial Everyday Cleaner, 9.7 oz | $4.19 | $4.23 |
| Shark Navigator Freestyle Cordless Stick Vacuum | $99.99 | $99.99 |
| Magic Bullet NutriBullet Pro 900 Series | $79.99 | $79.99 |
| Keurig K-Select Single-Serve Coffee Brewer | $129.99 | $129.99 |
| Energizer Max AAA Batteries, 4 count | $3.69 | |
| Larabar Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Bars, 5 count | $4.99 | |
| Oreo Cookies, Chocolate, 14.3 oz | $2.99 | |
| Coca-Cola, 12 fl oz, 12 count | $4.99 | |
| Folgers Gourmet Supreme Dark Roast Ground Coffee, 24.2 oz | $7.49 | |
| Jif Creamy Peanut Butter, 40 oz | $5.79 | |
| Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips, 9.75 oz | $3.00 | |
| Rold Gold Tiny Twists Pretzels, 16 oz | $2.99 | |
| LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs 31058 | $12.19 | |
| Monopoly | $14.79 | |
| Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon | $78.99 | |
| Total | $593.31 | $588.58 |
| Price comparison conducted on June 25, 2018 | ||
Team Clark’s price comparison only looked at 30 items, but it’s very clear that the price war reported in 2018 has continued into 2019.
As I looked through the price comparisons from both years, it’s obvious that the retailers are watching each other’s every move. Many essentials are priced just a penny or two off.
Keep in mind that I didn’t take into account other factors that could affect the totals: cash back credit cards, coupons and rebate apps.
I suggest that you make a list of the items that you buy most frequently and conduct your own price comparison. Your results may vary! And always use tools like Google Shopping to find the best deals before you buy.
Do you prefer to shop at Walmart or Target? Let us know why in the comments below!
This post was last modified on June 28, 2019 6:00 pm
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