Does It Pay To Shop At Retail Giants Like Amazon And Walmart?
Staying at home and shopping online go hand-in-hand. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more Americans than ever turning to their keyboards to shop for key items: food, day-to-day supplies, clothing, pet must-haves, entertainment, and more.
Large digital storefronts like Amazon.com and Walmart.com lure consumers with quick access and easy convenience, but as you’re browsing one site after another you can’t help but wonder if you’re securing the best deal and snagging the best price.
One way to find out: Put a free browser extension like Capital One Shopping to work. The service price-checks the item you’re searching for to find the best deal, takes into account tax and shipping when determining costs, and searches for coupon codes that are then automatically applied at check out.
With the help of Capital One Shopping, price differences between Amazon.com and Walmart.com can be easily determined, as can better-priced deals offered by competitors. The following savings, found on November 19, 2020, show which retailer had the better deal on everything from a lumbar work chair to an espresso maker to an Alfred Hitchcock Blu-ray set.
Amazon.com. | Walmart.com. | Capital One Shopping
| Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones | $169.05 | $175.76 | $163.93 (Aldorama) |
| Pikmin 3 Deluxe – Nintendo Switch | $63.21 | $63.48 | $48.88 (eBay) |
| BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium-Plated Ultra-Thin Straightening Iron | $137.79 | $103.35 | $80.99 (Groupon) |
| OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner | $31.75 | $45.87 | $29.55 (Macy’s) |
| Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Collection Blu-Ray Set | $94.36 | $96.99 | $89.02 (Amazon Marketplace) |
| DeLonghi EC702 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Maker | $232.13 | $306.43 | $218.99 (Amazon Marketplace) |
| Kobo Clara HD 6″ Carta E Ink Touchscreen E-Reader | $137.58 | $123.57 | $118.30 (eBay) |
| Apple AirPods with Charging Case | $164.22 | $132.86 | $100.10 (eBay) |
| Samsung 970 EVO 1TB – NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD | $137.79 | N/A | $128.71 (Newegg) |
| LEGO Architecture New York City | $50.87 | $49.44 | $42.53 (eBay, with coupon) |
| HON Ignition 2.0 Adjustable Lumbar Work Chair | $319.62 | $311.66 | $301.53 (Amazon Marketplace) |
| Oral-B Pro 1500 CrossAction Electric Toothbrush | $74.17 | $72.08 | $49.10 (eBay) |
| Wanjiaone LED Desk Lamp | $49.99 | $80.46 | $45.72 (eBay, with coupon) |
| Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer | $211.95 | $205.96 | $172.90 (eBay) |
| uni-ball Jetstream RT Ballpoint Pens 12 Count | $23.31 | $40.91 | $21.99 (Amazon Marketplace) |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – PS5 | $67.82 | $51.45 | $50.05 (ebay) |
Price-checking items with Capital One Shopping can help you save big on routine purchases as well as on that big splurge you’ve been putting off. In 2020 alone, Capital One Shopping saved its customers more than $160 million.
Bottom line: Amazon and Walmart offer great deals, but not always the best deals. It just goes to show that when you expand your shopping horizons, the sky’s limit when it comes to savings.