LAKELAND, FL - Publix is upping the ante and pushing ahead with its lower price campaign by comparing its own prices against Walmart's. Weekly ads address Walmart's 'lowest price' claims by telling shoppers how much they can save shopping at Publix, according to a report in Forbes.
“Walmart doesn’t always have the lowest price,” declares Publix’s weekly ad. “Save $31.45 this week at Publix.”
Walmart started running ads in 2012, comparing its prices to competitors and in some instances even naming retail chains. Publix responded with billboards and ads challenging Walmart’s low price claims, this spring.
“All the supermarkets have gotten smarter about how their competing against Walmart,” says Neil Stern, Senior Partner with McMillan Doolittle, a retail consultancy. “They’re being smarter and more strategic in the way they fight them.”
Many retailers like Publix have decided it’s better to come close to Walmart’s pricing on a list of roughly 500 essential items, the report notes. Stern says, that this means less margin, or profit, but retailers will try to make it up on items that matter a little less.
Food Lion has also recently taken aim at Walmart with one of its recent ads. The Food Lion ad jabs at an area in which Wal-Mart has already taken flack – its customer service.
It features a shopper at what appears to be a representation of a Wal-Mart asking an employee where she can find the maple syrup. The customer waits for an excessive amount of time while the employee calls different departments trying to locate the item. “Ok,” he says, hanging up the phone, “The cough syrup’s over in the pharmacy.”
“Don’t deal with the Wal-Mart runaround,” states a matter-of-fact voiceover.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as the retail price battle heats up!
