Walmart and Price Chopper are amongst some of the most well known stores in America. Not only do they cater to the same demographic, but they also offer some of the most affordable prices. But if you are deciding between the two stores, which one is better?
To help you answer this question, I compared both stores based on 3 factors. These 3 factors are:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article, you should have a much better idea as to which store is better for you, Price Chopper or Walmart.
Which is Better: Walmart or Price Chopper? Walmart is cheaper than Price Chopper by about 6% to 52%, across all common shopping categories. Additionally, Walmart offers 4 times the amount of products as Price Chopper. However, Price Chopper does have higher quality products, according to the FDA.
Is Walmart Cheaper Than Price Chopper?
Price point is one of the biggest decision making factors when it comes to choosing which grocery store is right for you. In other words, most customers like to shop at the store that is going to give them the best prices.
To find out which store has the cheapest prices, I gathered data on the average price for the most common store brand products. Below is a table that shows which store has the cheapest items in each shopping category.
| Category | Walmart Brand | Price Chopper Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
Walmart is anywhere from 6% to 52% cheaper than Price Chopper for all common store brand items.
It is really no surprise that Walmart is cheaper than Price Chopper. While both stores are quite affordable, Walmart dominates Price Chopper. Walmart has the cheapest items, on average, across all shopping categories. So, no matter what you are shopping for, you are likely going to get the best price at Walmart.
To give you a better visualization of what the price disparity is between these two stores, I created a bar chart that shows the average prices for each store, in each category.
As you can see, Walmart does offer lower prices. However, it should be noted that aside from the “cleaner” and “personal care” category, both prices are quite similar. In other words, Walmart is just slightly cheaper than price chopper for many of the items.
So, if price is your main concern between these two stores, then Walmart is your best option, as you are going to save the most money when shopping there.
Product Quality: Walmart vs Price Chopper
Most customers would argue that product quality is also another decision making factor. The quality of products at each store is just as important a topic as the price. When comparing Walmart and Price Chopper, which one has better quality products?
To figure this out, I took a look at the FDA recall database. This database shows the amount of product recalls that each store has had in recent years. So, the store with more product recalls is likely the one with lower quality products.
| Category | Walmart Recalls | Price Chopper Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 2 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 6 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 21 | 7 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
Walmart has significantly more product recalls than Price Chopper. More specifically, Walmart has a total of 29 recalls, whereas Price Chopper has 7. This is a significant difference.
For reference, the average amount of product recalls that most grocery stores have range from 10 to 22. So Price Chopper is a bit lower than the average and Walmart is a bit above.
If product quality is something that you prioritize, then Price chopper is a much better option for you.
Product Variety: Walmart vs Price Chopper
While this may not be as important of a factor, product variety does play a role in the decision making process. Product variety is the amount of products you have to shop from. The store with more product variety is likely the one that has everything you need. The store with more product variety will also have plenty of alternative options to most of the things you need.
| Total Walmart Products | Total Price Chopper Products |
| 120,000 | 30,000 |
Walmart has significantly more products to shop from compared to Price Chopper. Walmart has 120,000 products whereas Price Chopper has 30,000. This means that Walmart has many more options than Walmart. In other words, you are more likely to find what you need at Walmart compared to Price Chopper.
For reference, the average grocery store has about 31,000 products. While Price Chopper is right near the industry average, Walmart is way above the average.
What Does Each Store Sell?
While both stores do sell grocery store items (i.e. produce and consumables), Walmart also sells department store items. In other words, both stores have the typical supermarket items like fruit, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, etc. but Walmart also has things like clothes, appliances, etc.
As far as the supermarket products go, each store has plenty of big brand names as well as their own private label items.
Which One Should You Shop At: Walmart vs Price Chopper?
When To Shop At Walmart: Despite not having higher quality products, Walmart does still over a lot of value to each customer. Not only do they have cheaper prices, but they also have a plethora of options to pick form. They make up for their lack of quality, with their affordable prices and ample selection.
When To Shop At Price Chopper: While Price Chopper may not have the lowest prices, they do offer great quality products. They are slightly lower than the industry average in terms of product recalls, which is a great indicator that the items you purchase will be of good quality.