For savvy shoppers, finding a good deal isn’t enough. After you’ve hit checkout, if you find a better price elsewhere, price matching policies can be the key to maximizing your savings. At many big box stores, retailers offer price matching, AKA, if you find a product at a better price elsewhere, a retailer matches the cheaper price. Target was one of the biggest retailers to offer price matching, but that comes to an end on July 28.
As reported by Retail Dive, Target is ending its price-match policy. Previously, the retailer allowed customers to price match products at the time of or within 14 days of purchase. Target did restrict where customers could price match from, only matching Amazon or Walmart prices. But as of July 28, Target will end its price-match policy completely, joining the likes of those same retailers — Amazon and Walmart — as big name brands without price-match guarantees.
In a statement to Retail Dive, a spokesperson for Target said that customers, “overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers,” implying that customers were already finding the best price at the retailer.
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However, the change in policy comes in the face of looming price hikes due to tariffs. Reddit users claiming to be Walmart employees took to Reddit to detail the price hikes on everyday products like cocoa powder, which have jumped nearly 80% in price. Reporting from Business Insider showed that similar products faced the same increase in prices.
So what does this mean for consumers? Price matching helps shoppers in a crowded retailer market. It serves as a savings safety net; if you were to purchase a product at one retailer and find it cheaper at another, you could price match it to get the extra savings. Without these policies, it leaves the responsibility on the consumer to do the research ahead of time to ensure the most savings.
Target shoppers still have time to enjoy the retailers price-match policy before it comes to an end on July 28.
