Walmart’s got that chaotic energy we all secretly love—one minute you’re buying toothpaste, the next you’re walking out with a kayak and 200 pizza rolls. Along the way, it’s picked up a ton of myths, random rumors, and hilarious “I swear this happened” stories. Even so, we keep showing up—for the prices, the convenience, and maybe the chance to witness something weird in the clearance aisle. Let’s dig into the myths, the money-saving tricks, and all the messy, oddly specific Walmart lore people can’t stop talking about.

Myth #1: Flipped Products on Top Shelf Aren’t for Sale

The Myth: “Walmart flips around products on the top shelf so you won’t buy them.”

The Truth: In actuality, Walmart does this to try and draw your eyes to a product and have it stand out, especially if they’re overstocked and want to move a product quickly.

They’ll also do it if they want you to buy the older stock first and flipped around stuff that has a further out expiration date.

Savings Tip: Grab the product off the top shelf, especially if it’s flipped around, and you’ll get a fresher item that won’t expire in the near future.

NOT A MYTH: CLEARANCE ITEMS OFTEN HAVE WRONG PRICE ON THEM

Items are often discounted further than the Walmart shelf tag shows, but the price reduction isn’t always advertised. To find these hidden deals, download the Walmart app and scan items in-store. Sometimes clearance items ring up at even lower prices than marked.

This works best in categories like electronics, seasonal items, and clothing. You might find items up to 90% off that weren’t advertised as on sale.

Myth #2: Walmart Limits How Many Items You Can Buy

The Myth: “Walmart won’t let you buy too many things at once.”

The Messy Truth: Nah. Unless you’re hoarding PlayStations on Black Friday or trying to snag the last 37 bottles of hand sanitizer during a shortage, Walmart generally doesn’t care how much you toss in your cart. No rule says “Only 47 items per customer.” Pile it high, my friend.

But Here’s the Catch: If you’re being that person clearing out an entire shelf of Valentine’s M&M’s or all the discounted patio lights, someone might step in and gently suggest you leave a few for the rest of humanity. That’s where this myth probably started.

You can basically buy out half the store—just don’t act like you’re prepping for snack-ageddon and you’ll be fine.

Funny Twist: Some people believe Walmart has limits because of stories where shoppers tried to buy entire shelves of products (like snacks or seasonal decorations) and were politely asked to “leave a little for others.” This has led to the myth that Walmart enforces transaction limits across the board.

See Also: Smart Ways to Save the Next Time You Shop at Walmart

Myth #3: “Hidden Discounts” at Midnight

The Myth: “If you hit up Walmart at midnight, you’ll score secret deals no one else gets.”

The Truth: Yeah, no. Midnight isn’t some magical discount hour. The aisles might be quieter and the vibe a little weird, but the prices? Same as they were at 3 p.m. Rollbacks and clearance stickers don’t suddenly pop up because the moon’s out.

Why People Think This: Sometimes they restock shelves overnight, so if you’re lucky, you might catch something freshly marked down or finally back in stock. But that’s just timing—not some hush-hush discount code.

Funny-ish Reality: Some folks are out here like, “Gotta hit Walmart at midnight for the deals!” Meanwhile, the only thing they walk out with is a full cart of regret snacks and a random throw pillow. Just shop when you’re awake, it’s fine.

Myth #4: The In-Store Brand Is Low Quality

The Myth: “Great Value and Equate? Nah, those are just the cheap knockoffs of the real stuff.”

The Truth: Look, just because it’s not wrapped in flashy branding doesn’t mean it’s junk. A lot of Walmart’s Great Value and Equate stuff is literally made in the same factories as the big-name brands. You’re just not paying for the pretty label or the million-dollar ad campaign.

Real Talk: Their mac & cheese? Solid. Their ibuprofen? Works just like the name brand—but your wallet won’t cry.

Sloppy Savings Tip: Test the waters with basics—pasta, canned beans, shampoo, that kind of stuff. Odds are you’ll be like, “Wait, why was I paying double for this before?”

Wanna know what slaps and what flops? Hit up the online reviews or scroll through those local Facebook groups—folks love spilling the tea on Walmart finds.

See Also: 3 Ways to Make Money Off Your Walmart Receipts

Myth #5: Cents Column on Price Tags Reveals Discounts

The Myth: “The cents column on Walmart’s price tags tells you if an item is on clearance, about to be discontinued, or specially discounted.”

The Truth: There’s a popular belief that if an item’s price ends in a specific number, like $0.97 or $0.88, it indicates a hidden discount status—such as a clearance, a discontinued product, or a special markdown.

While some stores, like Costco, do use specific cents endings to signal such things, Walmart doesn’t consistently follow this practice across all stores or departments.

Pricing at Walmart is typically based on standard markups, or to make you feel like you’re getting a great deal, rather than a “hidden code”.

Reality Check: Walmart’s Rollbacks and clearance tags are generally clearly marked with bright signage, so you don’t need to decipher cents to spot discounts.

However, you can often find deeply discounted items by checking the clearance aisles, especially after holiday seasons or during end-of-year sales.

Myth #6: All Walmart Stores Are the Same

The Myth: “If the price ends in .88 or .97 at Walmart, boom—clearance, secret deal, last one ever!”

The Truth: Nahhh. People love pretending there’s some secret Walmart pricing code, but it’s not that deep. Those weird cents? Just marketing fluff to make $4.88 feel way cheaper than $5. That’s it. No secret handshake required.

What’s Actually Happening: Walmart’s not out here playing pricing Sudoku. If something’s on clearance, they’ll slap a big ol’ yellow sticker on it. No need to squint at the price tag like you’re cracking the Da Vinci Code.

Real Talk Tip: Want deals? Go dig through the clearance section like the rest of us. Especially after a holiday—half the stuff is dirt cheap and kinda random (looking at you, Santa-shaped popcorn tin in April).

See Also: Clever Savings Hacks for ALL Walmart Shoppers

Myth #7: The Best Deals Are Only During the Holidays

The Myth: “You have to wait for Black Friday or Christmas for Walmart’s best deals.”

The Truth: Walmart offers deals throughout the year, not just during the holidays.

Clearance events happen regularly, and “Rollback” prices are available on popular items all year long.

Savings Tip: Look out for clearance events at the end of each season.

For instance, back-to-school items often go on sale in September, and summer gear can be found at discounts starting in August.

You can also check out Walmart’s online clearance section for exclusive web-only deals.

Myth #8: Walmart is Always Open 24/7

The Myth: “Walmart is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

The Truth: While some Walmart stores used to be open around the clock, this changed after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many stores cut back their hours.

Most locations now operate on a more traditional schedule, closing overnight.

However, hours can vary by location, so it’s always best to check before making a late-night trip.

Fun Fact: Some Walmart stores have returned to extended hours, and a few even remain open 24/7, but these are rare and location-dependent.

NOT A MYTH: SHOP ON WEEKDAY MORNINGS

Early in the day, during the week, Walmart restocks shelves and updates clearance items. You’ll have first dibs on fresh markdowns, especially in high-demand sections like produce, meat, and dairy.

Early morning is also quieter, so you can shop more efficiently without crowds, and you’ll have a better chance of finding clearance items before they sell out.

See Also: We Breakdown the Complicated Walmart Return Policy

Myth #9: They Tracks Your Every Move

The Myth: “Walmart’s got some Big Brother tech that follows you around the store, watching every move and tracking your every snack craving.”

The Truth: Look, they’ve got cameras, sure. But unless you’re trying to smuggle out a toaster oven in your sweatpants, they’re not that interested in your stroll through frozen foods. They’re watching for theft, not keeping tabs on how long you stared at the Oreos.

What’s Actually Going On: They care way more about what you’re doing online. Like, if you clicked on cat litter and Pop-Tarts at 2 a.m., that gets tracked. In-store? Unless you’re doing something sketchy near the electronics section, you’re probably just background noise.

Real Talk: Self-checkout feels judgey, we know. That robot voice yelling “Unexpected item in bagging area” is the real villain here. But no, it’s not because they’re analyzing your cart for deep insights. It’s just trying to keep people from walking out with 12 packs of gum and zero receipts.

Myth #10: They Accept Any and Every Coupon

The Myth: “You can bring any coupon to Walmart, and they’ll accept it.”

The Truth: Walmart has a specific coupon policy and doesn’t accept all coupons, especially if they seem suspicious or aren’t from verified sources.

Some shoppers mistakenly believe they can use extreme couponing tactics to get items for free or nearly free, but Walmart has strict policies to avoid fraud.

Savings Tip: You can still stack some manufacturer coupons with Walmart’s Rollback prices to save extra, but always check their policy online before attempting any extreme couponing tricks.

See Also: How to Find “Hidden” Walmart Clearance Deals

Myth #11: Walmart is Always the Cheapest Option

The Myth: “Walmart’s always the cheapest, no matter what. Period.”

The Truth: Ehhh… not quite. Walmart usually has good prices, yeah—but if you think everything there is rock-bottom cheap, you’re probably overpaying for at least a few things. Target, Costco, even freakin’ Amazon sneak in with better deals all the time, depending on the product.

What’s Actually Up: People just assume Walmart = cheapest because of the whole “Save Money. Live Better” vibe. But that $6.98 box of cereal? Could be $4.99 at Costco. Or $5.12 on Amazon. Or on sale at Target with a gift card promo. You gotta do some digging.

Pro Tip: Use price-comparison apps like Honey, ShopSavvy, or even just Google Shopping before you checkout. And yeah, Walmart’s Rollbacks and flyers do have gems—just don’t treat ‘em like gospel.

Oh, and if you’re a regular, look into Walmart+. Free shipping, gas discounts, and some early deal access? Not bad if you’re already shopping there like it’s your second home.

Myth #12: Self-Checkout at Walmart is the Future

The Myth: “Walmart self-checkout is so popular that it’s going to overtake the actual “cashier powered” checkout lines.”

The Truth: Walmart is actually rethinking the self-checkout aisles and have removed them completely from some locations.

Turns out many customers hate the self-checkout lane and how often they encounter an error that a Walmart employee has to come over and fix.

As retail theft is still on the rise, it’s pretty obvious that self-checkout has something to do with this. I personally have seen someone steal from the self-checkout lane a half-dozen times. It typically involves slipping something into their bag that they don’t scan.

5 Urban Legends at Walmart…

Walmart’s status as a cultural icon has given rise to some entertaining and strange urban legends. Here are some of the funniest:

1. Closed Walmart Locations Have Become Re-Education Camps

There’s an odd rumor floating around the web that closed Walmart locations are becoming re-educations camps or a FEMA prison camp.

Just read the comments on my article detailing all of the Walmart locations that have closed in recent years. I can’t make this stuff up, the comments are pretty wild.

2. The Walmart “Secret Aisle”

One myth claims that every Walmart has a hidden aisle with extreme discounts on items like electronics, clothing, and big-ticket goods.

In reality, there’s no secret aisle – but there are clearance aisles (and sale sections that aren’t marked as such), usually located near the back of the store, where you can find discounted items.

3. Walmart “Greeters” Are Secret Security Guards

Some people believe those friendly Walmart greeters are undercover security guards ready to bust you if you blink wrong.

Chill. The greeters aren’t secret ninjas for loss prevention—they’re mostly there to say hi, point you toward the toilet paper, and hand out carts that don’t squeak (okay, sometimes they still squeak).

They’re not packing walkie-talkies and night vision goggles. They’re just trying to make the place feel a little more human as you roll in.

4. The “People of Walmart” Phenomenon

There’s no denying Walmart has a reputation for attracting a colorful variety of shoppers, sometimes in bizarre or outrageous outfits.

The People of Walmart website celebrates this phenomenon, featuring photos of some truly memorable characters.

Walmart’s like the final frontier of “you do you.” One minute you’re walking past a guy in a Spider-Man suit pushing a cart full of cat food, the next it’s someone in fuzzy slippers, a bathrobe, and yesterday’s eyeliner just vibin’ in the snack aisle.

5. The “Spaghetti Incident”

One humorous legend tells of a shopper who allegedly spilled an enormous pot of spaghetti in the middle of the grocery section, only for Walmart associates to use bags of rice and Great Value tomato sauce to mop it up.

It’s an absurd story, and there’s no proof it ever happened – but it’s funny to imagine nonetheless.

Ask the Reader: Did I miss any fun Walmart urban legends or shopping myths? Let me know and I’d love to investigate.

By Kyle James

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)