If you love getting shopping items at great prices, you should know about the Walmart rollback. This program has become the obsession for deal-chasers, but it can benefit regular customers, too.
What is rollback, and how does it differ from a sale or clearance? Specifically, what is the Walmart rollback meaning, and how do you maximize it?
I’ll share all the details to make the most of Walmart rollbacks, including the definition, prices, policies, and deals, and more.
Let’s dive in.
Walmart Rollback Meaning
What does rollback mean in Walmart?
It’s sort of Walmart’s version of a sale but with a few key differences.
A Walmart rollback is when the company temporarily slashes its original price. This happens most often when they get discounts from suppliers or have overstocked items.
Rollbacks happen at various times. Sometimes, they announce them on social media. In other times, you’ll discover them when you visit the store.
A rollback period can last up to 90 days, but it usually doesn’t have a set date.
Walmart shows a rollback promotion with a Was/Now tag, showing current and previous prices. Look for this tag when looking for rolled back items.
Why Walmart Does Rollbacks
Walmart stands on its tagline, “Everyday Low Price.” It seeks to find more ways to offer a lower price to its customers.
A rollback provides the opportunity to do that, offering customers great deals on an item’s price.
However, these temporary price reductions also allows the store to move items faster. It can
Walmart Rollback vs. Sale
It’s important not to confuse rollback for sale, meaning they’re two separate things.
To the regular customer base, they can be the same thing: a chance to get a discount on the regular price.
However, a rollback is a temporary price reduction to give you lower prices. This often lasts longer than a sale, lasting weeks or even months.
Unlike Walmart rollbacks, sale offers are often in the form of a percentage off. They often have a theme, like a season, celebration, or holiday (i.e., Black Friday, Christmas, or Summer sales).
Walmart Rollback vs. Clearance
Walmart shoppers are all too familiar with the yellow sticker, signifying that an item has a discounted price. Is this different from a rollback item?
How do you know what is a rollback at Walmart and what is a clearance sale?
There might be some overlap, but Walmart rollback and clearance items mean completely different things.
A clearance sale often happens due to these reasons:
Walmart is trying to clear their inventory with soon-to-be-discontinued items.
There’s a new version of the product.
The items are past the season’s relevance (e.g. halloween candies in November).
There’s too much excess stock.
On the other hand, rolled-back prices are for permanent store items. Walmart will restock them when they run out and offer them at the same rolled-back price for as long as the rollback period isn’t done.
Walmart’s rollback items can sometimes be excess inventory, just like clearance items, but that’s not the only reason for their low prices.
Walmart typically schedules clearance sales on the first five days of the month. A rollback, however, has no fixed schedule. Walmart launches them at any point in time.
How the Walmart Rollback Works
How does the Walmart rollback work?
Normally, a store will announce the rollback ahead of time, both online and in their stores.
A rollback price reduction can go as low as half the full price of an item. Walmart collaborates with suppliers to supply these lower rates while maintaining sustainability.
There’s no set discount amount for Walmart’s rollbacks.
When Does a Rollback Happen?
Walmart rollback deals can happen at any given time. Walmart doesn’t have a set schedule for these kinds of deals. Some years will have more rollbacks than most.
How Long Does a Walmart Rollback Last?
How long do Walmart rollbacks last?
The rollback period lasts a few weeks, usually two or more. Sometimes, it can last up to 90 days before Walmart reverts to the old prices.
Does Walmart Rollback Online Items?
Rollback prices aren’t exclusive to physical Walmart stores. The Walmart website also provides discounts, rollbacks, and sales.
To check the recent rollback offers, visit Walmart.com and see what deals you can pick up. They have a dedicated page just for rolled back items.
Popular Walmart Rollback Items
Walmart can do a rollback on virtually any of their items, including:
Electronics: TVs, laptops, smartphones, video game consoles, and headphones.
Appliances: Refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners.
Home goods: Furniture, bedding, kitchenware, and home decor.
Toys: Popular toys and games for kids.
Clothing: Seasonal apparel, including clothing for men, women, and children.
Outdoor and sporting goods: Camping gear, bicycles, fishing, and fitness equipment.
Beauty and personal care: Skincare products, makeup, and haircare items.
Groceries: Discount on select food items, beverages, and snacks.
Automotive: Car accessories, motor oil, and tires.
Baby products: Diapers, baby food, strollers, and nursery items.
Items That Qualify for Walmart Rollbacks
What items often qualify for rollbacks at Walmart?
Walmart often rolls back the current prices of the items they know will sell, so they have to have a history of performing well sales-wise. Walmart doesn’t do a rollback on new items.
Rollback Return Policies at Walmart
You can return items even if you bought them at a rollback price.
Walmart’s return policy doesn’t prohibit you from getting your money back or requesting exchanges for rollback and clearance items.
If you want to return rollback items, make sure you read up on the Walmart return policy.
Basically, you need a proof of purchase, like a receipt. Customers can return and request for refund or replacement as long as it’s within the warranty period.
Does Walmart Price Match Rollback Items?
When Walmart rolls back a price, it’s no longer eligible for the Walmart price match program. The same holds for all their sales and clearances.
What Does Rollback Mean for Walmart Suppliers?
What implications do Walmart rollback prices have on their suppliers?
First, Walmart will work hand in hand with suppliers to plan out rollbacks before announcing anything.
Suppliers often agree to roll back items to analyze their products’ performance in the Walmart modular. There are a few things that can happen during a Walmart rollback:
The supplier can return the price point to the normal price after the period ends.
The supplier can permanently change the price point after a rollback if lower prices improve overall performance.
In some cases, if rollbacks fail to move the needle for underperforming products, suppliers can discontinue a product in the Walmart modular after the rollback period ends.
If you’re a supplier who sells at Walmart, participating in a rollback could be a great way to boost sales.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is a Clearance or Rollback a Better Deal?
That can depend. Rollback items are often more in season, but the discounts vary greatly depending on the supplier and the item.
It’s best to check out both at all times to get the best price. You can watch for clearance sales at the beginning of every month.
Where Can I Check Walmart Rollback Offers?
Walmart regularly announces its store deals on its online stores and online platforms. I highly recommend that you follow them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also text WALMART to 57299 to subscribe for deal alerts at Walmart.
How Often Does Walmart Have Rollback Prices?
There’s no way to know for sure how often Walmart stores might do a rollback. But they do them fairly regularly. They’re not planned or anticipated like most sales and clearance days. So it’s best to keep an eye out for announcements.
Is Walmart Rollback Just for Overstocked Products?
This is often the case, but it’s not the only reason Walmart will roll back prices. Sometimes, they do it for overpriced items or those that have gone out of date or season.
Can a Walmart Store Rollback Any Item?
Yes, as long as the supplier agrees to it.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Walmart rollback offers can be great avenues for you to save money on purchases. They also entice customers to purchase from certain brands while also giving them great deals.
Have you ever purchased something at a rollback price in Walmart?
Keep your eyes peeled for those offers! You’ll never know what new items you could score through a Walmart rollback.
You might also be interested in knowing more about Walmart’s protection plan.