WALMART is giving Dollar Tree a run for its money with its new offering for just 97 cents, helping shoppers prep for summer parties and festivities.
The retailer is providing the bargain service, advertised as being “fast, easy, and affordable,” just days after Dollar Tree’s pricing switch-up had shoppers up in arms.
Walmart is the largest retailer in the world, pulling in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue each year[/caption]
Walmart is giving discount giant Dollar Tree a run for its money with its recent 97-cent offering[/caption]
Walmart and Dollar Tree are fierce competitors in the retail landscape, both working to win over consumers’ dollars with discounted goods and affordable prices.
The former store, the largest retailer in the world, is “coming for Dollar Tree” with its latest move, according to shoppers.
Walmart is now offering balloon inflation services for just 97 cents according to an in-store sign, shared on a customer’s recent Facebook post.
“We blow up balloons!” reads the sign. “Let us help you get party-ready!”
The 97-cent offering is available for Walmart balloons or those that a customer brings from home, per the sign.
Walmart is now blowing up customers’ balloons for just 97 cents[/caption]
Most Walmart stores stopped filling balloons for shoppers around seven years ago at the start of the helium shortage, according to employees on Reddit.
Walmart workers claimed that the service is now store specific, with some locations offering it and others not.
BUDGET BATTLE
Shoppers on Facebook felt as if Walmart’s move to revive the service was a swipe at Dollar Tree, as the discount giant is known for its budget-friendly balloons and free helium inflation for foil balloons purchased at its stores.
Over at Dollar Tree, however, some locations will not inflate balloons purchased elsewhere due to the high costs of helium.
Walmart’s new offering may lure in customers in need of helium services as a result.
Shoppers pitted the two chains against one another in the comments section, with one writing, “I’ll get my balloons blown up at Walmart.”
Other customers shared that they would stick with the dollar store, noting that the 97 cent fee was an additional charge on top of the balloon itself, while Dollar Tree charged a flat fee for the balloon and helium service.
Another complained that the discount chain was a better option because of Walmart’s poor staffing, writing, “Good luck finding an employee at Walmart.”
PRICING PAINS
In the Facebook post, the user shared an image of Dollar Tree signs highlighting the chain’s balloon pricing.
Solid color balloons in heart and star shapes cost $1.50, while 34-inch jumbo number balloons were priced at $5.
Dollar Tree’s helium balloons used to cost $1.25, but prices were bumped up a few years back due to rising helium costs and a few days ago at most stores as part of the company’s most recent price hike.
“Walmart sees Dollar Tree screwing up,” said one Facebook user, calling out Dollar Tree’s move to surge the price of a number of its items over the base $1.25.
Dollar Tree’s recent price increases
Dollar Tree, formerly named Only $1.00, originally started with a fixed price of just $1 per item.
After 35 years at that price, the chain jumped to selling items for $1.25 in 2021, also announcing it would expand merchandise to include $3 and $5 items.
Dollar Tree has continued bumping up its prices, with stores increasing their base price from $1.25 to $1.50 for some items, also raising the maximum price to $7.
Under its most recent price jump, some items are climbing in price by 40%, with the base price of many Dollar Tree items now standing at $1.50 or even $1.75.
The price hikes currently underway are the result of increased costs and the need to maintain profitability in such a volatile inflationary environment, with tariffs on China also cutting into profits.
“Dollar Tree is going to price themselves right out of business,” complained one Facebook user.
“Dollar Store will be ran out of business within a year, two at the most at this rate!!” agreed another.
“Dollar Tree ‘ain’t what it used to be,’” said one user, as another projected that the company would close a large portion of its locations by the end of next year’s first quarter.
“These other retailers are going to eat them alive during the holidays,” they wrote.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Walmart and Dollar Tree for comment.
Dollar Tree customers have been noticing high price tags recently, with one of the chain’s party essentials scanning at checkout for an eye-watering $17 – but Amazon has it for cheaper.
Meanwhile, a shopper revealed the truth behind Dollar Tree’s “red dots” slapped on nearly all items and what they mean for your total at checkout.
Dollar Tree has recently rolled out price increases on a number of items, including balloons, bumping up the price beyond the base $1.25[/caption]
