As a Midwesterner who moved to New York City a decade ago, I still find myself surprised by regional differences in national brands.
As part of an ongoing series comparing nationwide retailers in the Midwest and on the East Coast, I visited Walmart locations in Wisconsin and New Jersey to compare their prices, offerings, and store amenities.
First, I visited a 200,000-square-foot Walmart store in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
The following week, I visited a Walmart in Teterboro, New Jersey, around 8 miles from Manhattan. Unions and politicians have long blocked Walmart stores from opening in New York City due to concerns about its potential impact on local businesses.
The 150,000-square-foot Teterboro store is one of 12 flagship Walmart stores in the country, offering technologies and amenities unavailable in all locations.
Here are the most surprising differences I noticed.
At Walmart in Manitowoc, Wisconsin’s state flag was displayed at the checkout counters.
Wisconsin’s state flag features a coat of arms and a badger flanked by a sailor and a yeoman.
New Jersey’s state flag was displayed at the Walmart I visited in Teterboro.
New Jersey’s flag depicts its state seal in the official state colors George Washington chose during the Revolutionary War: buff and Jersey blue.
“In almost all stores, a US and state flag are displayed near the storefront as a show of support to the communities the company serves,” a Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider.
The Walmart store in Wisconsin had an entire aisle of beer including many local brews.
Wisconsin is known for its beer, and New Glarus Brewing’s Spotted Cow is one of the state’s most beloved brews.
In New Jersey, Walmart didn’t sell alcohol because of the state’s liquor licensing laws.
The Teterboro Walmart had plenty of ginger beer, sparkling grape juice, and non-alcoholic cocktail mixes, but I was surprised it didn’t sell any alcohol.
New Jersey’s liquor laws dictate that only two locations of corporately owned supermarkets can sell beer, wine, and spirits in the state, NJ.com reported.
In the Midwest store, toiletries like CeraVe face wash were stocked on open shelves.
In Wisconsin, the only personal care products kept on locked shelves were sexual wellness items like condoms, emergency contraceptives, and pregnancy tests.
In the East Coast store I visited, the same items were kept behind lock and key.
I noticed the same phenomenon when I compared Target stores in the Midwest and New York City. On the East Coast, more items were kept in locked cases to prevent theft.
A Walmart spokesperson told Business Insider that “some products are subject to additional security,” determined “on a store-by-store basis.”
A gallon of store-brand skim milk cost $2.96 at Walmart in Wisconsin.
In February, the government benefits resource website HelpAdvisor analyzed findings from the 2023 US Census Household Pulse Survey and determined that Wisconsin had the lowest average grocery costs out of any state.
The same gallon of milk cost $3.29 in New Jersey, a price difference of 33 cents.
Milk at New Jersey’s Walmart costs 11.2% more than it did in Wisconsin.
Grocery prices often vary by state due to differences in labor costs, food distribution costs, and the overall cost of living.
“We’re committed to meeting our customers’ shopping needs wherever they shop with us and understand in-store pricing can differ due to regional operating costs, extensive supplier networks, strict regulatory compliance, and competition,” a Walmart spokesperson said.
In Wisconsin, a dozen large eggs were priced at $3.97 and came in Styrofoam cartons.
The grade-A eggs were also from Walmart’s Great Value brand.
At Walmart in New Jersey, the eggs were also $3.97 but came in paper cartons.
Styrofoam food service products have been banned in New Jersey since 2022, although egg cartons were exempt from the ban until earlier this year.
I was surprised that eggs cost the same at both locations even though they were packaged differently.
In Wisconsin, an outdoor services counter offered assistance with hunting and fishing licenses.
The store also stocked pellet guns and air rifles for small game hunting.
I didn’t see an outdoor services counter at the Walmart in New Jersey.
A Walmart spokesperson confirmed that outdoor sporting licenses are not offered at the Teterboro location, though they are available at other store locations in New Jersey.
The Teterboro store also didn’t stock any guns other than toys and water guns.
The Wisconsin Walmart sold a variety of prepared foods in the grocery section.
The Walmart store in Manitowoc featured a bakery and deli. It also sold packaged salads and take-and-bake pizzas.
In New Jersey, the Teterboro Walmart featured a Wonder food hall, a startup founded by former Walmart executive Marc Lore.
Lore previously served as Walmart’s president of e-commerce. His startup, Wonder, offers dine-in, delivery, and takeout meals from restaurants by celebrity and Michelin-star chefs.
Teterboro is the third Walmart store to open a Wonder location. The others are at Walmart stores in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and Ledgewood, New Jersey.
Wonder has continued to grow, acquiring the meal-kit company Blue Apron for $103 million in 2023 and GrubHub for $650 million in November.
The post I shopped at Walmart in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Here are 7 surprising differences I noticed. appeared first on Business Insider.
