Stop & Shop vs Walmart: Who has cheaper groceries?
Stop and Shop is a really well-known grocery store in the Northeast with about 415 stores. Walmart has been offering grocery store options for a long time and can be found in every state in America.
Let’s do a price comparison of Stop & Shop and Walmart to find out who is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict and potential savings!
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Is Stop and Shop more expensive than Walmart?
For this test, I have prepared a meal plan for one week that consists of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young kids). I am using the “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as my guide to pick not only healthy foods but also ones that should be fairly cheap.
Here is the meal plan for this grocery trip:
Breakfasts
- Peanut Butter Toast with Bananas x2
- Overnight Oats with Apples and Raisins x3
- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese on top and Toast x2
Lunches
- Tuna Salad Sandwiches x 2
- Veggie & Pepperoni Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing
- Salad Wraps with tomato, cucumber, and cheese
- Leftovers
Snacks
- Carrots
- Apples
- Popcorn
Dinners
- Baked Whole Chicken with rice and sautéed carrots
- Leftover Chicken in a Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli, and side salad
- Ground Turkey Tacos with Corn and Refried Beans
- Leftover Taco Meat in a Mexican Baked Potato Bar with Side Salads
- Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes and Corn
- Hawaiin Pizza with Leftover Pork, Pepperoni, and Pineapple (using a little Alfredo Sauce as the Base)
Sweet Treat
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
For this meal plan, I am going to shop at both stores and look for the best deals on price. We will be using prices in Boston, Massachusetts for this store comparison.
Most items will be the generic store brand, and I will be aiming to get my groceries needed for the cheapest price available.
Even though my pantry is very well stocked, for this experiment I will shop as if I only have the bare basics at home like seasonings, salt, sugar, and cooking oil. For a full breakdown of this meal plan, and how I would make it work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #1.”
Produce
These are the fresh vegetables and fruits needed in the produce section for my meal plan this week.
| Items | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| 8 Bananas | 4-6 bunch = $1.78 | $0.58 a lb = $1.84 |
| Gala Apples | 3lb bag= $4.99 | 3lb bag= $4.52 |
| Green Leafy Lettuce | Romaine 1 head= $1.99 | Green leaf 1 head= $1.98 |
| Potatoes | Russet 5lb bag= $4.99 | Russet 5lb bag= $3.37 |
| Tomatoes x3 | .60 each x 3= $1.80 | $1.36 each = $4.08 |
| Cucumber | $0.99 each | $0.74 each |
| Carrots | 16oz bag of baby carrots = $1.25 *on sale* | 1lb bag= $0.98 |
| Totals: 7 Items | $17.79 | $17.51 |
Walmart just barely came in cheaper with a total of $17.51. This was just $0.28 cheaper than Stop & Shop at $17.79.
Deli/Meats
Here are the items I will need from the deli and meat section of the stores.
| Items | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| Pepperoni | Carando 6oz bag= $3.00 | Great Value 6oz bag= $2.58 |
| Whole Chicken | Stop & Shop $1.89 a lb (4.5lb)=$8.51 | Perdue $1.12 a lb (5.6lb)=$6.29 |
| Ground Turkey | Butterball 1lb fresh= $3.99 | Festive 1lb roll = $2.54 |
| Pork Loin | Smithfield 230z= $5.99 *on sale* | Smithfield 1.7lb= $7.51 |
| Totals: 4 Items | $21.49 | $18.92 |
Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $18.92. This was $2.57 cheaper than Stop & Shop with a total of $21.49.
Dry Goods
This is the center area of most grocery stores, and I call this area dry goods. It is all items that are considered shelf stable and are typically stored in a cabinet or on a pantry shelf.
| Items | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| Sandwich Bread | Stop & Shop 16oz white bread= $1.29 | Great Value 20oz 20oz white bread= $1.00 |
| Peanut Butter | Stop & Shop 16oz jar= $2.69 | Great Value 16oz jar= $1.74 |
| Quick Oats | Nature’s Promise 18oz container = $3.29 | Great Value 18oz container = $2.48 |
| Raisins | Stop & Shop mini boxes (6oz)= $1.99 | Great Value mini boxes (6oz) = $1.64 |
| Canned Tuna Fish (2 cans) | Chicken of Sea 5oz can $1.50 x2= $3.00 *on sale* | Great Value 5oz can $0.78 x 2= $1.56 |
| Pasta | Stop & Shop Rotini 16oz = $1.00 | Great Value Penne 16oz = $0.92 |
| Zesty Italian Dressing | Wish Bone 8oz bottle = $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 16oz bottle = $0.92 |
| Flour Tortillas | Stop & Shop 8ct =$1.25 *on sale* | Chi-Chi’s 10ct = $1.48 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Stop & Shop 8.7oz/3ct bag= $2.69 | Great Value 7.67 oz/ 3ct bag= $1.36 |
| White Rice | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.79 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.46 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Prego 14.5oz jar= $2.59 | Great Value 16oz jar = $1.74 |
| Canned Corn | Stop & Shop 15.2 oz can =$1.09 | Great Value 15oz can = $0.58 |
| Refried Beans | Stop & Shop 16oz can = $1.09 | Great Value 16oz can = $0.92 |
| Salsa | Herdez 7oz can = $1.59 | Great Value 24oz jar = $1.98 |
| Canned Pineapple | Stop & Shop 8oz can = $1.19 | Great Value 20oz can = $1.28 |
| All Purpose Flour | Stop & Shop 2lb bag= $1.99 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.16 |
| Dry Active Yeast | Fleishmann’s 3ct = $2.69 | Great Value 3ct = $0.86 |
| Brown Sugar | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.89 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.70 |
| Totals: 18 items | $34.61 | $24.76 |
Walmart definitely came out cheaper at $24.76. This was $9.85 cheaper than Stop & Shop at $34.61. It is worth noting that not only did Walmart come out cheaper, but we got bigger sizes than what was purchased at Stop & Stop.
We were able to get more bread, Italian dressing, rice, salsa, pineapple, and brown sugar. This means Walmart was definitely the better value too.
Frozen Foods
This is the area in the store that typically has frozen meats, vegetables, fruits, and ice cream. We will mainly stick to the frozen veggie section.
| Items | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Stop & Shop 12oz bag= $1.59 | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.84 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Stop & Shop 12oz bag= $1.59 | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.98 |
| Totals: 2 items | $3.18 | $1.82 |
Walmart came in cheaper at $1.82. This was $1.36 cheaper than Stop and Shop at $3.18.
Dairy
This is the final section of the store and will cover all dairy needs like cheeses and milk.
| Item: | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| Eggs | Stop & Shop medium brown eggs 12ct = $2.99 | Great Value large white eggs 12ct= $3.42 |
| 2% Milk (gallon) | Stop & Shop= $4.49 | Great Value =$3.47 |
| Cheddar cheese (shredded) | Stop & shop 8oz bag = $2.50 *on sale* | Great Value 8oz bag= $2.22 |
| Mozzarella cheese (shredded) | Stop & shop 8oz bag = $2.50 *on sale* | Great Value 8oz bag= $2.22 |
| Sour Cream | Stop & Shop 8oz tub= $1.49 | Great Value 8oz tub= $1.16 |
| Totals: 5 items | $13.97 | $12.49 |
Walmart squeaked out another cheaper win with $12.49. This was $1.48 cheaper than Stop and Shop at $13.97.
Is Walmart cheaper than Stop and Shop?
Walmart easily won every section by being cheaper, now let’s see what the totals are and what the overall savings can be!
| Section | Stop & Shop Price | Walmart Price |
| Produce | $17.79 | $17.51 |
| Deli/Meats | $21.49 | $18.92 |
| Dry Goods | $34.61 | $24.76 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.18 | $1.82 |
| Dairy | $13.97 | $12.49 |
| Overall Total | $91.04 | $75.50 |
Walmart was cheapest for groceries with a total of $75.50. This was $15.54 (about 17%) cheaper than Stop & Shop with a total of $91.04.
I did notice that the prices at Stop and Shop were pretty good, but they were just pennies over the prices at Walmart. One or two items may not make much of a difference, but if you are a doing a weekly shopping trip of 40 items, then those differences really add up.
If you really like Stop and Shop, I would focus on their sales flyer every week to help with your meal planning. If you use the Walmart app to price compare, you can tell if their advertised deals are worth the money.
For a one stop grocery run, I would recommend just doing all your shopping at Walmart to get the lower prices and save money on your grocery budget.
Stop & Shop offers discounts too with digital coupons and you are able to redeem points with GO rewards for free products and dollars off at checkout. If you prefer online shopping, check out their GO Pass which give you free delivery and pick-up. Current Offer is $50 off and Free Delivery on your first 2 online orders!
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Sprouts vs Walmart: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?” and “Albertsons vs Kroger: Who has cheaper groceries?“
