Wal-Mart's not so cheap but old saving slogan is still rich

By Dian Vujovich

Saturday night I was talking with a friend and mentioned I’d been to Wal-Mart that day and it seemed to me as though their prices weren’t as cheap as they used to be.
My bill totaled over 41 bucks and in the past spending north of 30 was tough to do. I couldn’t help but think that if Wal-Mart’s prices were moving upwards the world must really be financially doomed.

To be honest, the main reason I stop by Wal-Mart is to buy wine. Think I’ve mentioned that before but their Oak Leaf brand sells for under $3 a bottle, $2.77 to be exact. I happen to enjoy the Shiraz and when served in a wonderful Waterford wine glass, me, myself, I –and even my guests— think it’s pretty fine. (Don’t they say that it’s all in the presentation?)

When I took a closer look at the bill, my most expensive purchases were three bottles of the stuff, then came a bag of frozen tilapia, a tiny bag of flour and pretty much an assortment of pickles and olives. Leaving the store I’m thinking that 41 bucks was a lot to spend on pickles and olives.

And apparently it is.

A day later I read that Wal-Mart’s prices have increased and that they’ve been losing some of their customer base and want it back. So how do they plan on doing that? Two ways: One by brightening up their stores. Funny, I’ve always referred to the place as shopping at The Dark Side because their interiors were so dark and drab. Guess others have felt the same. The second way is by changing their slogan emphasizing their low prices.

I’ve always thought Wal-Mart’s best marketing feature was their slogan “Save Money. Live Better.” And I still do. Those four simple words say it all—especially during the month of April when it’s Financial Literacy month.

Wal-Mart’s new slogan isn’t as big picture related and more bottom-line direct: “Low Prices. Every Day. On Everything.”

Who knows if the new slogan will bring folks back into their stores and get their registers cha-chinging. Whether it does or not, anyone hoping to amass a fortune might want to keep Wal-Mart’s old slogan of “Save Money. Live Better. “in mind because it’s oh-so true. Living better really can happen when money worries aren’t a primary concern.