10 Things Everyone Hates The Most About Grocery Shopping At Walmart

Grocery shopping in general is not typically thought of as a relaxing or luxurious experience. Few of us think, "Oh, goody! It's time for another grocery run!" It's probably part of the reason why so many home cooks are now reliant on grocery delivery services or pick-up.

Imagine it. You get into the store and go to grab your cart — only there either are no carts or you end up with the one with a wonky wheel that threatens to send you careening into the nearest shelf or other shopper when you least expect it. Then, you get further inside and you realize the one time that you're actually able to leave your job or house to get groceries coincides with the same time that everyone else in the world had the bandwidth to get groceries. Meanwhile, the store has switched up its layout yet again, leaving you walking in circles as you just try to find and buy the basics. It's enough to make anyone want to scream. If you can avoid all the chaos, confusion, and crowds, why wouldn't you?

As you were imagining the above scenario, was there a particular grocery store that came to mind? For many, the worst of the worst offendor, the most infuriating of them all (regardless of how cheap the prices are) is Walmart. These are 10 of the things that people hate most about the grocery shopping behemoth.

Ah, the Walmart cart. They've already been mentioned, but it's a gripe that's oft-repeated when discussing the store. As one Reddit user described, "I consider it a good day when I can find one that doesn't seem to have been run over by a truck yet." Another Reddit thread brought in some behind-the-scenes insights, noting that Walmart carts that are damaged often go long times without being addressed or fixed due to factors such as cost, as well as the fact that getting such a fix accomplished requires a long chain of communication and multiple store decision-makers.

In addition to the poor overall quality and condition of the carts, if you've been a long-time Walmart shopper, you probably noticed that, several years ago, the chain switched to a new type of cart and many shoppers have not been pleased. The new carts are taller than the average shopping cart, awkwardly so. It's unclear why Walmart opted for a taller cart design. At least the new carts have a cupholder?

When scouring social media for the most common Walmart complaints, those surrounding the store's average clientele are possibly the most numerous. (Though, it begs the question: Isn't it a bit hypocritical to complain about Walmart clientele if you're actively shopping there as well?).

Complainers have identified a few groups of Walmart customers that make the experience potentially worse for everyone else: The elderly and grouchy, drug users, and loud families, among others. These clientele, some say, result in an overstimulating experience, with too much noise, too many people, and a certain odor that's unique to Walmart. Add onto the fact that the less-than-desirable clientele may abuse the employees, resulting in unhappy workers across the board, and you have a place that no one really wants to be. At least as one Redditor said, "Going to Walmart makes me feel as though I am both in shape and intelligent."

If you had the pleasure of shopping at Walmart in the 1980s or 1990s, you know that you could walk in and see vast rows of checkout lanes, no self-checkout in sight. What's more, during busy hours, every single one of those checkout lanes would be staffed. 

Now, you're more likely to find rows upon rows of unmanned checkout lanes, with maybe just two open (if you're lucky). The rest of the front of the store is dedicated to self-checkout — but even those can be mostly closed or off-limits to some customers.

In 2024, many shoppers noticed that the self-checkout processes at Walmart aren't what they once were. Shoppers were reporting that some self-checkouts are now reserved only for those making grocery deliveries, Walmart Scan&Go users, or those with a Walmart+ membership. While this may be intended to make the checkout process easier for some shoppers (as well as possibly to cut down on theft at the self-checkout), many are still annoyed, and say that it's just a bad attempt at getting more people to sign up for a Walmart+ membership.

This is one complaint that at least comes with a side of good news. While some shoppers have grumbled in the past about not being able to checkout at Walmart using tap to pay, which can be faster and more convenient, especially if you've left your card or cash in the car or at home, it's recently been announced that Walmart and Sam's Club are actually remedying this issue. If you can't already, soon, you'll be able to use tap to pay to make a purchase at a Walmart near you. The change was just announced in August 2026, with the feature expected to be available in all U.S. locations by the end of the year.

The change has been a long time coming, though, and some Redditors are a bit cynical about the update. Some say that the store's credit card machines have always been able to accommodate tap to pay, but Walmart simply didn't allow it. Instead, they prioritized the use of Walmart Pay, a payment function built into the Walmart app. Why? Well, shopper theories pose that it's a way for Walmart to harvest your data and track your behavior. Whether or not that's the case, for now, we'll take the addition of tap to pay as a win.

While no one expects grocery shopping to be a load of fun, per se, Walmart was once upon a time at least more fun than it is now. If we rewind to the 1990s again, Walmart looked a lot different — and if you were a kid growing up during that decade, you actually did probably think that a trip to the store was pretty neat.

One Reddit user described it well, saying, "I remember the Walmart from back in the day had McDonald's, aquariums, demos at the video games, lobster tanks lol [sic], gardening, even the elderly people that greeted and gave stickers to children. It was an experience. Now it's just bank rolling off its brand legacy."

Not all of these changes are Walmart's fault. McDonald's made the choice to remove its restaurants from the chain, a process that occurred gradually over a long stretch of time, but that ultimately resulted in just 150 Walmart-set McDonald's still in existence as of 2021. Now, you're more likely to find a Subway as the only in-Walmart fast-food option. Consumer demand and concerns regarding animal welfare, meanwhile, prompted the abandonment of live fish sales at Walmart.

Not everything that people hate about shopping at Walmart is something that occurs physically within the store, though. Some have noticed that Walmart coming into an area, and shoppers switching their grocery shopping habits to the chain, can have an overall negative effect on the local economy.

One Reddit user explained their take: "When they moved in, [they] undercut and drove out about half [of] our downtown. As those businesses closed, Walmart prices went up. The businesses that sponsored youth teams [were] gone, and Walmart said screw you to sponsoring. Walmart is not less expensive overall."

This isn't just a one-off or occasional observation, though. This is such a common occurrence among communities across the country that it's been dubbed "The Walmart Effect." The Walmart Effect states that, when a Walmart opens, local businesses are more likely to go under and the local workforce is more likely to earn less.

As briefly alluded to, the customer service at Walmart can be a bit lackluster, in part because of everything Walmart employees have to put up with, in terms of the store's clientele. It makes sense. When you're dealing with a less-than-desirable customer base all day, every day, your morale probably isn't going to be very high.

This complaint is nothing new, though. Even back in 2013, headlines were spelling out doom for Walmart if it didn't actually invest in a higher level of service across stores. Fast-forward to today, and not only do customers see the same poor service in-store, but also when purchasing from Walmart online. On Consumer Affairs, Walmart has more than 8,000 reviews and a paltry 1.4-star rating, with the majority of reviews (more than 4,000) giving the chain 1 star for not only customer service, both online and in-person, but also poor delivery service, incorrect orders, and more.

Again, though, it's difficult to blame employees at Walmart in a lot of cases, given what they have to deal with — and it's not just abuse at the customers' hands, either. The company itself supposedly is reported to exploit its workers and it has for years.

Back in 2005, Walmart even set a new bar for employee exploitation, after it was found that the company was hiring undocumented workers. The brand's record-setting federal settlement added up to a whopping $11 million. As impressive as this was in 2005, though, Walmart went far above and beyond in 2026, when it had to settle for $100 million after exploiting delivery drivers. Walmart has also had to pay out for suits related to child labor law violations, disability discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Furthermore, many say that Walmart's very mode of doing business creates a greater cycle of exploitation. For example, the chain's cheap prices require Walmart to pay less for the products it sells, which then encourages its suppliers to look for their own ways to save and keep profits up, which can in turn result in labor violations. Meanwhile, Walmart keeps its own wages low — often so low that employees must seek out government assistance — and where are those employees likely going to shop given their limited funds? Walmart.

It's not impossible to find crowds shopping at Walmart any day of the week, but the crowds are seemingly worse on the weekends, according to a lot of customers. Saturdays are particularly the worst — which isn't entirely a surprising fact. Friday was payday, you finally have the day off, and you're trying to stock up on food for the weekend and week ahead. However, if everyone's in the same boat, the boat's going to get a little uncomfortably packed.

Sundays can also be busy, especially in the hours around lunchtime, according to Walmart employees. However, that doesn't stop the same employees from calling Sunday the best day of the week overall to shop at Walmart, due to stocking schedules. You should reliably be able to find more items on a Sunday. You may be able to find discounts, too. To avoid the crowds, though, head over to Walmart on Sunday evening.

Similarly to "The Walmart Effect" and how a Walmart coming into a town can result in a loss of small businesses, Walmart can also claim a monopoly on grocery sales in many markets — and that just doesn't sit right with some shoppers. In a 2019 study, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found, when looking at markets across the country, in more than 200, Walmart could claim 50% or more of all grocery shopping. As a result, the Institute claimed that some Walmart locations needed to be closed. This wasn't the first time that the Institute came after Walmart either; in 2000, it called out Walmart's predatory price charges both at home and abroad.

Speaking of Walmart abroad, worries of a Walmart monopoly aren't unique to the United States. Mexico, in 2024, accused Walmart de Mexico of "monopolistic" behaviors and handed the chain a $4.6 million fine.

All that said, though, not everyone agrees that Walmart has a monopoly or, if the chain does, that it's an issue. Some argue that Walmart has its success and can put small businesses out simply because it knows what customers want most: Products with cheap prices. Others imply that Walmart wouldn't have a monopoly if shoppers chose to go elsewhere, putting the onus on the individual.