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‘Since no one buys computers at Walmart’: Shopper questions whether Walmart is going ‘broke’ after seeing sale price of $500 HP desktop

‘I never buy electronics at any store other than Costco.’

Photo of P.J. West

P.J. West

Walmart storefront(l), Stacks of HP desktops in boxes(c), HP sign(r)

A person who specializes in uncovering Walmart deals is claiming the retailer has deep discounts on HP desktops. And he’s got an idea as to why.

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The video highlighting a bargain on an HP Slim Windows Desktop comes from creator Troy (@troy.resells). It went up on Thursday and got more than 275,000 views thus far.

In it, Troy begins with the assertion, “Since nobody buys computers from Walmart, they’re being marked down by up to 75% off.” He moves down an aisle with a shopping cart and happens upon the computer. The computer includes an Intel Core i3 processor and a 512 GB hard drive.

“The sticker price is probably still wrong,” he says, showing a price tag on the box that says $499 and a tag on the rack it sits on saying $479. “To see the accurate price, you want to scan the barcode on the box using the Walmart app.”

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He does that, and the price reads as a remarkable $119.75 at that particular store.

@troy.resells Walmart hidden clearance #reseller #reselling #clearance ♬ Freek-A-Leek (Instrumental) – Petey Pablo

Is Walmart going broke?

To answer Troy’s initial query, it’s unlikely that Walmart will go broke anytime soon.

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According to valueinvesting.io, Walmart has only a 2.8% chance of bankruptcy in the next 24 months. That report notes, “Multiple factors are taken into account when calculating Walmart’s probability of bankruptcy: Altman Z-score, Beneish M-score, financial position, macro environments, academic research about distress risk and more.”

The guide also provides comparisons to other companies, putting Costco’s chances at a slightly higher 5.2% and CVS at a considerably greater 20%.

However, Walmart’s customer satisfaction ratings lag behind competitors. According to Statista, Walmart’s index score for 2023 was a 70, five points below the industry average of 75. Since 2008, the first year Statista accounts for in its sampling, Walmart’s score has consistently been a few points off the average.

But the company appears to be doing well in the current economy, according to a CNBC assessment in August. There, Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey observed, “We see, among our members and customers, that they remain choiceful, discerning, value-seeking, focusing on things like essentials rather than discretionary items, but importantly, we don’t see any additional fraying of consumer health.”

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The story also noted that “sales of general merchandise, such as lawn and garden supplies, were positive for the first time in 11 quarters.”

What commenters thought

Some commenters were not surprised this particular computer was on sale, given perceptions of what it can do and not do.

“An i3?” assessed one. “Useless for gaming, seriously underpowered… $120 is about right…”

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“Even at 70% off you’re over paying for a tablet inside a PC case,” another remarked.

One opined, “I never buy electronics at any store other than Costco. Costco’s warranty and return policy is 1000% better than any other store plus their prices are compatible.”

But a few were intrigued by the possibilities.

“Show me what upgrades you can do to it and then I may consider hunting for one,” someone considered.

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Another said simply, “Not bad ngl.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to Troy via TikTok comment and to Walmart via email.

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