Wal-Mart Price Match Program Goes To The Next Level

SMU Cox School of Business marketing professor Ed Fox talks about Wal Mart and its price match to entice shoppers to start early.

DALLAS— If you want Let's Rock Elmo for the holidays, and you buy it from Wal-Mart, then another retailer has it for less, Wal-Mart officials say don't worry.

Wal-Mart's new price match program says if you buy most items between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25, and then find it cheaper somewhere else, you can bring back the original receipt and the local competitor's ad, and they'll give you a gift card for the difference.

"So Wal-Mart is basically saying, 'We're going to match those prices after the fact,'" said Professor Edward Fox with the SMU Cox School of Business.  "It gives shoppers the incentive to shop early.  It gives shoppers an incentive to go to Wal-Mart and it gives their competitors a reason to be aggressive in their discounting."