A study breaks down who has the best prices between Amazon, Target, and Walmart in 5 different categories - here's where to shop for what

Winner: Target

Target, Amazon, and Walmart all have their own flourishing grocery operations, but in this category comparison, Target came out on top. On average, Target was 7.30% less expensive than Amazon. Walmart was next — on average, food and beverage products at Walmart were 4.61% cheaper than at Amazon. Food and beverage items were classified as anything for human or animal consumption.

Products:

• Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 64-ounce:
  
  • Amazon: $4.22, Target: $4.99, Walmart: $4.22
• Poland Spring 16.9-ounce Water Bottles, 24-pack:
  
  • Amazon: $5.99, Target: $4.39, Walmart: $9.98
• Lay's Classic Potato Chips, 12-pack:
  
  • Amazon: $3.99, Target: $6.49, Walmart: $4.48

Winner: Amazon

Most prices in this category were the same, but when they weren't, Amazon offered the best value on average. Anything normally found in a kitchen setting (think: microwaves, coffee makers, etc.) fit into this category. LendEdu found that, on average, items at Target were 1.16% more expensive than those at Amazon, while Walmart's products were 10.62% more expensive than Amazon's, on average.

• Crock-Pot 6-Quart Cook & Carry Slow Cooker
  • Amazon: $49.99, Target: $49.99, Walmart: $49.99
• Rachael Ray 12-Piece Aluminum Cookware Set:
  • Amazon: $99.99, Target: $120, Walmart: $149.99
• Char-Broil Classic 2-Burner Gas Grill:
  • Amazon: $101.99, Target: $101.99, Walmart:$101.99
    

Winner: Walmart

Walmart may not be your destination for all things tech, but maybe it should be. LendEdu found that, on average, tech products were 4.19% cheaper at Walmart than Amazon. Tech at Target was a little more expensive than at Amazon — 1.42% more on average based on findings. Still, a few items at Walmart were more expensive than at the other two retailers.

Products:

• Xbox One X 1TB Console with Controller:
  
  • Amazon: $389.20, Target: $449.99, Walmart: $366.56
• GoPro Hero7 Black:
  
  • Amazon: $349.49, Target: $399, Walmart: $349
• SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive:
  • Amazon: $7.79 Target: $6.99, Walmart: $7.49

Winner: Amazon

Miscellaneous items were classified as household items that did not fall into the other four categories, like pens and sunscreen. While Target did have a price win this category, the overall winner was Amazon, with the lowest prices on majority of products in the category. On average, Target was 4.39% more expensive in total, while Walmart was 4.99% more expensive in total compared to Amazon.

• Neutrogena Clear Face Liquid Lotion Sunscreen:
  
  • Amazon: $9.59, Target: $9.59, Walmart: $15.20
• Fiskars Powergear 2 Hedge Shears:
  • Amazon: $32.49, Target: $38.49, Walmart: $58.95
• Biotrue Contact Lens Solution:
  • Amazon: $8.88, Target: $8.89, Walmart: $8.88
    

Overall, LendEdu found that Target was only 0.97% more expensive than Amazon and Walmart was only 1.79% cheaper than Amazon, across all categories. If anything, these percentages show that the price differences between these three retail giants are only getting smaller. Each of them are incentivized to get more competitive with their pricing to stay relevant, which is good news for you, the consumer.

If you're going to walk away with anything from these findings, make it this: Do your research if you want the best price. You can sometimes stumble upon some really great prices, whether they be on home goods or technology, just by checking out products on a few different sites. Maybe you want to do your snack shopping at Amazon, get your home goods at Target, and buy your tech at Walmart. Or, maybe you want to stick to doing all of your shopping on one site for ease of ordering, or an allegiance to a certain retailer, and that's okay.

Prices at these retailers frequently change too, so there really isn't one retailer who will consistently be cheapest. Just know that the most convenient and affordable price may not always be where you think it is.