Dangerous outdoor temperatures have kept me indoors and away from necessary outdoor testing for my ZWS-802 review, so I clicked on a YouTube CNBC video about Walmart’s attempt to boost online sales and complete with Amazon.
According to the video 90% of Americans (myself included) live within 10 mines of a Walmart retail store, and for what it’s worth, within 10 mines in a major Walmart distribution hub (Amazon is building one even closer). But I don’t think I’ve ever bought a radio at a Walmart store or their website. The selection or the price just didn’t make sense last time I was shopping.
Both Amazon and Walmart rely on third party sellers for their product diversity. I tried the term “shortwave radio” on Walmart to see what popped up. Foremost was an ad from Midland, featuring weather/emergency radios and walkie talkies. When I scrolled down, I did see some brands that might interest a shortwave listener. The table below lists some comparison prices between Walmart and Amazon:
| Model | Walmart | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| ATS 25 max | $99.00 | $99.80 |
| Choyong LC90 | $249.00 | $249.00 |
| Kaito KA500 | $49.88 | $49.99 |
| Retekess TR112 | $89.99 | n/a1 |
| Retekess TR113 | $179.99 | $179.99 |
| Retekess V115P | $25.29 | $23.32 |
| Sangean ATS-909X | $389.99 | n/a2 |
| Sparkelec DP-666 | $88.29 | $139.99 |
| Tecsun H-501 | $329.98 | $329.98 |
| Tecsun PL-330 | $85.49 | $84.99 |
| Tecsun PL-998BT | $139.00 | n/a |
| XHDATA D-808 | $86.99 | $90.10 |
2 Older model not listed
One problem I had with Walmart was that some items didn’t have a model number or I couldn’t tell what version was offered on a Si4732 Mini.
Anyhow, Walmart could be worth a check. But check shipping costs, delivery times and return policy.