[skybrian]

Yes, I've read elsewhere that they're often not the same items. Whether this is good or bad for consumers is hard to say. Are the corners being cut things that their customers care about? If the customers are happy with what they get, the lower price is a win, and Walmart is right to encourage their suppliers to economize where they can.

Of course, there are also places where quality shouldn't be cut, and other side-effects of the drive to lower prices (lower pay for workers, etc). But this still seems like a subjective judgment call to be made on a case-by-case basis, not an obvious black-and-white issue.