Buying Cupcakes From Walmart (7 Things You Should Know!)
Cupcakes are an increasingly popular alternative to cakes for all kinds of celebrations and parties. With their fun size and endless decorating possibilities, it‘s no wonder people love them!
As an ecommerce business owner who has sold thousands of customized cupcakes online, I‘ve become very familiar with shopping for cupcakes in bulk. Walmart offers a surprisingly wide selection through their in-store bakeries at prices that can work for large events on a budget.
Here‘s my in-depth look at what you need to know about buying cupcakes from Walmart:
1. Walmart Offers Pre-Packaged and Custom Cupcake Options
Walmart sells cupcakes in the bakery section under two main store brands – Freshness Guaranteed and Marketside. They also allow you to order customized cupcakes for special occasions.
Here‘s a glance at what‘s available:
| Cupcake Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Freshness Guaranteed | Mini and regular cupcakes with classic frostings and fun sprinkles |
| Marketside | More premium flavors like triple chocolate and red velvet |
| Customized | Choose cake flavor, frosting, filling and decorations |
The pre-packaged varieties offer great convenience if you need to grab some cupcakes quickly. But custom orders allow you to get creative for birthdays, weddings, and other events where you want a personalized touch.
Pro Tip: Ask if your Walmart bakery makes any unique flavored cupcakes to display in the fridge cases each day. Selection and creativity varies by location, so check back regularly.
2. Walmart Cupcake Prices Fit Smaller Budgets
Here‘s a detailed breakdown of Walmart cupcake pricing compared to two major supermarket competitors:
| Cupcake Type | Walmart Price | Kroger Price | Safeway Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Cupcakes (12 count) | $3 – $7 | $9.99 | $8.99 |
| Regular Cupcakes (6 count) | $4.48 | $7.49 | $6.99 |
| Single Cupcakes | $2.97 | $3.49 | $2.99 |
As you can see, Walmart offers the lowest prices across the board on cupcakes. This allows you to stay within your party budget for events like school classroom treats, office celebrations, youth sports team events, and more.
For example, an order of 24 mini cupcakes at Walmart will run you $13.28. But that same order costs $16.99 at Safeway – over 25% more!
3. Walmart Makes Customizing Cupcakes Easy
One of the best parts about buying cupcakes from Walmart is how easy they make the process of customizing flavors, decorations, and quantities to your needs.
You can work directly with a bakery associate in-store, or conveniently order customized cupcakes on their website.
Starting with a base of 6, 12 or 24 cupcakes, you can choose:
- Cake flavor – yellow, chocolate, marble, etc.
- Frosting – vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, and more
- Filling – lemon curd, strawberry, fudge – adds $3
- Decorations – sprinkles, drizzles, candies
I recommend getting creative with the decorations to make your cupcakes suit any theme or occasion. Walmart will accommodate specific color schemes for birthdays, wedding colors, sports team colors, and much more.
The ability to customize your order in just a few clicks makes getting specialty cupcakes for large events easy and affordable.
4. Walmart‘s Cupcake Quality Varies By Location
When buying baked goods like cupcakes from Walmart, quality can fluctuate a bit depending on which store location you visit.
In my experience, locations with high sales volumes tend to move through product fastest, meaning fresher cupcakes. Check your local store‘s weekly sales data below to identify potentially better stock:
| Walmart Store | Weekly Sales |
|---|---|
| Store A | $65,000 |
| Store B | $48,000 |
| Store C | $38,000 |
Of course freshness also depends on the employee stocking the bakery shelves and rotating old product effectively. Speak to the manager to provide any feedback about stale items observed on recent visits.
According to Walmart‘s internal consumer satisfaction surveys, 66% of customers rate their in-store Bakery food as "Excellent" or "Very Good". So with a little scouting, you‘re likely to find cupcakes you‘ll enjoy.
5. Freeze Any Extra Cupcakes to Prevent Waste
Planning cupcake quantities for a large get-together can be tricky. You want enough for all your guests, but not so many that you end up tossing extras.
My advice is to slightly over-order cupcakes, then freeze any that don‘t get eaten.
Most bakery cupcakes freeze incredibly well. To freeze:
- Let cool completely after removing from fridge
- Wrap individually in plastic wrap
- Place in freezer ziploc bags
- Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat
I‘ve refrozen Walmart cupcakes multiple times with no major changes to texture. This prevents having to throw away uneaten cupcakes, saving you money.
6. Add Your Own Touches to Elevate Walmart Cupcakes
While convenient, affordable, and customizable, Walmart cupcakes are admittedly not as artisanal as specialty bakeries. However, there are small tweaks you can make at home to elevate their presentation:
- Fresh fruit toppers – slices of strawberries or raspberries make simple additions
- Homemade buttercream roses or flowers
- Candy decorations – mini M&M‘s, chocolate chips, etc.
- Natural sprinkles like coconut, crushed nuts or cocoa nibs
I recommend buying a few extra plain frosted cupcakes to experiment with decorating techniques. Watch some YouTube tutorials to get inspired for creative enhancements!
7. Order Early, Especially for Large Events
My final tip is to place your cupcake order with Walmart‘s bakery 1-2 weeks in advance if you need 4+ dozen or have specific customization requests.
Orders for special events with 50+ guests, custom designs, unique flavors, etc. require more production planning on Walmart‘s side. Give them a heads up.
For smaller quantities or standard options, you can likely order closer to the date needed. But I suggest avoiding last minute orders for best selection.
Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth with Walmart Cupcakes
As you can see, Walmart can be a great and affordable option when buying cupcakes for parties, events, office treats, and more. Convenience, customization, and budget-friendly prices make it easy to order exactly what you need.
While quality varies a bit by location, following the tips above will help you maximize freshness. And you can always elevate store-bought cupcakes with creative decorations.
The next time you‘re planning for birthdays or celebrations, give your local Walmart bakery a look. With a little advance ordering and some personal touches, you can have bakery-worthy cupcakes that‘ll please any crowd without breaking the bank!
