‘Flex pricing?’: Walmart shopper notices Great Value milk has a ‘manager’s special’ price. Then he takes a closer look at the discount
Between inflation, tariffs, and shrinking packages, grocery shopping has become a game of math and luck. Prices that once seemed steady now shift week to week, and shoppers are paying more attention than ever to the fine print.
So when one Walmart customer spotted a not-so-lucrative “manager’s special” deal on milk, he decided to share it on TikTok.
Walmart’s ‘Manager’s Deal’ on Milk Surprises Customer
TikTok creator Noah (@noah.exel) posted a short video from inside his local Walmart, showing a row of milk gallons with bright red sale tags taped to the cooler.
“I’m here at Walmart, and you know, I was thinking about getting some milk,” he says. “Saw these big signs, and they were like, “Oh, look, Manager’s special. And I was like, oh, that’s cool.”
But when he zooms in, the tag reveals the punchline: “Was $2.76. Now $2.75.”
“The manager was so kind to us this week that he gave us a whole penny off milk,” he jokes. “A whole penny? I don’t know what to say, guys. Come get it before it’s all gone.”
The video quickly picked up traction, with commenters laughing at the one-penny markdown.
‘The Nerve to Waste Paper’
Viewers filled the comments with jokes, and some even noted that despite the tiny “discount,” the price itself was surprisingly low compared to where they live.
“Manager special = about to expire,” one person wrote.
Another added, “The nerve to waste paper to print that out.”
“This is the Mr. Krabs discount,” a third joked.
Others used the video to point out how much milk costs elsewhere.
“Nah I wish lol,” one commenter said. “Like $7 in Canada for one jug.”
Another added, “Milk is $5 where I live! Where do you live that it’s $2.75?!”
For reference, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average price of a gallon of milk in September 2025 was $4.10, which makes this Walmart gallon almost half the national average—even before the “discount.”
@noah.exel Tag @Walmart in the comments #walmart #milk #saving #mangerspecials ♬ original sound – Ark of Noah
Grocery Prices Keep Climbing
While Noah’s one-cent markdown went viral for laughs, it also came at a time when food prices have been climbing steadily again.
According to a USA TODAY report, grocery prices rose 0.6% from July to August, the fastest monthly increase since October 2022. Overall, groceries now cost 29% more than before the pandemic.
Economists told the outlet that a mix of global and domestic issues is driving the rise. David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, explained that it started with COVID-era supply disruptions, followed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up energy and grain prices.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Noah via TikTok messages and Walmart via contact form for more information.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
