We know that Amazon has the world’s best selection of consumer goods, but the question is: does it have the world’s best prices? While Amazon does have great deals on most of its items, many items can be found for much cheaper elsewhere.
One of those places where you can often find better deals is Jet.com. Jet.com is a warehouse store just like Amazon, and in the past few years, it has proven to be a solid competitor. Amazon has a much larger selection, but how do the prices compare?
Amazon is free to use, unless you have a Prime membership, which is $99 a year. With this membership, you get numerous perks, such as free two-day shipping and the ability to stream movies, music and TV shows for free.
Jet.com is free (it originally charged a $50 membership when it first launched in 2015), but does not come with such perks. Shipping is free for orders over $35, but can take five days or longer.
Jet.com actually nixed the membership fees after finding ways to cut prices by 4-5 percent over the competition. It does this by offering several types of discounts for customers.
For example, you can get 15 percent off your first three orders. Plus, it uses a spend more, save more model. As you place more items in your online shopping cart, you can literally watch your costs drop. Plus, if you use a debit card rather than a credit card (which has higher transaction fees), you can save an additional 0.8 percent on your total purchase. This isn’t going to save you a ton of money (unless you bought thousands of dollars in items), but it’s better than nothing.
When comparing Jet.com to Amazon, you’ll find that Amazon sometimes has the lower prices. But for the most part, Jet.com has Amazon beat, especially in certain categories. In fact, according to Time.com, shopping at Jet.com instead of Amazon can save consumers as much as $500 a year. In various studies, Jet.com’s prices were 9 percent than Amazon in seven categories.
So what are some of the best deals at Jet.com? Here are some things to consider buying to save the most money.
Baby Products
Have a little one in the household? Then head on over to Jet.com to buy diapers and baby wipes. Parents should always look for the lowest prices on baby products, especially when they have multiple children. They could save hundreds of dollars a year.
While Amazon has a much larger selection – Jet.com carries only 58 percent of Amazon’s baby products – Jet.com is the winner when it comes to prices. In fact, 84 percent of Jet.com’s products were cheaper than Amazon. The average savings was 10 percent.
Here are some examples to prove this point:
192-count Huggies diapers
Price at Amazon: $42
Price at Jet.com: $33.60
Savings: 20 percent
384-count box of Seventh Generation baby wipes
Price at Amazon: $15.99
Price at Jet.com: $14.06
Savings: 12 percent
Beauty Products
Looking to save money on shampoo, lotion and makeup? You can skip the drug store and get better prices by shopping at Jet.com. When compared to Amazon, Jet’s prices were 10 percent lower on average, so you get more bang for your buck.
Here are some examples to prove this point:
23.7-ounce bottle of Herbal Essences 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Price at Amazon: $7.49
Price at Jet.com: $5.75
Savings: 23 percent
8-ounce bottle of Aveeno lotion
Price at Amazon: $8.53
Price at Jet.com: $5.70
Savings: 33 percent
Household Products
It’s always a good idea to have laundry detergent, paper towels and cleaning supplies on hand. If you like to stock up on these essentials, you’re in luck because Jet.com offers great prices on these household products. It beats Amazon’s prices 70 percent of the time. In fact, the prices are on average 11 percent lower than the prices you’ll see at Amazon. Plus, with Jet.com’s buy more, save more model, you can stock up and save even more.
Here are some examples to prove this point:
2-pack of Dove Bath Bars
Price at Amazon: $6.83
Price at Jet.com: $5.48
Savings: 20 percent
24-ounce bottle of Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Price at Amazon: $5.70
Price at Jet.com: $3.76
Savings: 34 percent
Office Supplies
If you own your own business or are the parent of several young children, you may find that you constantly need office and school supplies. It can be hard to find time to fit a trip to Office Depot into your busy schedule, so ordering online can save you time and money.
This is especially true if you shop at Jet.com for your office supplies. When compared to Amazon, Jet.com customers saved an average of 7 percent on items such as pens and notebooks.
Here are some examples to prove this point:
6-pack of Top Flight marbled composition books
Price at Amazon: $18.80
Price at Jet.com: $15.49
Savings: 18 percent
Universal stand-up stapler
Price at Amazon: $7.42
Price at Jet.com: $4.99
Savings: 33 percent
Groceries
If you’re looking to score the best deals on food, Jet.com also has Amazon beat in that category. Jet.com wax cheaper 45 percent of the time. On average, Jet.com’s prices were 7 percent lower, although there were instances where the savings calculated to 40 percent and even 60 percent.
However, Jet.com’s food selection is limited to prepackaged goods and canned goods, whereas Amazon offers meat and produce as well. In fact, Amazon carries 39 percent more food items. Amazon also has faster delivery. If you have Prime, you’ll get your groceries delivered in two days. In some cities, AmazonFresh grocery service delivers your order the same day.
Here are some examples to prove this point:
Keebler's 14.2-ounce packages of Vienna Fingers sandwich cookies
Price at Amazon: $13.99
Price at Jet.com: $5.57
Savings: 60 percent
24-count package of Donut House flavored Keurig Cups
Price at Amazon: $18.19
Price at Jet.com: $11.16
Savings: 39 percent
Note that many groceries are often priced higher at both Amazon and Jet.com, so it pays to check out the prices at your local grocery store first. It may be cheaper and more convenient to purchase food items there, especially at discount retailers such as Walmart and Aldi.
Electronics
You can save on electronics at Jet.com, but the savings are not as significant. The savings average only about 6 percent, and the inventory is much more limited when compared to Amazon. That’s because Jet.com has done extensive research on the types of electronics that consumers are most likely to buy and focuses on having those items in stock. This saves you money, especially if you purchase a “smart item” with your electronic purchase. For example, if you buy a laptop, it may be recommended that you purchase a carrying case as well.
Here is an example to prove this point:
Logitech surround sound speaker system
Price at Amazon: $395.53
Price at Jet.com: $370.43
Savings: 6 percent
Note that when shopping for electronics, it’s best to explore other retailer options. Computers, TVs, tablets and other electronics are likely to be even cheaper at stores such as Best Buy and Frys.
Other Ways to Save
There are many other categories in which you can save money. For example, if you need chairs, tables and other furniture items for your home and office, you can find great savings at Jet.com. More than 80 percent of the site’s furniture items are cheaper than Amazon. However, Jet.com’s inventory is extremely limited, with the store carrying just 23 percent of the items that Amazon carried in the same category.
Have cats, dogs and other furry or feathered friends? Pet supplies are also cheaper at Jet.com. Average savings totaled 12 percent, with Jet.com beating Amazon’s prices 78 percent of the time. However, in terms of product selection, Amazon carries 32 percent more pet supplies.
If you’re looking to upgrade your home or plant a garden, check out Jet.com first. The site has only 19 percent fewer items than Amazon, but Jet.com customers were likely to see cheaper prices on 63 percent of home and garden products.
The same goes for home improvement items. Tools, light bulbs and building materials were cheaper on 62 percent of Jet.com’s items. However, Amazon did beat out Jet.com in terms of selection, in which Jet.com had just two-thirds of Amazon’s home improvement products.
The Verdict
Jet.com is definitely giving Amazon a run for its money. It offers customers various ways to save money, from opting out on returns to using a debit card to pay for purchases. If you prefer to shop online, Jet.com has Amazon beat in many categories.
If you’re a die-hard Amazon shopper, it may be worthwhile to check out the deals at Jet.com first. By comparing prices at both stores, you may find that while Amazon has a much larger selection, the prices aren’t always the best. Check out what Jet.com has to offer and you could save hundreds of dollars a year.
Sources:
http://time.com/money/4068884/jet-com-vs-amazon-price-comparison/
http://clark.com/shopping-retail/jet-vs-amazon/
https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/food/jet-com-might-truly-be-the-secret-to-cheap-groceries/
