Here Are Some More Things That Could Be Helpful For You!
Having healthy and affordable food is important if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking care of a young child. Thankfully, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program is available to help, by providing benefits you can use at stores that accept WIC across the country.
WIC grocery benefits can be used at many places. In fact, most major stores take WIC benefits. Places that you may already shop, like Walmart or Target, are just a few WIC grocery store options. Discover some store options for your WIC needs in the sections below.
Walmart
Of the stores that accept WIC, Walmart is a good option because it is available in so many places. You can find Walmart grocery locations all around the country. Many Walmart stores have a small grocery section with common food items.
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Remember, WIC benefits can only be used to buy approved items like milk, juice, eggs, bread and infant formula. However, Walmart Supercenters offer the full grocery store experience.
Some Walmart Supercenters have even more choices than small grocery stores – with bigger and better savings. That’s the other biggest benefit.
There are more than 4,700 Walmart stores in the U.S. which makes it easy to find a grocery-stocking option in your area. This abundance makes it easier to shop given that the WIC-approved store doesn’t allow you to use these benefits online.
In any case, if you or your family are currently receiving SNAP benefits, Walmart does accept EBT cards for online grocery pickup. So be sure to take advantage of this convenience.
To make things easier, many Walmart grocery stores may put WIC labels next to the items that are approved for purchase by the program, but not all stores that accept WIC will label the items that you can buy. So double-check with your provider if you’re experiencing the latter.
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Target
When you are WIC grocery shopping, Target is another good option to consider. Target food offerings have become much more affordable in recent years to compete with the prices of their competitors. In some states, you can only use WIC at SuperTarget locations. However, regular Target stores may be approved to take benefits as well. If you’re unsure, give your local store a quick call before shopping.
You’ll be able to find food items at all standard Target locations. However, SuperTarget stores will have more variety to choose from. Like other stores that accept WIC, you can purchase the same types of food with your benefits at Target. And similar to Walmart, you’ll often find locations that provide WIC labels to help you find program-approved items.
One benefit of shopping at Target is that you can sign up for a store credit or debit card to get a five percent discount. This discount does not apply to food you buy with WIC benefits. However, what it does apply toward are all of those non-WIC approved items you’re buying at Target. So, it’s a great way to build upon your savings.
Target food stores can be found in more than 1,800 locations. There are Target stores in every state, which makes it easy to find a store in your area.
Publix
Among the stores that accept WIC, Publix is another good choice. When shopping at a Publix store, you may buy items that have the WIC sticker by the price label. This sticker is a dark red circle that says “WIC” inside it. One benefit of shopping at Publix is that you can sometimes use buy-one-get-one promotions to get more items with your benefits.
An additional benefit is that you can use Publix Instacart to shop with your WIC benefits. Your funds are put onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card when you get WIC. Through this Publix delivery app, you may use an EBT card to pay for groceries. Furthermore, you can receive Publix free delivery on your first purchase through Instacart. For future purchases, you need to pay a delivery fee, but delivery fees vary based on factors like where you live. Note that WIC benefits may not be used toward the cost of delivery.
To make sure you don’t go over budget while doing Publix online grocery shopping, double-check that all of the items you added to your cart are WIC-approved. Meanwhile, if you’d rather go in person to do WIC store shopping, you can find one of Publix’s 1,200 locations in any of the following states:
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Virginia
Piggly Wiggly
When looking for a WIC grocery store in your area, Piggly Wiggly is a great option. These stores offer a wide variety of low-priced and discount items. This makes WIC grocery foods even more affordable, allowing families to stretch their benefits.
Piggly Wiggly stores are located in multiple regions across the country. You’ll be able to find one of the 500+ stores in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Save a Lot
The vast majority of Save a Lot stores take WIC benefits. Like the other stores on this list that accept government benefits for these approved food items, these stores typically label WIC foods to make it easy for you to find what you need fast. For example, Save a Lot baby food will often be labeled. However, if the food is not marked, you don’t necessarily have to assume that it’s not approved. Ask an employee to see if it’s on the list of approved items just in case.
Now, if you’re wondering, “Where can I find a Save a Lot grocery near me?” there are more than 1,200 locations to choose from. Most of these stores are found in central and eastern states, but there are also some locations in the western U.S. So be sure to take advantage of its big discounts if you can find one near you.
