Understanding Walmart’s Stock Performance Trends
Searching for a “Walmart stock number”? The phrase can be confusing because it means several different things depending on your goal. Whether you’re trying to return an item, find a product online, or research investing, the number you need changes. You’ve come to the right place for a clear answer.
Have you ever tried to make a return without a receipt? The “magic number” employees need is often hiding in plain sight on the shelf tag, and it’s usually not the barcode. Understanding Walmart product identifiers is the key to solving these common frustrations quickly and easily.
The specific number you should look for depends entirely on what you want to do. Finding an item on Walmart’s website, for instance, is easiest with their internal number, often called a SKU. But if you want to price-compare that same item at another store, you’ll need a different code entirely.
This guide clarifies which number to use for any situation—from product returns to the completely separate “stock number” used for financial trading (that’s the ticker symbol, WMT). By decoding these different identifiers, you can find exactly what you need.
The Number on the Box: What the Barcode (UPC) Is Really For
That familiar block of black and white stripes on almost every product is the first number most of us see. Directly underneath it, you’ll find a 12-digit number called the UPC, which stands for Universal Product Code. Think of the UPC as the product’s universal fingerprint. The code is the same whether you buy a box of Cheerios at Walmart, Target, or your local corner store.
The key purpose of this number is for scanning. When a cashier scans the barcode, the system instantly identifies the specific size and brand of cereal. This is also how apps, like the Walmart app, can help you find product information from a UPC code you scan with your phone’s camera. Because it’s universal, it’s the best number for comparing prices between different retailers.
While the UPC identifies the product everywhere, it’s not always the most useful number for tasks inside Walmart itself. If you’re trying to make a return without a receipt or asking an employee to find something in the back, there’s a different, more powerful number they use.
How to Find the ‘Magic Number’ for Returns and Online Searches (Item #)
While the UPC is universal, Walmart gives every product its own internal nickname: the “Item Number.” This is technically a SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), but you’ll almost always see it labeled this way. If the UPC is the product’s formal name, the Item Number is what Walmart calls it at home. This is the single most useful number for returns, in-store questions, and finding the exact item on Walmart’s website.
Finding this number is straightforward. In the store, look at the white price tag on the shelf right below the product. You’ll see the Item Number printed there, separate from the price and UPC. If you’re wondering how to find the item number on a Walmart receipt, simply look at the line for the product you bought; the number is listed right next to the item’s name.
This number is your secret weapon for a Walmart product lookup by item number. Instead of guessing with vague terms, you can go to Walmart.com or use the app and type this exact number into the search bar. It’s the most reliable way to search the Walmart website by a product number and pull up the precise item you saw in the store or bought previously.
Your receipt also contains a TC number, usually near the barcode at the bottom. This doesn’t identify a single product but rather your entire transaction. You’ll need this TC number from your Walmart receipt if you ever call customer service about a specific purchase.
Your Phone Is a Price Checker: How to Use the Walmart App’s Scanner
Hunting for tiny numbers on a shelf tag can feel like a chore. Thankfully, there’s a much faster way to do a price check or find product details: using the scanner built right into the Walmart app. This feature turns your phone into a powerful shopping assistant, letting you pull up information for any item in the store just by pointing your camera at it.
Knowing how to scan a barcode with the Walmart app is a simple, four-step process:
- Open the Walmart App and tap the Search bar at the top.
- Tap the barcode icon that appears to the right of the search bar.
- Grant camera permission if the app asks for it (you only have to do this once).
- Point your phone’s camera at any product’s barcode until it comes into focus.
Beyond just confirming a price, the scanner acts as a Walmart in-store inventory checker, showing if an item is in stock at your store or one nearby. You can also instantly pull up product details and customer reviews, helping you make a smarter decision on the spot.
Price-Comparing Across Stores: The Power of the Model Number
When you want to see if that 65-inch TV is a better deal at Best Buy or on Amazon, you need the one number that manufacturers use to identify their products everywhere: the model number. This string of letters and numbers is the secret to true “apples-to-apples” price-matching, ensuring you’re comparing the exact same item, not just a similar-looking one.
Unlike the UPC or the SKU (Walmart’s internal nickname), the model number is the product’s official name from the company that made it—like Sony or Samsung. This is the key difference when considering Walmart SKU vs UPC for comparison shopping. You can typically find this identifier on the original box, on the back of the device itself, or listed as “Model” on the Walmart item number on product page online.
Armed with the model number, you can confidently search on Google or other retail sites, knowing the results are for the identical product. This is crucial for high-ticket items where a small feature difference can mean a big price difference. Beyond shopping, this is also the number you’ll need to register your product for a warranty or look up a manual online.
Switching Gears: What Is Walmart’s Financial ‘Stock Number’ (WMT)?
If you’ve heard the term “Walmart stock number” in a conversation about investing, it refers to something completely different from a product code. This number isn’t for returns or price-checking; it’s for buying or tracking a tiny piece of the company itself.
On the stock market, every publicly traded company is assigned a short, unique abbreviation called a ticker symbol. Think of it as the company’s official nickname for Wall Street. Instead of typing out “Walmart Inc.,” traders and financial news sites use this simple code to identify it instantly.
So, what is Walmart’s financial stock number? The official ticker symbol for Walmart Inc. is WMT. When you see news about WMT stock or look it up on a financial app, you’re seeing the performance of the entire company on the New York Stock Exchange. Just remember, the ticker symbol WMT is for investors, not shoppers.
Your Walmart Number Cheat Sheet: Which Code to Use and When
Now you can look at any product tag or receipt and know exactly which code does what. You’re equipped with the knowledge to navigate Walmart product identifiers with confidence.
For any task, you have the right tool. Just remember:
- To Scan at Checkout: Use the Barcode (UPC).
- To Find an Item on Walmart.com: Use the Item # (SKU) from the shelf tag or receipt.
- To Look Up a Past Purchase: Use the TC # from your receipt with customer service.
- To Price-Compare at Other Stores: Use the Model # found on the product or box.
- To Look Up Financial Stock Info: Use the Ticker Symbol (WMT).
With this understanding, that jumble of codes is no longer an obstacle. It’s your shortcut to shopping smarter and solving problems faster.