Vent...tiered Cakes At Walmart???

Decorating By jewels710 Updated 9 Mar 2011 , 8:56pm by WykdGud

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Shumab02 Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 9:26am
post #31 of 54

The thing with our local Walmart is that they only offer white cake with buttercream for a tiered cake. No other flavors or fillings and no fondant. So you can get the cake cheaper but you cannot choose what you really want.

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MissFluff Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 11:02am
post #32 of 54

I currently work at Wal-Mart as I have for the past six and a half years (service desk). My grandmother used to make all of the cakes for birthdays and parties until her Parkinson's Disease no longer allowed her to do that.

This past May I decided to buy my Mom a cake from the local bakery. I have bought Wal-Mart cakes before, but this time I wanted something nicer. A Cinco de Mayo cake since her birthday was May 5th. I took her with me to pick the cake up. It was a nicely decorated buttercream cake with all sorts of Cinco de Mayo themed designs on them. It was awesome.

I think that broke me from Wal-Mart cakes for life. It was so good! icon_biggrin.gif Nothing compares to the taste of a cake from a bakery.

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nhbaker Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 11:16am
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Yes, I agree that there needs to be the WM cakes out there for those that can't afford a custom cake. HOWEVER, I also understand the OPM's point because I deal with "cheapskates" all the time. I think its a matter of priorities. It seems like there's a "type" of person that buys WM cakes (wedding cakes not occasional cakes) -- to them it's more important to have an over the top dress or monogrammed napkins than a nice (and good) cake. I'm slowly learning to not take in personal but it's still tough when someone picks WM over you.

A quick laugh on the "afford my own cakes" front -- I delievered a cake to a client the other day that was $200 (for her DD's birthday). My son was with me and as we were pulling away I said "Honey, I love you to death, but if Mom didn't make cakes, there is no way I'd pay that kind of money for a birthday cake for you!!"

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Lenette Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 1:15pm
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I totally see everyone's point here but I have to say that doing cakes and learning the value in a quality item has transferred into other areas. I will save up for something that is better quality rather than buying something cheap, I do my absolute best NOT to shop in Wal-mart and the like. I also have a greater appreciation for handmade items and shopping at local businesses (particularly locally owned).

I know it is not possible to avoid mass production all together but knowing the care I put into cakes has made me more mindful and opened my eyes. I no longer look at price only and scoff at how much more expensive something is while comparing it to Walmart or super-center prices. It has really been an education.

And no, there is nothing wrong with living within ones means, more of us should do it. But I also think there is something to be said for seeking quality across the board and supporting the little guy and girl as much as possible. icon_smile.gif

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-K8memphis Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 1:32pm
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I agree and I try to balance with fair trade sustainable items as well as helping the 'other little guys' who work for the corporations. Where do we draw the line on 'the little guy'? Corporations in & of themselves are not evil. They are comprised of people who need a paycheck too. I think it's all good. Are there bad spots? Sure. But I think as a shopper moderation is key.

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-K8memphis Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 1:42pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nhbaker

A quick laugh on the "afford my own cakes" front -- I delievered a cake to a client the other day that was $200 (for her DD's birthday). My son was with me and as we were pulling away I said "Honey, I love you to death, but if Mom didn't make cakes, there is no way I'd pay that kind of money for a birthday cake for you!!"




I'm straying a little off topic but For Sure! In fact I had my family give me a by on fancy froofroo cakes after they got in their early teens--I mean hey it's WORK to Mom--we can do a nice 9x13 in a pyrex, blow out a candle and fight over who does the dishes without all that time consuming falderal.

So fast forward to her graduating with the first Masters degree & me laid off--no money for a super gift. I did her a deluxe topsy turvy with a This Is Your Life theme. I was golden. <heart>

It's interesting how the pendulum swings back & forth as well as up & down sometimes.
<high five>

edited to get my high & five on the same line icon_biggrin.gif

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tarheelgirl Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 2:01pm
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In no way would I ever think of this as competition. I would rather someone be mindful of their budget and go to Walmart rather then waste a ton of my time on a cake they cannot afford. Shoot, put me in that category "I wouldn't pay my prices" too. thumbs_up.gif

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daltonam Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 2:07pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JanH

Cakes and cupcakes available at Walmart superstores:

http://www.walmart.com/cp/Bakery/120764

HTH




what a pretty picture they make.

I don't care what bakery the cake comes from as long as it's good. WalMart here is not good. Sam's Club is. Regardless if they are or are not good/great cakes, NO WAY can I compete with either prices, it's just that simple.

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

Put me in the category of "I wouldn't pay my prices either!"




Wouldn't but more than that I COULDN'T.

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Ruth0209 Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 9:45pm
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It looks to me like WM is stuck in the '80s when it come to cake designs. Excessively swirly icing with awful plastic pillars. They need to open a bride's magazine and think about updating their designs. Making a more current design doesn't cost any more than the cakes attacked with the #17 tip.

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playingwithsugar Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 10:03pm
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The WalMart SuperCenter near me has sold tiered cakes since it opened, about 10 years ago. A co-worker bought one there for her daughter's wedding. She said it was pretty good for a supermarket cake.

Theresa icon_smile.gif

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eieio1234 Posted 6 Nov 2010 , 10:37pm
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I picked up a flyer/booklet from them about wedding cakes that could be ordered at least 10 years ago. I actually still have it because there was a cake in there that I thought was pretty! ( I wonder if they still offer that style!)

I had some of a Sam's Club birthday cake (I'm guessing they're the same or similar) a few months ago and it was really awful in my opinion. I mean, REALLY bad, it tasted like sawdust! However, my husband thought it was great! LOL! BUT, you know what, my wedding cake, 14 years ago, was ordered from ShopRite! Those of you that aren't familiar with it, it's a supermarket chain. After paying thousands for the photographer and my dress, the thought of a $150 cake sounded really good to me!! I didn't care, I just wanted to get married! And you know what, that cake was SO DARN GOOD!! A handful of people asked for the bakery name! It was embarrassing! Oh, and that reminded me, on our 1 year anniversary, my mother in law gave us the top layer. I didn't even know about that tradition, to eat the top tier on your one year anniversary. My husband said it was a year old and nasty and wouldn't try it. I tasted a piece, then grabbed it, sat on the couch and devoured that thing!! It was good a year later!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know this could be the exception to the rule, but that $150 Shop Rite wedding cake was awesome!

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sebrina Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 5:42am
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I just left our local Super Walmart & found that they are setting up to start making two tiered cakes for $148. Ugh. I am presently looking into opening my own store. I thought about this ALL the way home!

IF I you WERE going to carry something to compete with their $148 cakes, what would you do? Any thoughts on what kind of nice cake you could put out for $148? Looks like probably a 6" & 10" round, I think. Probably feeds around 50 people from what I was reading. Think you could come up with something quick & easy to compete with their prices?

I was thinking, WHY NOT? We should be able to at least come close, right? Come up with one quick & easy design that I could say - Look, this one I can do for this price instead if you going to Walmart! After all EVERYONE deserves a GOOD cake! Right?

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cupcakesnbuttercream Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 9:33am
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Yes, WM has been selling tiered cakes for years. I went to them when I was planning my wedding back in 2007. The price I was quoted was around $160 ish for a 3-tier...if I remember correctly. I actually ended up getting our cake from a local German bakery...they were YUMMY, and we got 3 different flavors...for $140 ish.


BTW, who has tried Costco cake? I think they are pretty decent, they even have fillings.

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kim62808 Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 10:29am
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The picture Jan H. posted the walmart page , is not the one the OP is talking about , that has been around for a while but as of about 3 months ago my super walmart in Tx , has put out a small two tier cake that has themes like the hot pink cake with black scrolls and a plastic shoe , red and back lace cake with a shoe [very cute ] and the princess theme , and the light blue and gree n colored baby shower cake with a giraffe going up the side , all sorts of new hip themes , they are cute in the picture they are priced at 48.00 dollars but they honeslty look to serve about 30 . If I didnt make cakes I would buy one just to try out [ps I secrectly love bakery grocery store cakes I think the cake taste fine I kinda dont like walmarts buttercream bt I still will eat it - In my area I totally feel what the op is saying bc I actually sent my friend/client to walmart for a princes cake since she wa really cheap - and couldnt aford my 60.00 offer -- tIMES are tuff and well its war ha ha lol !!! but again op I am in the same boat and yes walmart is cometition now for me to [IN MY AREA ] I dont really even live near middle class ----
i will say this these cake clients will only want to pay 25.00 for a cake but rent a special place like jump jr for like 400.00 ???????hmmmmm

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bellatrixothersis Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 12:04pm
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So I worked for a walmart bakery for six months and ran out screaming..(very poor mgrs) .....everything comes in frozen and is defrosted....it depends on the department manager and his/her skills....if the mgr/staff is trained in decorating cakes..yes, u can get a deal and a pretty cake....the cake is basic...do u really want walmart type customers..trust me...no...I won't buy walmart food because I saw first hand "how things" are handled...this includes their breads....our bakery mgr would put cakes in the cooler...they defrosted and eventually became dry....our store is a psychological study...anyone majoring in psychology and needs to do a paper should work there...But, please don't compare your skills and talent and cakes to walmart.........it just doesn't compare!!

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sebrina Posted 6 Mar 2011 , 3:11pm
post #46 of 54

Yeah, it was the small 2 tier cakes that I was looking at. Not the wedding cakes. And they were iced nice & clean with some plastic toys on them (animals for a zoo theme, a bow made from some cheap ribbon...)

I was just thinking, we should be able to make that same cake BETTER & sell it for $148 & make something off it! I mean, we can't compete with Sam's Club selling a full sheet cake for less than $50 but a small two tier with some plastic toppers on it for less than $200? That should be do-able, I would think. We should be able to do one or two really basic designs, in a cost effective way, that would give people on a tight budget an alternative to a supermarket cake. Anyone agree? Anyone...

(Not that I am bashing supermarket cakes or anyone working for or buying from. God only knows that I still shop at Walmart! LOL!)

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BCo Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 5:30pm
post #47 of 54

Does anyone know what the servings are on the small cake for $148? Say it's a 9" and 6" that would be around 36 servings (per Wilton chart) so $148 divided by 36 servings would be about $4.11 a serving.....I'm not sure what area everyone is from but I know around where I am from that's sometimes a little more then what people get around here for a basic buttercream cake. If you're just throwing some plastic toys on there I can see where it would be doable for some people. I know I see a lot of people start their buttercream cakes at $3.50 a serving.

I do not step foot into WalMart unless for some crazy reason I absolutely have to but now I'm curious to see what our WalMart has out in their bakery. I am on the same train as Debbie's husband...I will go out of my way and pay 3 times the price not to go to WM!! The people in our area that frequent that place are rude, the food is in no way fresh, the expiration dates are always short on most of the food I've looked at. I have never had their bakery stuff so I can't comment on that. I always leave that place with a headache.

And I really prefer to NOT shop with people that shop in their pj's and slippers! Just my preference icon_smile.gif (not saying this is everywhere but it is where I live!!!)

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sebrina Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 5:42pm
post #48 of 54

Yeah, they just put a handwritten sign out when I saw it. They are actually gonna sell them for $48 not $148! Can't even come close to that...

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BCo Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 5:52pm
post #49 of 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by sebrina

Yeah, they just put a handwritten sign out when I saw it. They are actually gonna sell them for $48 not $148! Can't even come close to that...




Oh WOW - I must have read the post incorrectly....$48...NO WAY can't touch that!

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klutzy_baker Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 6:09pm
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I can remember when the Walmart in my hometown opened in the 90s (before it was a Super Walmart) it actually baked things...not just decorated and packaged things. As far as I know, when it went "super" it reduced the amount of things it baked to nearly nothing. It always had tiered cakes though.

I guess what I'm annoyed at is that Walmart (or at least the one's in my area) have cut quality. I remember some of their baked goods tasting pretty good and now it's just blech. It's sad that people who can't afford it, have to deal with increasingly lower standards of quality. I'm guessing that it's to provide consumers the low prices that it promises, but it's just sad.

Okay..sorry...rant over. icon_razz.gif

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lissacarol Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 6:39pm
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I agree with so many comments on this topic! Let me just say in regards to wedding cakes I have made some that the bride didn't seem to care and made her design decision a week before the wedding and then I have some that are all about the cake. Both brides are willing to pay my price. I have never purchased a wedding cake from any chain grocery but I assume that they have a few different styles and you can have them in any color you want but beyond that they are not going to search through Cake Central for the picture of the "one" they just know is what the bride is describing. A bride the other day told me that she had talked to two other "cake ladies" with whom she did NOT feel good about and that she had a zillion percent (now that is a lot...lol) confidence in me. She was afraid she was asking to much of me! To my knowledge she has never eaten a cake baked by me. So, would she have that zillion percent confidence in the chain grocery? I also think it is a matter of priority. Is the cake their focus or would they rather have the designer gown and the honeymoon to Europe. Me, I have always loved wedding cakes even before I ever picked up a decorating bag so I would probably get a cheaper gown and go more out on my cake. Non-cake example: a former hairdresser charged me more than I wanted to pay for hair coloring services and she says to me "you can afford it" my reply was "maybe I can but I don't want to". I also don't buy my underwear from the "nice store" in the mall either! Don't plan on parading down a runway with wings attached to my back anyway ! lol! Priorities icon_smile.gif

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vtcake Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 8:35pm
post #52 of 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodguy

Quote:
Originally Posted by TexasSugar

Those that don't have the money to spend, or what ever will go to Walmart".



Texas Sugar, I was so glad to read that you had pointed out this circumstance. While I appreciate the fact that custom work is and can be expensive, and also that there are those who try to get "something for nothing", I feel that too often it's neglected or forgotten by posters here that there are people who simply cannot afford custom cake prices. These folk deserve to have a decent cake (which they can afford) for their celebrations as much as those with more cash.

Instead of taking such seemingly personal issue with, and so much grocery store cake bashing, maybe we should simply accept the fact there there are those who can afford custom work and there are those who simply cannot.




I agree! I have been a grocery store cake buyer for years and years. The only custom cakes I ever bought were for my kids' birthdays, and the local lady sold them for $25.

If I didn't make my own custom cakes now, I still wouldn't be able to afford a custom cake from someone else other than that lady who's been in this small town doing cakes out of her home for over 50 years, and who just said the other night that she'll never raise her prices.

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Shumab02 Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 8:51pm
post #53 of 54

I stopped at our Walmart Bakery counter last summer to inquire about their tiered wedding cakes. They only offer buttercream for icing and filling and you can only get white cake. Any decorations other than piping you have to pay extra for. Because of this I really do not see them as competition.

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WykdGud Posted 9 Mar 2011 , 8:56pm
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So all brides should buy designer gowns, and those who buy the $99 special from David's Bridal are tacky? Cheap?

I don't get the attitude about Walmart cakes. I look at it not that I can't compete with Walmart, but that THEY cannot compete with ME! HA!

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