[seacapt]

This morning I went to one of the nearby "Super Walmarts" to get some cheap sweat shirts and teeshirts as filler Christmas gifts for my kids.
Every time I go to Wally World I leave feeling a little dirty. It starts on arrival. For some reason the newest Walmart Super Center near us reversed the normal placement of entry and exit doors. The stay to the left thing just doesn't work for me . Is it some type of subliminal training "we're Walmart and we can make you do it our way" ? Anyhow I always stay to the right and enter through the exit door , it freaks the greeters out. After digging through piles of low quality clothing I did find some acceptible hoodies and tees grabbed a bag of oranges (from S.Africa ) and headed for the checkout. I tried to pick the most efficient looking line but found myself in the slow zone. When I finally got my junk on the counter I heard the" is there anything else we could help you find ?" nonsense. Somebady should have asked that while I was looking. Next the not so great at English person slowly packed my stuff into bags (probably being careful not to break the shirts). When I was finally ready to pay the card reader didn't offer me a debit payment for some reason so (and I knew this was going to suck) I chose a credit payment. Had to show ID with my card but them came the deer in a headlight stare. My bank card has both the name of my corperation and my name on it . This was too much for the woman behind the counter to understand. Before the words I need a manager at #7 could escape her lips I told her to keep the clothes and oranges from S Africa and give me back my license and bank card. As I left the greeter and some low / middle management person who had watched the whole thing tried to chase me down to find out why I was not happy with my Walmart experience. I just looked at them shook my head and said "Have a nice day". I then proceeded to keep to the right and walk out through the in door.

I have allways tried to avoid stores that sell crap in general and Walmart in particular but because the 2 Super Centers within 10 miles of my tiny town have run so many of the stores that sold quality out of business it gets tough .
I'm going to try to adopt a new policy , "If I can't get it somewhere other than Walmart I don't need it"!
How many of you can go 30 days without buying something from Walmart?

BTW the People of Walmart and People are like Sheep threads really made me laugh after this experience.

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Last edited by seacapt; 12-12-2010 at 10:14 AM.

[VaughnA]

The only time I've gone to Walmart in the last 5 years is when we've been on the road and it was the only option to buy something we needed for the trip along the way. If we're travelling it seems that its the only thing we can easily find to pick up something we've forgotten. EVERY time I went to Walmart around here I left without finding what I wanted and pissed off at the experience. They sell crap at crap prices, customers are rude and the design of the stores and parking lots make it impossible to get in and out easily.

[Daniel_r]

I will drive quite far out of my way and pay more to NOT have to go to Walmart

[Parallax]

Part of the retail cost of goods is the service associated with selling them. Walmart is cheaper than other retailers. You get what you pay for. (If you're lucky)

[SpecialK]

My Walmart experience is limited to buying a couple SD cards in Las Vegas without incident a few years ago. It was June, not the Xmas season, however. Another time I went to look at TV's, which were on display but unpowered.

[redrockcoulee]

When I was taking a course in Las Cruces NM Walmart was the only store within walking distance that sold groceries so it became my regular local store. I must of spent almost $30 there. Needed something in the way of clothes and they did not have so asked the clerks where I could go to find it and they could only tell me to try the Walmart in El Paso (and I mentioned I did not have a car). They were unwilling to let me know even where else in Las Cruces other stores could be found. I think this was the only Walmart I have ever spent my own money at.

As far as parking lots go the local one's does not seem anything different from Canadian Tire but what is behind their doors I do not know nor have any interest in finding out. The idea of having a greater is great as often I go into a store to pick up one or two items and it is great having someone help you decide if you need a basket or a cart to pick up those few small items NOT. Unfortunately others stores have copied this irritating service.

[davidreilly3207]

Haven't been inside one in 10 years. If I can't find it elsewhere. I do without. The are part of the problem wrecking The USA. Crap made with cheap exploited foreign labor sold to the wretched masses as necessities. BUY AMERICA.

[Ira]

If you can afford to pay $4.99 for a half gallon of Breyers ice cream at your local supermarket compared to $2.99 at WalMart, God bless 'ya.

Resistance is futile.

[Wheatfield]

If you can afford to pay $4.99 for a half gallon of Breyers ice cream at your local supermarket compared to $2.99 at WalMart, God bless 'ya.

Resistance is futile.

One hopes that the people who are refusing to shop at Wal-Mart are also refusing to buy their camera gear from those large mail order houses in NYC or from Amazon.

[Daniel_r]

If you can afford to pay $4.99 for a half gallon of Breyers ice cream at your local supermarket compared to $2.99 at WalMart, God bless 'ya.

Resistance is futile.

$5.99CAD at the local mart, and well worth it.

[seacapt]

Walmart is cheaper than other retailers.

Not really! So much of their stuff is made to Walmart spec. Vacum cleaner looks just like the more expensive one but has a different motor etc..

[idkjai]

I just purchased a printer from Walmart.com and it came with the glass cracked!

[reeftool]

If you don't like Walmart. don't shop there. I get some stuff at Walmart and enjoy the savings. Working night shifts, I can go at odd hours and don't have to deal with a crowded store. As for blaming Walmart for the the closing of of the smaller stores, Kmart, Jamesway, supermarkets, and suburban malls did that long ago. All Walmart did was kill Kmart and Jamesway. In a few years Walmart will decline as a new retail leader will emerge.

[VaughnA]

Not really! So much of their stuff is made to Walmart spec. Vacum cleaner looks just like the more expensive one but has a different motor etc..

Exactly, for example hey may have a TV with ALMOST the same model number as one sold elsewhere else but have less features or lower specs. One might have the number KXV-40A and the Walmart version KXV-40AX (made up numbers) but they would be very much different.

[eddie1960]

I never shop Walmart, and likely never will, I support local business any time I can. All my christmas shopping this year has been done with small independent dealers who support the neighbourhood back. Walmart can destroy small town retail very quickly (and they frequently do by lowering prices on key items to below cost, as the smaller local guys disappear so do these deals, Big box retailing in the city (like where I live in the downtown core) destroys neighborhoods by removing people from the streets and the area they live.
my neighbourhood fought a big box development that would have ruined the character of our main retail strip by drawing a lot of people to an isolated but close area, We won, and the reatil strip has responded by reinvesting in the neighbourhood through improvement projects and new businesses moving in. I understand why people would shop based on price alone, and if I was low income I would be forced into the same thing, as it is I can support retailers who provide service and give back to their neighborhoods. (which in turn for me pays off in increased property value as well so it works both ways)
As a Canadian I also like to support Canadian retailers when I can rather than see profits bleed across the border to American parent companies. It's not always viable, but you need to support local where you can to keep the economy vibrant and varied