For those that say they don't shop at Walmart ever........

[Sparx]

i love walmart.

i live in a good sized city (murfreeboro, tn) and we have two walmarts. both are clean, well stocked (with great prices!) and friendly employees.

and for all of those who say that other grocery stores provide a better deal than walmart, are you doing brand-brand comparisons or are you doing store brand-store brand comparisons? i've not been able to find a single place with more affordable (store brand) food.

 

[SundaeAfternoon]

We do our grocery shopping at Walmart pretty frequently. You get so much food for your money there!

I love the Walmart Neighborhood Markets. They are so much less crazy than the regular ones!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I cannot imagine "needing" anything at 2:00am, other than medicine. Our Walgreen's, about 1 and a half minutes from my house, has a 24 hour drive-through pharmacy. That's a heck of a lot more convenient than the Walmart, 15 minutes away, and no drive-through.

Our Safeway, about 1 minute from my home, is open as late as I'd ever needed them to be. I don't believe I've checked to see if they're open 24 hours, but they're open at midnight (that's for food, office supplies, etc, not the pharmacy).

If for some strange reason I ever find myself "needing" a new TV or pool chemicals at 2:00am, I would wait until morning.

 

[SAHDad]

I cannot imagine "needing" anything at 2:00am, other than medicine. Our Walgreen's, about 1 and a half minutes from my house, has a 24 hour drive-through pharmacy. That's a heck of a lot more convenient than the Walmart, 15 minutes away, and no drive-through.

Our Safeway, about 1 minute from my home, is open as late as I'd ever needed them to be. I don't believe I've checked to see if they're open 24 hours, but they're open at midnight (that's for food, office supplies, etc, not the pharmacy).

If for some strange reason I ever find myself "needing" a new TV or pool chemicals at 2:00am, I would wait until morning.

There have been plenty of times where I have needed things other than medicine at 2 am. I worked either second or third shift for something like four or five years - when you get up at 5 pm, and are awake until 7 am, a lot of stores are closing around the time you have showered and had breakfast.

I've never worked at Wal-mart, but I have worked at Meijer, a grocery store, fast food and a theatre, and all the complaints about exploitation, working conditions, cleanliness, customers, etc apply to many, many, many other places. But because Wal-mart is big, they draw a lot more criticism.

 

[Chicago526]

i love walmart.

i live in a good sized city (murfreeboro, tn) and we have two walmarts. both are clean, well stocked (with great prices!) and friendly employees.

and for all of those who say that other grocery stores provide a better deal than walmart, are you doing brand-brand comparisons or are you doing store brand-store brand comparisons? i've not been able to find a single place with more affordable (store brand) food.

Just recently I got 10 packs (or was it 8, can't remember) of Kraft string cheese for FREE after sale price and mail in rebate. Can't beat that!

I've gotten Land O Lakes spreadable butter for .50 cents a tub, I've gotten Nature Valley Granolla bars for less than $1 a box, I've gotten Green Giant boxed frozen veggies for .50 cents. All name brand, and far less than even store brand. I stock up like mad and coast off my stockpile until the next big deal.

With a few exceptions (say kraft mac N cheese, for example), I'll buy store brand everytime, unless I got a better deal with coupon/sale price on name brand. I've never compared WM store brand to other store brand prices, but since I can't stand being in their dirty, crowded stores (around me they're pretty bad, I know other locations they can be much nicer) I'd rather pay more, thanks. The store brand prices at the stores I shop at seem very reasonable to me, I can't imagine WM beats them by enough to ever make it worth my while.

 

[Colleen27]

Another question is where you would buy that stuff if you realized that you needed it at 2am.

A few years ago, I found myself in 'need' of a new TV for the guest room at 2am. A quick trip to the local WalMart and I was back asleep.

I cannot imagine needing a blender or a TV or pool chemicals at 2am. Maybe it is the small town girl in me (I'm still used to shops that close, and close early on holidays/Sundays), but I really just can't fathom why any of those things would be such an urgent need that you'd feel compelled to run out to purchase them in the middle of the night! I've gone out for late night snacks, sodas, cigarettes, medicine for a sick kiddo, but never a late night TV or blender.

But if the need ever did arise for some reason, Meijer is open 24-7.

 

[Handbag Lady]

CostCo or Target.

We don't have a Walmart near us and I manage to do just fine without it.

And we have plenty of stores open 24/7 around here so I am not sweating it.

 

[sbell111]

I cannot imagine "needing" anything at 2:00am, other than medicine. Our Walgreen's, about 1 and a half minutes from my house, has a 24 hour drive-through pharmacy. That's a heck of a lot more convenient than the Walmart, 15 minutes away, and no drive-through.

Our Safeway, about 1 minute from my home, is open as late as I'd ever needed them to be. I don't believe I've checked to see if they're open 24 hours, but they're open at midnight (that's for food, office supplies, etc, not the pharmacy).

If for some strange reason I ever find myself "needing" a new TV or pool chemicals at 2:00am, I would wait until morning.

That was my plan also, but picking one up at 2am GREATLY reduced the angst and allowed me to get more sleep.

 

[luvsJack]

That was my plan also, but picking one up at 2am GREATLY reduced the angst and allowed me to get more sleep.

Ok, this is going OT; but please tell me WHY you needed a TV at 2am? You have my curiosity up!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

The pharmacy practices that I personally am opposed to is that they allow their pharmacists to refuse to give adult women legally and appropriately prescribed medications. Not everyone agrees with me, of course, so I did not remark on that in my post other than to give reason why I don't shop at Target.

that is true of many of these stores: Walmart, Rite Aid, etc- isn't it? (I could not find any info more current than '05-'06)

at least Target has a "refuse and refer" policy. A pharmacist can refuse, but then must refer the customer to another pharmacist on duty, another Local Target, etc where they can immediately obtain their prescription.

I don't really agree with refusing, but if most offer the "conscience" thing - at least Target ensures the customer is referred elsewhere.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Just recently I got 10 packs (or was it 8, can't remember) of Kraft string cheese for FREE after sale price and mail in rebate. Can't beat that!

Me too! I buy a mix of store brand and name brand foods (it depends on how it tastes). I think Kroger's been giving away food lately as they seem to be busier now and almost every week have amazing sales. One I love that they do almost every week is buy 10 of certain items (and it's a large variety of things, most that I eat/drink anyways [i.e. soda, cheese, etc.]) and get $10 off your bill. I ended up getting Oreo's for $1.39, bottles of Sobe Lifewater for $.49 each, and a California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizza for $1.99 (among other things that escape me right now but they were similarly great deals!). People all of the time assume I'm spending more by not shopping at Walmart but for me that isn't true. Produce may be cheaper but I find Walmart's produce to not be very high quality and don't offer many organic options (says the girl stuffing her face with Oreo's ).

 

[Mrs.Toad]

There have been plenty of times where I have needed things other than medicine at 2 am. I worked either second or third shift for something like four or five years - when you get up at 5 pm, and are awake until 7 am, a lot of stores are closing around the time you have showered and had breakfast.

In our area, you would have had no problem shopping at any drugstore, grocery store, bookstore, electronics, department or office supply store, Target, Kmart or almost any other retailer between 5 and 9-10:00pm or later. The only shops I can think of that close at 5 or 6 are tiny, highly specialized stores like a particular doll repair shop I know of. But that's OK, I don't think Walmart could have repaired my dd's porcelain doll, even at noon.

 

[disneymom2one]

I shop wherever I can get the most out of my dollar - and usually that's Walmart.. My decisions are based on what is best for me financially - so I don't end up being a burden on society (welfare; food stamps; etc.)..

I'm not a burden on society but I don't give Wal-Mart my business. It's an easy, easy choice for me. We have Publix and while they may be slightly higher, you can get great deals by doing B1G1F and coupons. I'll take my Publix any day. We have three here we shop at and all are the same - fantastic customer service. Paper bags. Shopping cart brought to your car.

For everything else, we go to Target and Kohl's. Again, both have superior (in my opinion) customer service. Shorter lines. Friendlier cashiers. Both are cleaner. Kohl's has fantastic sales.

It's just an easy choice. I don't like how big my two Wal-Marts are. I don't like the constant long lines. I don't like the less-than-happy employees.

My favorite Wal-Mart? The one that closed. Why? My daughter goes to school there! Her charter school occupies 1/2 of a former Wal-Mart. It's a great school.

 

[AntePrincess]

I used to avoid Walmart like many of you. I worked in HR and I would interview people who quit Walmart who were forced to clean-up in the store after hours and not get paid (this was in 1996). Fast forward 10+ years and now I am a SAHM, we have a mortgage, preschool to pay for, etc.... My local grocery store (Big Y) charges $5 for a large bottle of Crisco vegetable oil. The new super Walmart near me is $2.48. A butter spread we like is $.99 cheaper. DD's yogurt snacks are at least a dollar cheaper. Guess where I buy vegetable oil, butter and yogurt?

I thought it was widely known at this point that Walmart has a policy of losing money on new stores, supporting their loses with the profits of the whole company, in order to drive out competition in the area of a new store. It's certainly well documented (see "Big Box Swindle" for documentation and statistics). The only time Walmart's prices are consistently lower than the competition is when they have opened a new store in an area and are trying to put the competition there out of business.

Guess what else they do? They supersaturate the areas with more Walmarts than the market will support, so initially they are hiring a lot of people and offering really low prices. When they've driven out the set percentage of competitors, they close the superfluous Walmarts and all those people are on the street.

Once that point is reached, consumer watchdogs have found that Walmart's prices average higher than the going rate.

My point? You're paying less now to be absolutely certain you'll pay more from then on. And, yes, other big boxes do this as well, though none have the financial pull to do it to the degree that Walmart does.

 

[Planogirl]

I do a lot of shopping and frequent a Wal-Mart that's been in business for many years. We have tons of Wal-Marts around here but that's the one I choose. It's clean, many of the employees have been there a long time and it's in a convenient location. I haven't noticed any change in prices so if they plan to become more expensive they are really dragging their heels.

I also shop Kroger's and Tom Thumb's (Safeway) sales and get mostly non-food things at Target. I think that the food items at Target are usually expensive. I detest Albertson's. We don't have Meijer or some of the other stores I've seen mentioned but I'm happy with what we have. Except I would like a Trader Joe's.

To each their own!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

We shop Target because it's nearby, but every so often I need to venture to North Kingstown RI and I usually make a stop in the Walmart there...very nice and clean and some great prices.

Given the original list in the OP, I would do my best not to jump from one store to another, using up gas and wasting time, if there's a reasonable option to get it all in one place.

 

[SAHDad]

In our area, you would have had no problem shopping at any drugstore, grocery store, bookstore, electronics, department or office supply store, Target, Kmart or almost any other retailer between 5 and 9-10:00pm or later. The only shops I can think of that close at 5 or 6 are tiny, highly specialized stores like a particular doll repair shop I know of. But that's OK, I don't think Walmart could have repaired my dd's porcelain doll, even at noon.

Oh, I was in a college town at the time, so there were a fair number of stores that were open until 9. But, to put into perspective - imagine getting up in the morning. You shower, eat breakfast, etc - and you have to finish your shopping by 9 or 10 am, because everything closes by then. (And don't get me started on how annoying the post office and banks can be to a third shift mushroom.) Wal-mart and Meijer were about the only places open at the (to me) reasonable hour of midnight.

As I said, however - virtually all of the complaints about Wal-mart can be said about Meijer, Target, etc. Wal-mart just happens to be the biggest and therefore draws the most fire.

 

[luvsJack]

I thought it was widely known at this point that Walmart has a policy of losing money on new stores, supporting their loses with the profits of the whole company, in order to drive out competition in the area of a new store. It's certainly well documented (see "Big Box Swindle" for documentation and statistics). The only time Walmart's prices are consistently lower than the competition is when they have opened a new store in an area and are trying to put the competition there out of business.

Guess what else they do? They supersaturate the areas with more Walmarts than the market will support, so initially they are hiring a lot of people and offering really low prices. When they've driven out the set percentage of competitors, they close the superfluous Walmarts and all those people are on the street.

Once that point is reached, consumer watchdogs have found that Walmart's prices average higher than the going rate.

My point? You're paying less now to be absolutely certain you'll pay more from then on. And, yes, other big boxes do this as well, though none have the financial pull to do it to the degree that Walmart does.

This is not true for our WalMart stores. Since WalMart opened here they have been cheaper and still are. I have tried shopping at other area stores, hitting their sales, using coupons all that; WalMart still beats them item for item and we have had a WalMart for at least 15 years.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Oh, I was in a college town at the time, so there were a fair number of stores that were open until 9. But, to put into perspective - imagine getting up in the morning. You shower, eat breakfast, etc - and you have to finish your shopping by 9 or 10 am, because everything closes by then. (And don't get me started on how annoying the post office and banks can be to a third shift mushroom.) Wal-mart and Meijer were about the only places open at the (to me) reasonable hour of midnight.

As I said, however - virtually all of the complaints about Wal-mart can be said about Meijer, Target, etc. Wal-mart just happens to be the biggest and therefore draws the most fire.

If I went to bed at 7:00pm, that would be no problem at all.

While I've never worked a night shift, I worked as a CPA for many years. At work from 8:00am till midnight or later 6 days a week during busy seasons, so I know what it's like to have to run my errands late at night or cram them all into a 1 hour lunch or dinner break. I'm not unsympathetic to those who work odd hours, but I managed just fine without Walmart.

Not that it means anything. If you like to shop at Walmart because it's open all night, that's fine. For me, that doesn't make up for the low quality of their products, which is my main complaint about the place.

 

[SAHDad]

If I went to bed at 7:00pm, that would be no problem at all.

While I've never worked a night shift, I worked as a CPA for many years. At work from 8:00am till midnight or later 6 days a week during busy seasons, so I know what it's like to have to run my errands late at night or cram them all into a 1 hour lunch or dinner break. I'm not unsympathetic to those who work odd hours, but I managed just fine without Walmart.

Not that it means anything. If you like to shop at Walmart because it's open all night, that's fine. For me, that doesn't make up for the low quality of their products, which is my main complaint about the place.

Most third shift is 10 or 11 pm to 7 am, so it can make shopping difficult. But anyway, I've never noticed the issue of quality. From my perspective, I can spend $X on jeans at Wal-mart, and they last (for example) 6 months. Or, I can spend $2X on jeans from somewhere else, and they last (again, for example) 6-7 months. Ditto for shoes, socks, DVDs, Hot wheels, etc.

We've never noticed a difference with most food, though produce can be extremely hit or miss. This appears to be more due to the manager and employees (since other Wal-marts have had great produce sections), so when we want certain produce items (or specialty ones), we go to an alternate (non-Wal-mart) store.