Oh Boy, just the thread I can speak to personally! Yes, personally...I live three miles from the Wal Mart Home office in AR. DH works for a vendor that sells directly to WAl Mart. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, he is going there for a meeting today. One of the four stores in the fifteen mile radius just happens to be store #1, the very first Wal mart EVER. In the middle of our small town is Walton's five and dime, the first "store" Sam Walton ever opened. When I shop at these stores, what do I see? Very nice customers that are dressed like they are going shopping on Rodeo drive, the cars in the parking lots are expensive: Hummers, BMW's, Mercedes, Volvo's, Acura's, etc. the store personnel are nice, helpful, pleasant, and actually smile at you and tell you to have a great day as you leave. Do we have people shop there that are of a lower income? Of course. There are those that cannot even speak English. There are those that look like they need a good, hot meal and even those dressed in PJ's. However, if you speak to them, they are nice and nod back.
On the flip side, we lived in Rochester NY for three years and DH called on Wegman's headquarters there. I have Never, and I mean NEVER, experienced such RUDE people in all my life as those I encountered there in the local Wegman's. Yes, the store is beautiful, however, the downright unpleasantness of the employees and people in general (customers as well) was the reason I couldn't wait to leave that city! I guess it's all according to where you live as to the type of people you encounter where you shop. But to classify Wal MArt, and the people who shop there, to me, is a bit extreme.