Walmart--This bothers me

[torinsmom]

I have a SuperWalmart right around the corner. It is the most convenient for me for shopping. Well, the past few weeks, they have started some renovations. They are redoing the pharamacy and the photo lab. They replaced all the carts and all the registers and credit card swipe things. The way they are moving things around in the store, I believe they are doing lots more than I know of. The thing is, they laid off dozens of people just a few months ago and they never have enough registers open. Now it is even worse, since they removed the self checkout registers!

This is not an old Walmart. It opened in 2003. I just think it is in bad taste to lay off a bunch of people and then redo everything when the economy is so messed up. I wish I could renovate my house every 6 years!

MArsha

 

[NC State]

I know what you mean. They renovated the Smithfield Wal-Mart a few years ago and I still can't find things! I like the old layout where I could find what I need.

 

[luvsJack]

We have two Super Wal-mart stores in town.

One is in the process of renovating too. Although I think the store will be much better when they finish; I can't help but wonder about why when they too are laying people off.

I have also wondered if they will start renovating the other one when this one is finished. Seems like an awful lot of money spent at a bad time

 

[Disney Doll]

I don't have so much of a problem with them renovating because I think stores like Wal-Mart get "beat up" pretty quickly. I do hate when they renovate and move things though, because it's usually just after I learned where the stuff was relocated to from the previous renovation.

 

[kirbsam]

not trying to be contrary here, but if they didnt renovate them, can you imagine the threads about how trashy walmarts are becoming, how we just wont shop there anymore because of that. yada, yada, yada

 

[NC State]

I'm not knocking Wal-Mart, I love it, my husband works there! I just wished that they would keep the layout that they had for years. Now, it's hard to find what you need.

 

[JR6ooo4]

and spending money is EXACTLY what this economy needs!
If they are spending, then someone else can buy food for their kids!

Mikeeee

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

They are currently renovating the Walmart in our area also however I have found that they actually have more checkout lanes open during this process and they have been hiring , not laying off here. I know that some of the hiring is only temp since some people were hired to help with the renovation so that is not a permanant position. I'll be happy when they are done though - it is a mess to shop now and hard to find anything - it will be really nice after it is finished.

 

[Free4Life11]

There was actually an artible about this in the most recent Business Week.

Essentially, a lot of higher income shoppers have been going to Walmart because of the recession and Walmart is trying to KEEP them coming after the economy picks up. Their plan is to renovate most of the stores in the U.S to make them more upscale and inviting and less trashy. Although if they allow their employees to come to work looking like they just rolled out of bed, these renovations are pointless, I'm just saying....

I actually like the renovated stores! They are so much cleaner, inviting, and nicer looking. The home goods area has lights years better merchandising and nice wooden floors.

But I agree that layoffs SUCK and Walmart never has enough cashiers. Hopefully their renovations are creating a lot of construction jobs.

 

[lizanne]

The WalMart near where I work closed for renovations about 2 years ago. It really needed help. I went in there only once and turned right around and walked out the door. It was a real mess. I know that a lot of people swear that it's the best place for prices but that was such an unpleasant experience that I've never gone to another WalMart.

It is still "closed for renovations". I thought that they just decided not to reopen but about 2 months ago I met someone who said he knew of a company that was actually working there on renovations. I can't imagine what their doing.

 

[Orangeandwild]

Our Walmart is under renovation too, built in 2003 it always seemed still new to be

It is like a scavenger hunt to find things as they are one place one day, one place another and the clerks have no idea where things are today eiher as they change so much. I know it is needed as those stores get so much traffic, but I wish they would leave things where they were so we could find them.

Love Walmart though, we buy most everything there lately

 

[dis-happy]

Well, one way of looking at it is that the people doing the renovation are being employed!

Add me to the list though of one who hates Wal-Mart's lines.....I still remember the commercials that Sam Walton used to run where he promised that if 3 people are in line they would open another register.

My Target re-arranged and I can't find things there half the time either. Not sure if I've been in a re-arranged Wal-Mart or not.....there is not a lot of consistancy in the ones I usually shop at, so wandering around dazed looking for things is my norm, what can I say???

 

[S. C.]

I will only use self checkouts if nothing else is open. (happens in early am like 2, 3, 4 am).

to me self checkouts = less jobs.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I guess it's true that "you have to spend money to make money." I think Wal-Mart is trying to keep people coming back. As someone else said, higher income people are now shopping there because of the recession. Wal-Mart wants to keep them as customers for the long term by sharpening up their stores.

 

[torinsmom]

I will only use self checkouts if nothing else is open. (happens in early am like 2, 3, 4 am).

to me self checkouts = less jobs.

Well, to me, NO self checkouts when there are routinely only 5-6 lines open with 6-8 customers in each line= less money for the company AND therefore less jobs, because I will be walking out. Sometimes the self checkouts were the only reason I didn't walk out and leave my grocery cart sitting there.

 

[wall*e2008]

I have a SuperWalmart right around the corner. It is the most convenient for me for shopping. Well, the past few weeks, they have started some renovations. They are redoing the pharamacy and the photo lab. They replaced all the carts and all the registers and credit card swipe things. The way they are moving things around in the store, I believe they are doing lots more than I know of. The thing is, they laid off dozens of people just a few months ago and they never have enough registers open. Now it is even worse, since they removed the self checkout registers!

This is not an old Walmart. It opened in 2003. I just think it is in bad taste to lay off a bunch of people and then redo everything when the economy is so messed up. I wish I could renovate my house every 6 years!

MArsha

We have two Super Wal-mart stores in town.

One is in the process of renovating too. Although I think the store will be much better when they finish; I can't help but wonder about why when they too are laying people off.

I have also wondered if they will start renovating the other one when this one is finished. Seems like an awful lot of money spent at a bad time

Renovations = Construction jobs

Construction jobs are few and far between. These are good jobs and much needed jobs.

 

[luvsJack]

Renovation = construction jobs would be great if they had hired companies in the area. I don't know about other stores, but here they are using out of state companies. (and yes I know all about the lowest bidder process, but it doesn't mean you can't limit those bids to area companies) It is great for the construction company they did hire. But we have people out of work in our area and it wouldn't have been as hard to stomach Wal-Mart asking for our loyalty if they were loyal to the community the store is in.

And besides, one way to "keep their new customers" is to fix the having to wait way too long to be checked out and being able to find someone to help when necessary. (that great customer service that Sam Walton based this business on) Not laying off so many people would have done this.

People that can afford to go to a more expensive place that offers better customer service will go back.

 

[YoYoAurora]

They just finished renovations at our Super Wal-Mart. Not only did they renovate, they removed entire sections of products.

The craft section is less than an aisle long. The wedding and cake decorating section is a half aisle on both sides. There is no more fabric. They eliminated most of the cooking tools and many of the tools in the hardware area. They also eliminated many items in the food section and raised the prices.

We still shop there, but I don't trust them to have the lowest price anymore.

 

[Disney Doll]

They just finished renovations at our Super Wal-Mart. Not only did they renovate, they removed entire sections of products.

The craft section is less than an aisle long. The wedding and cake decorating section is a half aisle on both sides. There is no more fabric. They eliminated most of the cooking tools and many of the tools in the hardware area. They also eliminated many items in the food section and raised the prices.

We still shop there, but I don't trust them to have the lowest price anymore.

Their changes are probably based on the volume of sales of certain products, I would imagine.

They probably wouldn't devote 4 aisles to craft stuff if 2 people per day buy craft stuff.

Now, cooking tools...not sure why they'd eliminate those because that's one of the things I could see going to Wal-Mart for.

Hardware...Home Depot or Lowe's probably has them there.

Food...don't know why they'd eliminate food products either...

 

[luvmyfam444]

WM ties to keep up with things by revamping about every 5 years - not everything gets re-done @ every store - just the areas that need it.

As far as the self checkouts go - talk tpo the criminals & tell them to stop stealing & the self checkouts would still be around. WM is in the process of getting rid of them everywhere.

As far as laying off people - can't tell you why - but if it was around Jan (you said a couple months ago) then that would have been the temporary Christmas help that everyone gets & gets rid of. Maybe you should go ask the management why they laid people off if it bothers you that much.