What IS it about Walmart??

[toto2]

It is the same here in Montreal . The place is a zoo !( I never go to walmart for many reasons that would start a debate and I dont want to)


But basicaly , stores are like that because people go anyway, as we have seen in some of the answers here. In some places , the custumer as no choice because everything else has closed because of the arrival of walmart. And to keep the prices low , they need to cut somewhere: service and " cleaness". Walmart has a very precise amount of profit they have to generata , and they will do what ever thay have to not to deviate from this amount of profit.

 

[Kitty 34]

Our closest Super Walmart is starting to get very dirty. But what drives me more nuts is how BAD their carts are!! I can hardly push them thru the store so I usually go to a nearby Meijer.

 

[Chicago526]

I have one Wal-Mart (or Wally World, as I like to call it!) near my house and one near my office. The one near the office is clean and well stocked, so it's not too bad. The one near my home is a train wreck. Dirty doesn't begin to describe it. Sam Walton should be spinning in his grave!

I hardly ever shop at Wal-Mart, we have a ton of Targets around, and I'd rather pay 4 cents more for Pop-Tarts than set foot in Wally World. I know not every one has that choice, but for me, I'd rather support a company that doesn't pull the kind of crap WM does.

 

[missypie]

I totally agree. Our Super Walmart is about a mile away from our Super Target, essentially in the same "neighborhood"...yet Target is suburbia and Walmart is third world. Walmart is always trashed out. Target is always clean and tidy. The clientelle is totally different. The employees are totally different.

But the WORST Walmart I've seen was in Orlando. Yes, we were the people who had to go to Walmart for duffle bags at 11:00 pm the night before we left WDW because we had bought too much stuff. It was the first time all week that we had left the cocoon of the World. What a shock! I've never seen so much trash in a store. Every trash can was overflowing. Ick ick ick.

 

[Marilyn Mc]

I used to prefer Target, but they opened up a brand spankin' new Walmart near me and it is spotless (for now) . I'm glad because Walmart is cheaper. If it gets gross, I'll go back to Target.

 

[disneyatl]

I absolutely HATE Super Walmart!!!! As a matter of fact, I sent an email to the corporate office of Target this week begging for a Super Target in my town. I went in one for the first time the other day and they are SOOO clean and much nicer than S-Walmart. I miss the good old Walmart - just the plain 'ol small Walmart. I avoid going to the S-Walmart as much as possible. The only time I go there is when I need a lot of groceries because they do have great grocery prices. I can't tell you the last time I went in there to make any other kind of purchase. I go to Target for those. I wish everyone would start boycotting Wal-Mart!!!

 

[remyandhollandsmommy]

I must be in the minority LOL because the other day when I used the main gate here (I am a creature of habit and tend to always use this one gate on the other side of base) I noticed they are building a Super-Wally over there. I about wet my pants I was so excited! There is NO good shopping here (Tarjay is a 2 HOUR drive *sob*) and the only other stores are Kmart (yuck!) and a really small Wally that actually closes at 10PM. I hate buying my groceries at these overpriced small chains and the commissary runs out of stuff so quickly that I am happy to have a Super Wally again! BTW, our stores are pretty clean.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

LOL I like Walmart! There are 3 or 4 that I go to depending on where I am and they're all fine. I can find what I need almost every time. There are 2 Targets that I go to but I cannot always find what I need or if I do the prices are higher. I'll stick with Walmart.

 

[iluvwdw_2002]

This post cracks me up!!! I was just talkign with my husband about this very thing last week

Because...I absolutely despise Walmart! We have one about a mile from my house, and it is disgusting! I won't shop there unless I absolutely have to. We have a Target a few miles farther, and I just love going there. I don't mind paying a little extra for a cleaner, friendlier, and more fun environment. The employees in our Walmart, and heck even the shoppers are just soooo rude. People cutting you off as if you don't exist and not even saying "Excuse me" It's really bad, and I don't like being around mean and rude people.

In our Target, the employees are soo nice and the shoppers are too. I was walking in one morning, and this lady had a lot of paper towels in her arms piled so high that she couldn't even see over them. One shopper (yes, a customer!) ran up to her and said "Let me help you! I will walk with you to the register, so you don't fall" It was sooo nice!!! It just made me feel all warm and fuzzy to see others helping others....ya know...just being nice to each other. Anyways, I don't think you would see that in the Walmart in my neighborhood....it's so sad.

 

[Chicago526]

Target pays it's employees more than Wal-Mart does theirs. It really makes an impact on the quality of people who apply for work. I think that makes a HUGE differance! Target also (at least they did when I worked there 10 years ago) offers health benifits to both p/t and f/t employees, and they pay a rather large share of the cost. Really makes a differance, I think!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

My husband had a friend who was at a Super Walmart in Arkansas I think. It was opening day and his friend worked for a big food company so he was there getting samples ready to give out before the store opened. Half hour before the store opened they had like an employee rally. My husband's friend was a little unerved b/c he felt it was so cultish. They all got together and joined arms in a circle and began chanting "Wal-Mart" over and over. The manager was like the cheer leader. Stuff like this went on for about the full half hour. My husband's friend was amazed and a little afraid. LOL

 

[Tinkim]

All we have right now is a Wal*Mart store so that is where I shop most of the time. It's not dirty or anything but I don't like Wal*Mart as a company because DH worked in management there for five years. They are breaking ground on a Target right next to Wal*Mart and I will probably be shopping there a lot more than Wal*Mart. The quality of the merchandise is better and also the selection. So hopefully this year some time I will be able to go to Wal*Mart only as a last resort.

 

[pamlet]

The Walmart I shop at is always spotless and TONS of cashiers - I rarely have to wait in line no matter what day or time of day.

On the other hand there are 3 Targets I go to - one is top notch ... the other clean but ALWAYS only 3 - 5 cashiers.. and the third is FILTHY and the people rude.

That said - I think no matter WHAT store you shop at it depends on the local management .. PERIOD.

As to the quality of things - I think Target and Walmart have similiar quality products - but overall Target is higher priced.

When it comes to food - Super Walmart is by FAR the least expensive - the only thing I don't like is their meat - I buy all my meat at Costco.

 

[Tinkim]

My husband had a friend who was at a Super Walmart in Arkansas I think. It was opening day and his friend worked for a big food company so he was there getting samples ready to give out before the store opened. Half hour before the store opened they had like an employee rally. My husband's friend was a little unerved b/c he felt it was so cultish. They all got together and joined arms in a circle and began chanting "Wal-Mart" over and over. The manager was like the cheer leader. Stuff like this went on for about the full half hour. My husband's friend was amazed and a little afraid. LOL

That's interesting that you mentioned that. I was just posting at the same time you were and choosing my words very carefully but like I said DH worked for Wal*Mart for 5 years and cult is the word I started using to describe it. He wasted so much time there and never got rewarded. He put in tons of hours and missed a good portion of our kids growing up for nothing. He is in a totally different field right now and we are all so much happier. He gets rewarded for his good work and spends more time with his family. The company that he works for is family owned and very good to their employees. We only wish he had done it sooner.

 

[happybratpack]

Wow, I woke up this morning to all these replies.. guess it's not just here that's the problem. Something else that drives me nuts is that no matter what time of the day it is there are carts EVERYWHERE. I know this is the customers fault for just leaving them out (of course the cart area is usually full), but it's like they hadn't been corralled in hours. I park way out to avoid getting the car hit by a wayward cart.
I honestly wouldn't go if I were a better time manager and didn't have to shop at midnight.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

There are 10 Wal-Marts within 20 miles of my house. They keep opening new ones, which are nice at first. Within a few months it is chaos.

I ran into Super Target the other day to pick up a few groceries, the place was empty. It was so quiet, I actually thought they were closing the store until I looked at my watch and realized it was only 6:00 PM. It was so peaceful. Every time I shop at Wal-Mart it takes me hours to get the stuff I need and leaves me very cranky. It ruins my whole day. I'm going to start shopping at Super Target from now on. I am willing to pay more for a little sanity. I think Super Target has a little better selection. Wal-Mart seems to stock pile stuff I would never buy. When was the last time anyone bought pickeled pig's feet?

 

[brerrabbit]

I will probably get flamed for this but here it goes. I love my Wal Mart. It's clean, the people are friendly the prices are less than anyone else and they have the things I need. We have two supers and one regular in our town. They are currently building a new super across the street from the regular one that will be finished in a couple of months. We have one super Target and that place is like a ghost town. The have something like 40 checkout lines and in all the times I have been in there they have never had more than four open at a time, even at Christmas. They have hardly any workers and getting help with something is next to impossible. On the other hand there are tons of people at our Wal Mart ready to help you. Yes there are a lot of baskets in the parking lot but they have like five full time guys working to pick them up. Yes the store is cluttered at certain time (usually after 10:00 at night) because they are stocking the shelfs. For the most part it is clean and in good condition. But many of the complaints registered here are a result of the amount of customers and selling they do. The super Target in town never has problems with baskets in the lot because they never have any customers. They are hardly ever seen restocking the shelves and causing clutter in the store because again the hardly sell anything. Wal Mart is seen by some as the evil cult like giant bent on world domination. They probably do take advantage of their employees to an extent and I know from personal professional exprience that the negotiate with their suppliers ruthlessly. Some calls this evil and unfair while others in the current business climate call it good business. If they were not as succesful as they are they could not get away with half of what they do. Finally as far as the comments about their customers being rednecks and the Clampetts, well maybe so, but I am a customer of theirs to and if someone wants to call me a redneck because of it, so be it, it would not be the first time I've been called a Redneck.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Tinkim,

Think about the p.t. people that are employed at WM? Many of them are looking to belong. They re ripe for the picking and if WM gives them a sense of belonging they "kill" themselves to support the group. Same as a cult mentality.

One of the things I REALLY hate is the door greater. I sometimes go to the one in Amherst NH and the greeter wears these really stupid hats that conincide with a holiday or the season. They are always made on a base of a cowboy hat. I know it should not drive me crazy but I HATE the greeters. I just want them to leave me alone!!

 

[Mickey Mouse Kid]

I live in a very small town, which has no Wal-Marts, but in the towns near us we have about 4 walmarts. We go to a certain one most of the time, and it is always clean and nice, and they are also currently refurbishing. The walmarts here always have a lot of people. We have one targer around here and it doesn't usually have many people but it is nice.

 

[PneumaticTransit]

One of the things I REALLY hate is the door greater. I sometimes go to the one in Amherst NH and the greeter wears these really stupid hats that conincide with a holiday or the season. They are always made on a base of a cowboy hat. I know it should not drive me crazy but I HATE the greeters. I just want them to leave me alone!!

I can't even recall a greeter actually greeting me to Wal-Mart in the past 5 years. They are always just standing there, blocking the carts, usually talking to another employee about their personal life. I think it is nice that they have greeters, because they are usually elderly or handicapped and probably wouldn't have great luck finding another place to work, but would it kill them to say "hi" and give me a cart?