Who likes to shop at Walmart?

[N.Bailey]

I was avoiding the thread like the plague at first as I am not one who shops at Walmart and thought I should just stay away. Guess that's not the case here, eh?

Ours isn't a dump, but honestly, I've never seen the hoopla where Walmart's concerned. What in the world is everyone buying that's so fabulously priced? When I've priced things, they've always been more expensive than I could get elsewhere. Our grocery stores run better sales (and I stock up during sales). The mall has better quality and for the most part, better pricing than Walmart. Toys R Us, Target and Circuit City have better deals on DVDs and video games (which we buy a lot of). I just am not feeling the love that it seems everyone else feels.

 

[tiggerlover]

I think it depends on which Wal Mart (or area) that you are in. We have a Super Wal Mart near my house and it is clean and well run. Although I don't go there often, I do shop there from time to time. Now the Super Wal Mart that is near my MIL's in NY is (IMO) a dump and the people who shop there give the appearance of being trashy.

 

[MoniqueU]

The wal mart nearest me is clean enough but the people that shop there sometimes are CRAZY. I have seen fights break out, cussing and screaming, kids not fully clothed and dirty. I personally have had a cart shoved into me pinning me into a shelf unit. I have to say its not my favorite place to shop. Sometimes I do end up there because they have a craft selection that Target doesn't have. However I would much rather shop at Target any day of the week. I have never been assaulted at my Targets. Though I did see an arrest for Drunk in Public at the XBOX 360 campout.

 

[Ronda93]

I like my Wal-Mart. It was recently (three/four years ago) expanded to be a super store. It's clean and safe. I am amazed by the variety of stuff I can get there. I can get a spare house key, two yards of fabric, steel wool, a gallon of primer, tomatoes and a state fishing license in the same place. Can't do that at Target.

Yeah, I know they don't offer benefits to part timers. If you need benefits and can only work part time then you need to find another employer. No one is indentured to Wal-Mart.

They have threshed the inefficiencies out of their processes and suppliers. Nothing wrong with that. Their tactics with small towns are rough, and every now and then they are handed a defeat, as they should. If someone wants to best them, it will have to be at their own game and no one has stepped forward to do that.

 

[barkley]

i think if a person's walmart (or superwalmart) has a "wacko" or less than savory client base it has to be saying something about the demographics of the area they live in. when i shop at mine i see friends, neighbors...the same i see shopping at the higher end stores in town. nothing that i don't see in everyday encounters at any business in town.

our superwalmart is the only one for over 50 miles in any direction-in some directions there is def. a less savory element than i would be comfortable being in close contact with (not based on income, based on personal choices re. drug habits, criminal activites...) but i do not see these folks flocking to walmart. the staff at ours is long term-all appropriately attired (none of the "toothless/tattooed" employees i've heard mentioned on this board in ref. to walmart), and many are college students who welcome the fact that being open 24/7 they are able to get a job that offers a variety of work hours.

in california the minimum wage is 6.75 per hour, walmart pays on average 7.92-8.23 for their sales associates and cashiers. no way is it near what they would earn in a union job, but it is still well above what they would earn at blockbuster, fast food or at many of the stores at the mall (none of which provide part-timers health benefits either and also have the practice of keeping staff at part-time to create ineligiblity to paid vacation and the like).

walmart (rightly or unrightly) gets a bad rap in the media-but i say, look around at other jobs in your area that have minimal education/experience requirements-see what they pay, what they offer, how many of their employees are truly full time. then compare it to what a local walmart offers-sometimes it's the best job opportunity an individual has going.

 

[saucymb]

I'm a WalMart shopper! I've been in good ones (clean, friendly, organized), and I've been in bad ones (dirty and mean associates and things piled all over the place). The grocery prices and toiletry prices cannot be beat, unless you want to drive to several different stores on double coupon days (and I don't necessarily mind doing that if I have the time either). I find their produce and meats to be very good, consistantly. However, if the store is poorly run and gross I just won't go to it. The one I go to now is fairly new (3 years old) and still looks nice and organized and clean. We're moving next month and there's a brand new one 10 minutes from our house, so I know I'll be going there for my shopping.

Safety: I'll go by myself during the day, but after dark I take DH with me. And that's not just WalMart, that's Target and the mall and any other place I go.

I think that you could name any chain store, whether it's a department store, electronics store, grocery, drugstore, retail store, restaurant, or anything else, and you will find some good ones and some bad ones. That's just the way it is, as management styles differ, and location plays a big part of it all.

 

[Planogirl]

I think that you could name any chain store, whether it's a department store, electronics store, grocery, drugstore, retail store, restaurant, or anything else, and you will find some good ones and some bad ones. That's just the way it is, as management styles differ, and location plays a big part of it all.

I agree. We have a tacky Albertson's just down the street from us and our Kroger Signature store has a constant problem with trying to sell outdated food. Our Wal-Mart is way better than these two at least.

As for the people at Wal-Mart, in our case it's just other local people too. Many of the people that work there have been there for years and are quite familiar. Plus the only mess is generally due to sloppy shoppers. If I hit Wal-Mart really early like at 7:00 AM or so, the place is just about spotless. The floors even gleam like they've just been waxed.

 

[disneysteve]

I'll say it definitely depends on WHICH Wal-Mart. We have 2 within 10 minutes of our house that have opened within the past year. Both are large, clean, well-stocked and well-staffed. I'm perfectly fine shopping at either one of those.

There is another Wal-Mart about 15 minutes away that opened years ago. It is smaller, the aisles are narrower and the parking lot is undersized. We used to go there when it was the only one around, but now that we've got our choice of several, we never ever go to that one.

 

[disykat]

I love Walmart. I've only been to one bad one - the one in the town my parents live in. I won't go there, so I guess I understand where some of you are coming for. However, I've shopped in Walmarts all over the place on vacation and I've only seen that one bad one.

We just had a SuperWalmart open near us. I went on Friday and was so excited I almost started a thread here. I walked up and down the isles comparing prices on the items I usually buy - Walmart stomped Safeway and Albertson's. I was worried about the meat and produce, but it looked really good. I have always hated the fact that this town only had Safeway and Albertson's because they are sooo pricey. I'm going to be shopping at Walmart now!

 

[Missy1961]

The major reason I shop at Wal-mart? It has craft supplies. Target does not. We don't have alot of places nearby where I can buy yarn, needles & such. And like others have noted, it depends on the Wal-mart you shop in. I like the one I shop in. The closest Target is horrible.

Well, we haven't had a "I hate Wal-mart" thread in a while. I guess it's time.

 

[quiteblonde]

I'm always amazed by the Wal-Mart threads....

There are some that are clean and safe, luckily about four of them are within driving distance of my house. If I saw anything like some have described, I wouldn't be a Wal-Mart shopper either.

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

When I started this post I really meant what I wrote. I remembered I also shopped at a Walmart in Florida. It was just as bad as the one by me. Very different class of people. I could understand if the prices were great but they are not. Target and my Kroger have some better prices. I just don't get the Walmart thing either. The one by me is in a good area. It is filthy! I think I am going to call and let them know what I think of their store. Not that it really matters. I just was so disgusted after I left there.

 

[5wdwfans]

I'll say it definitely depends on WHICH Wal-Mart. We have 2 within 10 minutes of our house that have opened within the past year. Both are large, clean, well-stocked and well-staffed. I'm perfectly fine shopping at either one of those.



For those of you who think Wal-Mart in clean you may change your mind with in a year, than it will probably turn into a Dump like most of them. They have the worst meat in the industry. Don't kid your-self thinking your getting QUALITY meat for a good price.

 

[Blondie]

I avoid Walmart like the plague. I'll only go in there if I have to. It's just not the store that bothers me, it's the crowds. It's always crowded, like it's the last store on earth selling things!

 

[Blondie]

Oh, and let me add that the Super-Walmart that was built here a few years ago was clean and well stocked as well, in the beginning. Didn't last long unfortunately!

 

[amburger]

Eww. Yeah, definately not a Wal-Mart shopper here. The thing I don't like is that the store just seems so disorganized to me. Not liking that. Another reason, I just never grew up going there. My mom doesn't shop there, my dad never used to go there, but goes there sometimes now I guess. So yeah.

I'm a Target person. Love that store. Always have. Have never really seen a dirty Target. Doesn't give me that nasty vibe like Wal-Mart does. It's weird. But yeah.

Plus, I work at Target so another reason why I shop there. haha.

 

[Planogirl]

I'll say it definitely depends on WHICH Wal-Mart. We have 2 within 10 minutes of our house that have opened within the past year. Both are large, clean, well-stocked and well-staffed. I'm perfectly fine shopping at either one of those.



For those of you who think Wal-Mart in clean you may change your mind with in a year, than it will probably turn into a Dump like most of them. They have the worst meat in the industry. Don't kid your-self thinking your getting QUALITY meat for a good price.

Ours is several years old and it's clean.

 

[5wdwfans]

Ours is several years old and it's


Clean to one person is filthy to another. Wal-Mat has no QUALITY standards. Dirty-Dirty-Dirty stores!

 

[N.Bailey]

I'll say it definitely depends on WHICH Wal-Mart. We have 2 within 10 minutes of our house that have opened within the past year. Both are large, clean, well-stocked and well-staffed. I'm perfectly fine shopping at either one of those.



For those of you who think Wal-Mart in clean you may change your mind with in a year, than it will probably turn into a Dump like most of them. They have the worst meat in the industry. Don't kid your-self thinking your getting QUALITY meat for a good price.

I would never buy their meat anyway, but I heard they inject it with dye to get a nice color to it. Yeah, like my family wants that? NOT!

 

[5wdwfans]

I would never buy their meat anyway, but I heard they inject it with dye to get a nice color to it. Yeah, like my family wants that? NOT!

OH they inject it with more than just dye. If you do a little investigative work you will find Dye is your least worry.