Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Do you shop or boycott Walmart?

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
I don''t shop at Wal-Mart although I''ve never thought of it in boycott terms. In my state, one of the things Wal-Mart has been accused of doing was not to offer health insurance to their workers in this state and instead telling them (showing them how, etc.) to enroll in the last resort basic health insurance offered by the state to the otherwise uninsured. The end result was one of the biggest retailers in the world paid nothing for health benefits, the employees had to pay their own premiums, and the state had to provide a fairly large subsidy to cover the Wal-Mart employees in the program. There were some other details that made it sound even worse, but I''ve forgotten the specifics. I don''t know if Wal-Mart is still doing it. Hopefully, the bad press caused them to change their minds and provide health insurance benefits to their workers.
 
How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
 
Date: 12/9/2009 2:37:23 AM
Author: LAJennifer
How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
Click to expand...
Moi. Two Fords. Much to the dismay of my Asian friends.
41.gif
 
I shop walmart on occassion. If I can do it online, more the better I don''t like going into the store (not to do with business practices, its more to do with the stuff thats gone down in their parking lot!). Personally I prefer to do all my shopping online if I can help it.

Now if I can convince my husband to do the food shopping online we''d be set!

I also drive an american car.
9.gif



-A
 
This is always an interesting topic.

I used to boycott Wal-Mart when I lived in the Chicago area and there were tons of other places in which to spend my money. I am fully aware of all sides of the Wal-Mart argument.

That said, I moved back to my smallish (18k population) hometown 1.5 years ago. We have a WM, a KM, a JCP, a Lowe''s, and a Starbucks. We have local grocers and we''re in a rural midwestern area in southern Indiana. The super Wal-Mart here is the cleanest, most spacious store of the big-box discounters. Also, I don''t have direct-deposit and I need a bank that operates during hours outside of typical business/banking hours, and the one bank in town who happens to work that way is in Wal-Mart. It makes sense for me to one-stop-shop there on Fridays when I get paid. I don''t really like giving my money to the almighty WM, but it is convenient for me. I don''t find their prices all that much cheaper than say, CVS when things are on sale, but what am I supposed to do? Make an extra trip to CVS when they DO have a sale that undercuts WM''s prices? There goes the gas budget for the month.

I used to live a pretty affluent lifestyle. Grew up that way, not really worrying over pennies/nickels/dimes/quarters/dollars or really money at all. My college was paid for. Cars were paid for outright by my father. Wedding was paid for by my parents. Job loss and divorce happened within 2 years of each other. Guess what? Had to start being frugal and not caring so much about the rest of the world so I can make the rent and pay my bills.

it happens. No one is going to bail me out, and I would refuse to allow them to, anyway.

So, WM it is for me, for now. The nearest Target (which I would love to patronize) is 45 minutes away. Granted, I''m in that area every weekend, but I stay so far across town it doesn''t make sense for me to waste the gas to drive 15-20 minutes just to save a couple dollars. I''d rather get all of my shopping done in one shot at WM every Friday. Hopefully someday that will change.
 
Date: 12/9/2009 2:49:59 AM
Author: TravelingGal
Date: 12/9/2009 2:37:23 AM

Author: LAJennifer

How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
Click to expand...
Moi. Two Fords. Much to the dismay of my Asian friends.
41.gif
Click to expand...

Great! I'm a Chevy girl myself.
28.gif
 
No to Walmart (or Asda, as it is in the UK) and to all other supermarkets. Small, independent shops only and the Scottish Co-op on occasions. It is a supermarket, but not for profit, and marginally more ethical than the others. They have a big emphasis on fair trade.

I must say, when we chose not to use supermarkets,we did expect an increase in our grocery bills, because yes, things are more expensive in small independent stores. Oddly enough though, it didn''t really happen. We buy only what we need, no two for one offers, no impulse choices or special offers. We have better quality, fresher food, too.

It was a PITA for a few weeks, then it was just the norm.
 
I used to avoid Walmart until I recently moved to a small town that has a WalMart and one other grocery store.

Now I go there about twice a week. I hate to admit it, they got the best selection for my area. I can even get some organic food. My first week here I wrote a statement on Facebook something to "The size of a WalMart tends to be inversely proportional to the population of the city it is in." Got a lot of interesting comments on that one.
 
I don''t shop at Walmart because the one here is just gross! Ever see the peopleofwalmart.com site? I think those people shop at mine. The one near my mother in PA is really nice. I think it depends on where you live. Just my experience with the store has scarred me for life.
 
I shop Target because the local Walmart is dirty with a horrible selection. Maybe I shouldn''t patronize the big box stores, but I like the Target shopping experience.
 
Date: 12/8/2009 11:51:29 PM
Author: katamari
I do not shop Walmart. Although supporting any big box chain has ethical complications, here are some of the reasons I particularly choose not to shop Walmart in order of how I see their perniciousness:

1. Walmart''s treatment of partner corporations. During Walmart''s boom, many manufacturers competed to have Walmart sell their merchandise. Walmart took advantage of their power by contracting merchants. Once a corporation contacted to ''sell Walmart,'' Walmart then set their price point. Instead of the manufacturer being able to decide how much their item could sell for, Walmart told them we will pay $X for your product because we are going to sell it for $Y. Companies often could not meet these Walmart prices and Walmart then outsourced the manufacturing. This put a lot of blue collar workers in the U.S. out of work and promoted unfair labor practices worldwide by supporting sweatshop labor (which is often the only way most companies can meet their price demands).

2. Walmart''s impact on the global labor market and working conditions due to the practice in point 1.

3. Walmart''s domestic labor policies. Walmart hires many ''workfare'' workers and keeps them under the poverty line either by work hours or wages. Walmart then encourages these workers to remain on public assistance for the things they cannot afford due to working at Walmart. I am in no way condemning ''workfare'' here as I strongly support a living wage. I say this only to highlight that Walmart knows it does not pay their workers enough to live, but does not adjust the wages of their workers. Walmart is also very strongly anti-Union.

4. Walmart''s rezoning. Walmart seeks to build on land with heavy tax subsidies. They will often vacate a store when the tax subsidies end and build a new store to escape taxation.

There are several other reasons I choose not to shop at Walmart, but those are the most pressing. I wish I could say I shop completely ethically, but I am unable to do it, even though I try very hard. I do not believe there is an option to for many people who shop Walmart--especially people who do not live in urban centers. That''s another major problem with Walmart. My mom, for instance, lives in a fringe suburb and her option is to shop Walmart or drive 45 minutes to another big box. For people in more rural areas, there is often even less choice. Though I personally avoid it, I would never, ever judge someone for shopping at Walmart. Don''t hate the players, hate the game, right?
Click to expand...
This. My SO worked at Wal-Mart after graduating college because he couldn''t find an engineering job where he lived. So he worked there while he was looking outside of his hometown region for jobs. He always tells me how awfully he was treated by the management and the customers, and so we never shop there. I do, however, shop at Target, and probably spend an unhealthy amount of money there, but, like everyone else has said, it''s hard to find the convenience, the price, and the shopping experience elsewhere.

And LAJen, I own a Chevy Cobalt and SO drives a Ford Mustang. The only other car I''ve ever driven was a Ford Focus. We are an American Car family.
9.gif
 
I shop at Walmart. The only grocers in my town are Walmart and one other very expensive store. The only place to get toiletries is at Walmart or at a Dollar store. I dislike the dollar stores offbrands and their name brands are more expensive than Walmart.

We have a large distribution center in our area where lots of friends and family work/worked. I have had several family members work at Walmart stores too, everything from the jewelry dept to optical to cashiers. I can''t hate a place where my family loves to work.

I will add this though. Our town used to have 3 grocery stores before Walmart came in. Only 1 could stay open and that was purely due to shopper loyalty.
 
Date: 12/9/2009 2:37:23 AM
Author: LAJennifer
How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
Click to expand...

I don't really understand what your point is here.
And I could never understand how Sam Walton could get away with titling his book Made In America when everything Wal-Mart sells is made in China. Wal-Mart was the beginning of the end for American manufacturing, and small stores. The end of the American dream. There isn't any "pie" left to be had. Not even a crumb. 80 Billion $ for one family.
Pure unequivocal greed.
 
Date: 12/9/2009 2:37:23 AM
Author: LAJennifer
How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
Click to expand...
My mom and I both drive Lexuses that were manufactured in Ontario
11.gif
... but everyone else in my family drives Saturns (subsidiary of GM
9.gif
) and Fords. In fact my parents just bought my brother a Ford.
 
We avoid Walmart for many of the reasons already listed.
 
I shop at whatever store is nearest me and most convenient with my plans. I hardly ever leave my house to go to one store or look for one thing. I run errands. So if Wal-Mart is on my way to the post office and I need to do groceries, I''ll stop by the Wal-Mart. If I need to go to the mall to get a gift, I''ll stop in the Super Target that is next to it. If I have to go to the dry cleaners, I''ll stop in the grocery store. I only have Saturday to take care of my errands so I don''t take the time to think it through and just do what is easiest to me to be honest.
 
I grocery shop at Walmart. It's the most affordable place around for groceries. DH has family members who work for WM (not corporate, they're greeters and SAs) and they love it and have worked there for years.

ETA: I worked for Target for several years and they're a FANTASTIC company to work for. They treat their employees very well. I worked in their pharmacy (2nd job) and was paid almost as much as I made in my primary job. I know SAs who have similar positive stories to tell. They also have a good career advancement plan that's easy to get on board with if you work on the floor.

Lets face it. Any large box or discount department store is going to muscle out the smaller stores. It's unfortunate, but it's the nature of the beast. I also suppose mom and pop stores when I can. But these days even the mom and pop stores are all franchises. IMO this is no better than the big stores. When I can I shop these smaller stores due to their close proximity and convenience. But overall, I get the biggest bang for my buck at the bigger stores and my family and our financial security is #1 on my list of priorities. And just about EVERY store, including mom and pop stores feature products made in sweat factories. It's unfortunately, but inescapable for the most part.
 
I live in a small town that was really negatively impacted by the outsourcing of goods manufacturing to China and damned near destroyed one of the biggest employers here (for whom my husband used to work), so needless to say, he has some really strong feelings about not shopping there, and I see his point. On the flip side, my mother''s income when I was growing up was below the poverty line, so we lived at Wal-Mart because it was all we could afford. It''s a catch22 for many--you shop at WM because you can''t afford to shop elsewhere, but you can''t afford to shop elsewhere because WM drove the prices up everywhere else.

As for Sam Walton naming his book Made in America, I wonder when WM started outsourcing so much. When Walton started out, one of his biggest premises was that all products sold at WM be made in the US. It''s scary how much money that one family has today at the expense of everyone else!
 
Date: 12/9/2009 9:38:01 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I grocery shop at Walmart. It''s the most affordable place around for groceries. DH has family members who work for WM (not corporate, they''re greeters and SAs) and they love it and have worked there for years.

ETA: I worked for Target for several years and they''re a FANTASTIC company to work for. They treat their employees very well. I worked in their pharmacy (2nd job) and was paid almost as much as I made in my primary job. I know SAs who have similar positive stories to tell. They also have a good career advancement plan that''s easy to get on board with if you work on the floor.

Lets face it. Any large box or discount department store is going to muscle out the smaller stores. It''s unfortunate, but it''s the nature of the beast. I also suppose mom and pop stores when I can. But these days even the mom and pop stores are all franchises. IMO this is no better than the big stores. When I can I shop these smaller stores due to their close proximity and convenience. But overall, I get the biggest bang for my buck at the bigger stores and my family and our financial security is #1 on my list of priorities. And just about EVERY store, including mom and pop stores feature products made in sweat factories. It''s unfortunately, but inescapable for the most part.
Click to expand...
Off topic: They throw great parties lol. I went to some big Corporate thing with my job and Target was a sponsor. They held a huge party after. Open bar, 3 djs, tons of food. Awesome.
 
I try to avoid it. Partly for ethical reasons, but also because I find it makes for a very unpleasant shopping experience. The Wal-Marts around here are always crowded and dirty. I always dread going there.

That said, sometimes we still end up buying things from there because our kitten''s food is really difficult to find. Only one other place stocks it even somewhat reliably, and even then it''s sold out half the time. Once we switch him to a higher-end adult food, however, we can start avoiding it again.
 
I HATE Wal-Mart. The stores near me are always dirty and crammed.

Target is the way to go! Their prices are almost always as good or even better than Wal-Mart. Clean stores, nice displays, and good merchandise.
 
No I will not shop at Walmart .....FI however just bought a tv from there
20.gif
 
Honestly I usually shop more at Target. I prefer them, I like their products better and it is closer to my house. However there is a Wal Mart less than a mile away from where I work so if it is an emergency I will go to Walmart.

I thought the reason that their prices where cheaper was because they could buy in bulk where the mom and pop shops cant do that. To me I cant agree that they are driving the mom and pops out on purpose. I don''t KNOW, but it just makes sense that they would have lower prices for the reason of buying in bulk. That is the way of America. Create a company and make a killing. I think it would be the same as saying that Jiffy Lube and Pep Boys are doing the same thing to the hometown mechanics. It is what it is.

I never heard that they treated their employees poorly, but then again I didn''t do the research to find out either.
 
Date: 12/8/2009 11:51:29 PM
Author: katamari
1. Walmart''s treatment of partner corporations. During Walmart''s boom, many manufacturers competed to have Walmart sell their merchandise. Walmart took advantage of their power by contracting merchants. Once a corporation contacted to ''sell Walmart,'' Walmart then set their price point. Instead of the manufacturer being able to decide how much their item could sell for, Walmart told them we will pay $X for your product because we are going to sell it for $Y. Companies often could not meet these Walmart prices and Walmart then outsourced the manufacturing. This put a lot of blue collar workers in the U.S. out of work and promoted unfair labor practices worldwide by supporting sweatshop labor (which is often the only way most companies can meet their price demands).
Click to expand...
This is exactly what Boeing does in order to compete. I don''t see anyone boycotting flying.

Of course small businesses go out of business when WalMart comes in. It''s not the fault of the corporation, it''s the fault of the local neighbors who are not willing to continue to pay the much higher prices of their local stores. You worry about the little hardware store? Then feel free to pay more (but you don''t do that do you? you go to Target and tell yourself you''re doing a "good thing" by boycotting WalMart
25.gif
).

WalMart is willing to hire senior workers. Until you are 60+ and trying to find someone to hire you, you probably don''t realize how rare that is. Pigs will fly first.

What about all those other low wage jobs that don''t offer health care? Where is the outrage about those? You want to see people who are abused, you need to talk to a Sears worker
20.gif


They are far from perfect, but they are no more onerous than the average corporation. They''re just better at it. And that is why they are a popular scapegoat.
 
Date: 12/9/2009 9:21:20 AM
Author: iluvcarats

Date: 12/9/2009 2:37:23 AM
Author: LAJennifer
How many in this thread drive an American car? Just wondering.
Click to expand...

I don''t really understand what your point is here.
And I could never understand how Sam Walton could get away with titling his book Made In America when everything Wal-Mart sells is made in China. Wal-Mart was the beginning of the end for American manufacturing, and small stores. The end of the American dream. There isn''t any ''pie'' left to be had. Not even a crumb. 80 Billion $ for one family.
Pure unequivocal greed.
Click to expand...
i think she''s wondeing if people who boycott walmart for reasons of not having american made goods and driving out the mom & pop stores have the same philosophy regarding their vehicles.

even though i don''t boycott, as far as cars go i have a dodge (gas price wise i really wouldn''t mind if i had a prius and since there''s a huge toyota plant near where i live, i suppose it wouldn''t be all that bad if i got one)
 
I am not a fan of Walmart. I''ve worked for a company that Walmart pushes to make lesser quality products and it''s very frustrating. They refuse to let you know if they want a new product until the last possible minute, then everyone has to drop everything to make it happen because the almighty Walmart wants it. This results in lower quality products and corner-cutting. It also results in money lost for the supplier who might need to lose efficiency in order to make Walmart''s timing. Target doesn''t do this to its suppliers and is very nice to work with. Though I agree Target pushes out local business just as much as Walmart.

So yes, I do boycott Walmart. I have only shopped there when there was absolutely no other option and though I like the Target shopping experience more, I still only go there maybe once a year if I need something specific that I know they will have for a good price. I''m just not a fan of big box stores in general, however, I understand that those on a tight budget don''t really have a choice.
 
I still shop at WalMart, though it''s never a pleasant experience. Lines are long, people are rude, sales representatives are unhelpful and avoidant.

I always have a much better experience at Target.
 
not a walmart fan here. target, however, i love!
 
I do not boycott Wal-Mart, nor would I consider myself a "fan" of Wal-Mart.

Sometimes (infrequently), we grocery shop there, but most of the time we go to Publix or Winn-Dixie. I do buy my hair products there, they are significantly cheaper than elsewhere (but this is like, less than $10 a month).

There is a Wal-Mart directly across the street from our apartment complex. When I lived closer to a Target, I went there instead of the Wal-Mart, which was further.
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top