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I never thought I'd say, Kudos to Walmart

voce

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I've gone into Walmart plenty of times with my dad when he buys fishing supplies and ammo. They don't carry those at Target or Costco. What I saw before the coronavirus was that Walmart has so many registers, but very few open. We always checked out at tires or sporting goods because the regular lines took 15-20 min before the cashier started helping you. It's kind of pointless to have all those registers when there's not enough employees to man them. I highly value my time, because I have a side gig where I track my billable time. Time = money, so if I can conceivably shop anywhere else with shorter lines, the cheaper prices at Walmart are generally not worth the trade-off of the long lines. But Walmart really is a place where getting automotive stuff and fishing stuff is more convenient than the alternatives. I just don't buy my home goods and groceries there because where I live, there's even cheaper options for them with shorter lines (i.e. Amazon, Vallarta).

From a business perspective, they are not good to their workers. I've heard anecdotally that whenever there's a wage raise instituted, employees are on their guard to be fired, because each wage raise comes with a ceasing of new hires and added responsibilities for the existing employees. None of this actually makes me want to support their business in general. But we keep going back for fishing supplies and stocking up on ammo.

My personal opinion is that Walmart is fine for the type of person who doesn't mind the long lines, regardless of demographics. It's a personality thing. Before I started dividing my hour into 10 billable units, I think I would have been more likely to shop there more often.
 

mellowyellowgirl

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What is Wholefoods like? They always shop there on Top Chef!
 

lyra

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In Canada we've lost all the department stores except The Bay. All we have left is Walmart. For me, I can see the flag at Walmart from my bedroom window. It is extremely close to my house. Of course we're going to go there. We don't buy groceries there, we don't have fabulous deals there like the US, but it's kind of one stop shopping. It will always be popular. People will wear masks so they can shop there.
 

1ofakind

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@voce even our small town WM has many self checkouts and we rarely wait more than a minute in a line. First days of the month may be the exception and it is noticeably busier.

@mellowyellowgirl some people refer to Whole Foods as ‘Whole Wallet’ because the prices are high. But there are options and brands not available elsewhere and for some things it is worth it. I‘ve only ever to been to one when traveling out of town.
 

AprilBaby

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There is a reason for “ people of Walmart” memes. That said, you can get some really good deals. Nice short sleeve tshirts for $4.99.
 

AGBF

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There is a reason for “ people of Walmart” memes. That said, you can get some really good deals. Nice short sleeve tshirts for $4.99.

I am unfamiliar with these and did not know that making fun of Walmart shoppers was an industry. Of course I was aware that Walmart is regarded as downscale. But websites dedicated to making fun of its shoppers? No. That is complete news to me. . Maybe because I do not have Facebook? Is that where all this originates?
 

AGBF

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What is Wholefoods like? They always shop there on Top Chef!

Whole Foods, of whose stores my geographical area is rife, is a great little store with delicious fresh fruits, expensive (but beautiful) cuts of meat, fresh fish, salads made with fresh lobster, salad bars filled with wonderful ingredients like cooked eggplant as well as the usual lettuce, tomato, chick peas, and so forth. It has only organic and healthy foods, though. So you can stop in and find a selection of gourmet cheeses, but no Diet Coke. The stores vary in size. My lactose intolerant nieces have found all sorts of treasures in their larger, New York City stores when visiting there, :))
 

kenny

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I shop for produce at the polar opposite of Whole Foods.
I go to a supermarket that caters to folks from south of our border.
I rarely see another white person in there.
It's unbelievably cheap, but sometimes I'll take a pass on certain produce items, or I'll buy it knowing I have to use it sooner rather than later.

It's perfect for me as I've always been very tight with money ... except when I'm not. :Up_to_something:
 

kenny

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Actually I did go to Whole Foods once.
Years ago I bought a yogurt maker that came with a packet of powdered yogurt starter.
WF was the only local place I could find it.

Now I just save a bit of the last yogurt batch to use as starter for the next batch.
I can do this 4 or 5 times before starts tasting different.
Then I'll buy a little tub of Trader Joe's plain yogi with active cultures to start over.
(Get it? ... Start over) Groan!
 
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monarch64

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Really?!? :doh:

I realize these regions are shrinking, but perhaps ya'allz need to move somewhere were more people have stronger critical thinking.

Other things being equal, you'd be less likely to get C19.

LOL, I hear you!
I live in a nearby university town. Tons of critical thinkers here; I am challenged and intellectually stimulated daily. I can't help where I grew up. And I'll counter your suggestion of moving with perhaps people shouldn't move away from areas "in need" of critical thinkers. If we only have stupid people breeding that's how we end up with huge populations of uninformed folks who go and infect the rest of the population with their conspiracy theories. I think we need more balance.

WalMart is the hub of my hometown's largest shopping area. It's not uncommon for people to socialize there, congregate in the outer perimeter of the parking lot (it's a Super WalMart), and dine at the chain restaurants surrounding it. There's a rural/farm supply store nearby. A Lowe's. A Denny's. A Starbucks. The demographic is mostly white, rural farmers and townspeople who are staunchly Republican and supportive of Trump. The same people who believe COVID is a hoax and will all blow over after the election.

However, I see the influence of the "critical thinkers" among them is taking hold. I'm posting a pic of my niece, who is 12 now and has been raising and showing goats through 4-H since she could walk, masked inside the show barn at the County Fair. There are no midway rides this year; I believe the only function of the Fair this year was for showing livestock--after it's shown most of it is sold for meat (beef, poultry, rabbits, etc.) so there is a ton of money at stake. And yes, it is important that farmers/4-Hr's get something back for their investment--they had no idea COVID was going to happen when they purchased and raised their animals and likely cannot afford to take the loss of not showing and selling them.

It is extremely encouraging to see the majority of folks in this pic wearing masks. Then again, many of our rural farmers are highly educated. Purdue (a land grant agricultural school) is where many degrees are obtained; a lot of these folks are engineers, have multiple degrees, and have a LOT to do with where this entire country's food comes from. It gives me the slightest bit of hope. Niece has been to State Fair level many times, and not just for livestock--complex sewing projects, electrical engineering projects, and I forget what other categories. I am so proud of her!

Screen Shot 2020-07-16 at 6.45.42 PM.png
 

Elizabeth35

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LOL, I hear you!
I live in a nearby university town. Tons of critical thinkers here; I am challenged and intellectually stimulated daily. I can't help where I grew up. And I'll counter your suggestion of moving with perhaps people shouldn't move away from areas "in need" of critical thinkers. If we only have stupid people breeding that's how we end up with huge populations of uninformed folks who go and infect the rest of the population with their conspiracy theories. I think we need more balance.

WalMart is the hub of my hometown's largest shopping area. It's not uncommon for people to socialize there, congregate in the outer perimeter of the parking lot (it's a Super WalMart), and dine at the chain restaurants surrounding it. There's a rural/farm supply store nearby. A Lowe's. A Denny's. A Starbucks. The demographic is mostly white, rural farmers and townspeople who are staunchly Republican and supportive of Trump. The same people who believe COVID is a hoax and will all blow over after the election.

However, I see the influence of the "critical thinkers" among them is taking hold. I'm posting a pic of my niece, who is 12 now and has been raising and showing goats through 4-H since she could walk, masked inside the show barn at the County Fair. There are no midway rides this year; I believe the only function of the Fair this year was for showing livestock--after it's shown most of it is sold for meat (beef, poultry, rabbits, etc.) so there is a ton of money at stake. And yes, it is important that farmers/4-Hr's get something back for their investment--they had no idea COVID was going to happen when they purchased and raised their animals and likely cannot afford to take the loss of not showing and selling them.

It is extremely encouraging to see the majority of folks in this pic wearing masks. Then again, many of our rural farmers are highly educated. Purdue (a land grant agricultural school) is where many degrees are obtained; a lot of these folks are engineers, have multiple degrees, and have a LOT to do with where this entire country's food comes from. It gives me the slightest bit of hope. Niece has been to State Fair level many times, and not just for livestock--complex sewing projects, electrical engineering projects, and I forget what other categories. I am so proud of her!

Screen Shot 2020-07-16 at 6.45.42 PM.png

Thank you for posting this. It reiterates the importance of not labelling and stereotyping.

How nice that your niece is still able to show her goats in a safe manner.
Maybe we all need to stop and appreciate those who are being responsible.
And now Starbucks, CVS, Target and Walgreens are requiring masks in US.
 

1ofakind

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I see no reason for publicly shaming, mocking and denigrating ‘people of Walmart’. It‘s cruel, bullying, frat house humor...at best. People are people and yeah there are some odd ducks out there but those people are everywhere not just in a Walmart. I don’t doubt the pics (although some are clearly not taken in a WM) but in no way does that represent the general population of any walmart. It’s absurd to think so. FWIW....I live in the Midwest and have lived many years in several southern states and I’ve never seen anything like those pictures IRL. Even if I did I am not the sort of person to laugh at people or post their picture online somewhere for others to laugh. Maybe that’s your thing or you think that is OK though.

Also in my mostly red area with more rural people in the county than college graduate elitists, people are mostly wearing masks. They genuinely care about each other and want this all over, with as little harm as possible to their friends and neighbors. It might be an intellectually stimulating exercise to try to see these people as more than just stupid rural people breeding more stupid rural people.
 

monarch64

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@1ofakind yeah, it's hard for me to get behind people of Walmart. I remember being an a$$hole teenager and mocking a guy who looked like a total hick with his suspenders holding his pants up and his giant belly. I was in a restaurant with my father at the time. My dad rarely raised his voice to me or reprimanded me, but I barely got whatever stupid words out of my mouth and he SHARPLY gave me the business and said: "don't you ever speak about someone else that way ever again." I was embarrassed and shocked and I will never forget that moment. It taught me humility and that I was not above anyone else and had no right to mock others' appearance.

My family are educated people. Many people where I'm from have degrees or are highly skilled tradespeople. They go to Walmart because it's the only one-stop shopping place in town, and many have traveled 15-20 miles to get there anyway. And I'm with you--the people in the university town where I live now? It's the students from metropolitan areas on the East Coast who are refusing to wear masks, not the townspeople. We've managed to keep our numbers low, our testing efficiency high, and we are ALL very worried about Indiana University's decision to allow students from hard-hit areas to come back here in a few weeks, even with tightened protocols. The fact that they won't be allowed back after Thanksgiving speaks volumes--the university is EXPECTING another spike. Public schools are following what the university does, as usual, which is why we're removing our daughter from her old school and placing her in a smaller private school instead.
 

Gabbycat

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@1ofakind, @monarch64, @Volute, and anyone else who was offended by my post: I am truly sorry for causing such a stir. That was not my intention.

I don't know if it matters, but I actually grew up in the Missouri Bootheel, so both South and Midwest. I lived there 21 years--14 of them in a town of about 17,000 and surrounded by cotton fields--so I'm not just trying to denigrate people from another area. I'm from there. And I respect farmers and the rural way of life. To a degree. Because I did see first-hand a great deal of ignorance in MANY in that area, and it had nothing to do with education or money. People can chose to be ignorant and trashy or educated wherever they are and whatever their lot in life.

On any given trip to my local Walmart I do see multiple people in Pjs (adults, not children mind you), those with ripped up clothing, and/or those dressed provocatively with barely anything covering their bits or provocative by the foul things written on their clothes.
Clearly this is in poor taste, and those are the people I am pointing out, not the rural shoppers or those who obviously have a mental issue. So, if you've never seen that, then I guess your Walmart is quite different from here. And, yes, I am more likely to see it at Walmart than Target. But you are correct in that it is not unheard of to see the same attire there at times albeit on a less frequent basis or less common in ratio to the general shopper there.

But since so many have been bothered by my previous post, I will ask for it to be removed.
 

Volute

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@Gabbycat, please be assured, you didn't offend me in the least! I understood completely that you were explaining an aspect of Walmart's reputation in the US and on the internet, and that you weren't implying anything mean-spirited. :wavey:
 
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monarch64

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@Gabbycat Totally not a personal thing! Please don't feel bad or assume I am offended; I was just stating my opinion on that website and backing it up with anecdata. It's all good.
 

mellowyellowgirl

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I'm about to wear Pyjamas out to meet my sister for a quick food drop off! It's cold!!!!! Too cold to strip off and put normal clothes on!

I am hoping it'll get a bit darker so it's not too obvious that I'm in pyjamas.
 

Gabbycat

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@mellowyellowgirl a quick food drop where you're either just with family or covered with a coat is definitely different from a full out shopping trip in said attire.
 

mellowyellowgirl

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@mellowyellowgirl a quick food drop where you're either just with family or covered with a coat is definitely different from a full out shopping trip in said attire.

Off topic but about pyjamas because I'm in a chatty mood (waiting for apple bread to cool to slice and freeze)

I'm of Vietnamese descent and in Vietnam many people (probably not the modern office generation) wear nice pyjamas and go about their business, shopping for groceries etc

Anyways I kind of grew to thinking people wore pyjamas around the house. One year my boss stopped by to drop off a zoo pass. I rocked out to greet him in PJs at noon and he was like "Look at you all chilled in your PJs"

Me: This is what I wear if I'm not out

Him: You don't change into normal clothes?

Me: You don't wear PJs at home?

Him: No I wear normal clothes.

Me: I thought everyone wore PJs at home!
 

Gabbycat

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@mellowyellowgirl Well now I'm curious. Do they look like regular PJs like we would see in the States? Or would an American just mistake them for regular clothes?

And I absolutely wear PJs at home! I actually work from home, and most days I roll out of bed and straight to my desk. Several times I've had neighbors knock, and I am a bit embarrassed when they catch me looking like that still in the afternoon. But then most of them say they have a family member who does the same thing, so it doesn't seem to phase people too much.
 

mellowyellowgirl

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@Gabbycat this post explains it beautifully!!! Scroll through the picture at the end of the post for additional pictures!

 

stracci2000

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OK, I've said this before and I'll say it again.
Don't shop at Walmart!!!
They kill local businesses!!!

Yes, I'm shouting.

I boycotted Walmart in 2006. I have not set foot in one since. And my town has 14 Walmarts! Neighborhoods have routinely tried to stop them from being built, but have never been successful, because Walmart is too big and powerful.

I work in retail. I lost two jobs because a Walmart opened nearby, and my store couldn't compete with them. All our customers left us. We had to close.
I know of many groceries, florists, locksmiths, hardware stores, etc. that closed when Walmart came to town.

If you have other local choices, go there first. Just sayin.
 
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OboeGal

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OK, I've said this before and I'll say it again.
Don't shop at Walmart!!!
They kill local businesses!!!

Yes, I'm shouting.

I boycotted Walmart in 2006. I have not set foot in one since. And my town has 14 Walmarts! Neighborhoods have routinely tried to stop them from being built, but have never been successful, because Walmart is too big and powerful.

I work in retail. I lost two jobs because a Walmart opened nearby, and my store couldn't compete with them. All our customers left us. We had to close.
I know of many groceries, florists, locksmiths, hardware stores, etc. that closed when Walmart came to town.

If you have other local choices, go there first. Just sayin.

We've boycotted Walmart in the past as well. We've never liked how they've treated their employees and we've had the same concerns about their effect on local businesses. I will admit that we've weakened a bit during the pandemic, since we're high risk and have to get everything that we possibly can delivered to us. There are a few items that we really need that we can only get shipped from either Walmart or Amazon; Walmart is charging close to the normal price, while Amazon is price-gouging horribly. Also, based on my latest research, Walmart has improved their treatment of employees a bit, while Amazon is horrible to theirs, and are getting even worse, all while Bezos hurtles toward trillionaire status. Just as an example - in the middle of the pandemic, he has his legal team finding any and every way to get around California law requiring paid sick leave. In a pandemic. While he's becoming a trillionaire. So.....we're ordering those few items from Walmart, as the "lesser of two evils." But I promise we're holding our noses while doing it! And when the pandemic is over, our plan is to boycott BOTH Walmart and Amazon.
 

OboeGal

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Off topic but about pyjamas because I'm in a chatty mood (waiting for apple bread to cool to slice and freeze)

I'm of Vietnamese descent and in Vietnam many people (probably not the modern office generation) wear nice pyjamas and go about their business, shopping for groceries etc

Anyways I kind of grew to thinking people wore pyjamas around the house. One year my boss stopped by to drop off a zoo pass. I rocked out to greet him in PJs at noon and he was like "Look at you all chilled in your PJs"

Me: This is what I wear if I'm not out

Him: You don't change into normal clothes?

Me: You don't wear PJs at home?

Him: No I wear normal clothes.

Me: I thought everyone wore PJs at home!

Ha! I like this. My sister-in-law (brother's wife) has mentioned that, once she gets home from work in the afternoon, unless they're going out, having company, or she's going to be working in the yard, the clothes go off and the PJs go on for the rest of the day. Myself, I pretty much live all day in workout wear - soft yoga pants or the shorts version of them, a soft knit with sleeve length appropriate to the season, and either tennis shoes or comfy sandals, and although I do have a few pairs of pyjama pants that I've slept in with one of those knit tops, I'm just as likely, if not more so, to sleep in a pair of the yoga pants. They're just so comfy.... So I guess that means I live all day in my version of jammies!

I will also confess to taking my dog on a late-evening walk in pyjama pants on more than one occasion...... ;))
 

OboeGal

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@Gabbycat this post explains it beautifully!!! Scroll through the picture at the end of the post for additional pictures!


These are really lovely! I could easily do these all day. Thanks for posting this!
 

Gabbycat

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@mellowyellowgirl So I have seen these before, and I didn't realize that those were pajamas. I just assumed that was the usual, daily, cultural outfit for the persons wearing them. Similar to how men from the Middle East wear the dishdasha robe.
 
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