WAL MART - Thumbs Up or Down?

[kenny]

Do you shop there?

 

[MelissaSue]

I shop at walmart.. I really don''t bother myself with whether or not its a "good" company.. because in reality.. a lot of businesses are not all "good" and they probably all do things that are less than ethical. And the thing is.. its not like there are a lot of other options. If you want to go and buy say.. toothpaste.. you can pay ridiculous amounts for it at the grocery or drug store.. or get it for a LOT less at Walmart.
The thing that bothers me the most about walmart.. is the morons who shop there. When I was in college, the walmart in my college town was frequented mostly by college students.. so it was not annoying. But the ones around here are always filled with idiots who are oblivious to the fact that they are wandering aimlessly and walking super slowly blocking an entire aisle so no one can pass them.. Or people who don''t understand that they need to watch where they are pushing thier shopping carts so they don''t hit people.. Or people who let thier children just RUN up and down the aisles. So I try to only go to Walmart at non-busy times..

 

[pebbles]

Like MelissaSue, I shop at Wal-mart for toiletries or things like Juicy Juice or holiday decorations and wrapping paper. We bought some sheets there once and realized why they are so cheap.

You get for what you pay for a lot of times.

I know they get most of their things from China and pay very low wages. The things I tend to buy don''t come from there however.

 

[JohnQuixote]

YES: Basic toiletries, household supplies, tools, trash bags, muriatic acid for the pool (cool that they carry it!), groceries other than veggies and meat, late-night run when "I need paper for the printer," door mats, picture frames for a room I don't care about, white socks in bulk to wear running, $10 phone for the garage, industrial strength paper towels for the garage (well, almost anything for the garage), light bulbs, rags for car cleaning, gum, tic tacs, discount CDs and DVDs - though I'd rather get those at Target because the receipt is printed on better paper.

NO: Meat, veggies, high-end seasonings and foodstuffs. Cologne. Clothes I intend to wear in public. Supplies for electronics other than extension cords. Any gift I will ever give anybody. Wal Mart carries my brand of cat food but I feel weird getting it there, so I just drive the extra block to Petsmart.

 

[Mara]

I don't shop at WalMart..I just don't like the vibe of the superstore where you can get pretty much anything...I think that the only somewhat similar place I would go to for that would be Target which has a better vibe for me. I want to LIKE the store I shop at and I just don't feel it at WalMart. There's nothing exciting about that place for me.

I also just don't feel the vibe from the WalMart shoppers and the busy-ness of the stores....just like how I don't like to brave Costco most of the time...I can't deal with the busy feel and all the carts and the long lines, in the end my time is worth more and having a good shopping experience is worth more than saving a few bucks at the end of the day. It also seems like the WalMart I have been in or the ones I drive by just are not the cleanest and most organized either. I guess the term would be that it's a very middle America kind of place..that's not good or bad, it's just not my thing.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

There was commentary about Wal-Mart on our local radio station this morning. They were saying something to the effect (don''t quote me on this) that the reason they can sell things so cheaply is because they pay their employees such little money almost to the point where many have to claim welfare or food stamps to make ends meet. So in an indirect effect, we (the taxpayers) ARE paying for our products bought at WM through our own taxes!!

Ironically, the commentary also spoke of the Wal-Mart family (The Waltons) who are worth over $110 billion!!!! Llike they can''t afford to provide more for their employees.

 

[MINE!!]

Yes and No.. they have great prices on some things and other stuff is junk. I hate the long lines though. The crowds are a pain.. so I never go around late holiday time. But you can find good deals. If I want something nice and not too expense I usually go to Tar-jeah (target)

 

[partgypsy]

My husband and I used to shop there once or twice a year (christmas gifts, camping trip) but don''t even do that anymore. My husband cannot stand their bright lighting and crowdedness (both people and way products are displayed).
Plus after reading nickle and dimed (in the book Walmart barely pays a living wage and expects rapid cycling of employees so they do not have to provide health insurance) it takes some of the luster off.
Like someone said, I want to like the place I shop.

for Christmas my husband and I are trying to trend away from materialistic purchases to simpler, more meaningful gifts, like a book that we loved, a piece of handmade pottery. But it''s not always easy when you have a 14 year old nephew! We do cash gifts, and those could end up at Walmart, because they are the 500 pound gorilla.

 

[Mara]

Oh that is the other thing that drives me nuts about places like Target and WalMart. The ONE time I bought some clothes at Target because I thought I''d try it out and they had a few cute things, they literally fell apart within a few months and just ended up being junk. So I can''t imagine why those places sell clothes if you have to keep buying them because they are so not well-made. How does that save $$? I''d rather spend more on something that I know will last!

 

[AsscherGirl]

I don''t shop at Wal-Mart. I never used to shop there b/c I just didn''t like it when I was in there. It has a strange feeling to me.

In college, I had to do a research paper on Wal-Mart & that was more than enough for me. I will not shop there for anything, because I don''t like how they run their company. Since they are so huge, they have a big effect on the rest of the U.S. too. It''s not just their employess (although I could probably speak about that for at least an hour) - they force suppliers and distributers to cut their prices so low - it''s almost impossible for those industries to make money either.

The sad thing is Sam Walton''s original idea for Wal-Mart was all about selling American made products.

The only thing I will commend them on is they seem to treat all of their employees the same. When their senior executives go on business trips together, they have to share a hotel room in one of the cheapest hotels in any town. They have to fly coach and have a limited amount of spending money for the trip.

 

[Caribou]

I''ve been in Walmart and bought stuff there but it was only because it was right next door to where I lived. I will never go there again....Target is much better. I know they don''t have food but the Walmart I went too have enough to bother with.

Walmart will eventually fall on the same fate that Kmart did.

 

[strmrdr]

havent been to wally world in 5-6 years.
Dont do crowds and hate the out of control rug rats that are always there.
I can get close to the same price elsewhere without all the hassles.
Plus I avoid china goods when I can.

Back when they were selling guns and ammo at a good price I was there often.

 

[ame]

i don''t shop there because I don''t like how they treat their employees and especially not their vendors. Not only do they screw their employees to get things cheaper, they strong arm their vendors into selling them their products well below cost so they don''t have their vendors profiting.

The biggest reason I won''t patronize that store is because I don''t like how they force the religious values down everyone''s throats only to totally betray what they claim their religious beliefs are!

 

[mrssalvo]

They all seem dirty to me. I'll go every now and then but much prefer target.

 

[ammayernyc]

There is no Walmart where I live, so it''s not an option...

 

[ForteKitty]

Oh heeeeeck NO!

I''ve been to Walmart 3 times, and not by choice either.. my friends had to pick up something. The stores are dirty, the people who shop there are rude and LOUD, there are kids running around EVERYWHERE, and i could never find anything. I even found dirty diapers in the parking lot, and in one of the isles. F that. I''d rather order things online. Amazon.com sells everyday household stuff like shampoo, deoderant, cleaning agents, and i get free shipping. If i absolutely need to get something right now, i''d go to Target. No savings in the world is worth the high bloodpressure i got while trying to refrain myself from losing my temper in Walmart. Never again.

 

[movie zombie]

absolutely not. i don''t like my tax dollars underwriting their profit line, their practices in the ''shop''s that produce the merchandise they sell, etc.

peace, movie zombie

 

[Kaleigh]

From what I''ve read on here just now, I''m glad we don''t have a Walmart nearby. I wouldn''t shop there. Now Target I love!!!!

 

[Jenjen]

I''ll admit, the main reason I don''t shop at Wal-mart is because I think they are grimy and depressing. I also don''t like the way the company treats employees.

I love,love,love target for cleaning supplies, paper products, etc. It just seems so much hipper and happier than Wally-world.

I am trying to spend more money in locally owned places, though, because they need our $$$ more than the big box stores!

 

[kenny]

Isn't it all about finding a way to deliver the lowest price?

Face it; isn't that all that almost everyone cares about?

Zillions of shoppers voting with their wallets have made Wal Mart the largest retailer ever.

Would you say the benefit those shoppers enjoy balances out the suffereing of the vendors and workers around the world who supply the merchandise?
I know a woman with 4 kids and a disabled husband.
She says without WalMart she couldn't make ends meet.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

We don''t shop at Wal-mart anymore for a variety of reasons. My husband worked there almost full-time for 4 years to put himself through college, and he said that pretty much everything bad you hear about them is true. I guess when Sam Walton was alive, things were different, but now that his family runs it, it''s all gone downhill.

 

[Angel7]

I am so glad I''m not the only one who finds Wal-mart dark and dingy and just nasty.
Long lines, too many people. Just not worth it.

I''m sticking with my friend Target or Tar-shay as we call it when we want to sound affluent!!

 

[FireGoddess]

Besides all the political reasons already stated, which contribute quite a bit to the reasons I don''t shop at Walmart, the place just skeeves me out. I have only set foot in there maybe 3 times in my life, and if there is any way to avoid it, I do. I''m a Target shopper.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/21/2005 2:51:12 PM
Author: kenny
Isn't it all about finding a way to deliver the lowest price?

Face it; isn't that all that almost everyone cares about?

Zillions of shoppers voting with their wallets have made Wal Mart the largest retailer ever.

Would you say the benefit those shoppers enjoy balances out the suffereing of the vendors and workers around the world who supply the merchandise?
I know a woman with 4 kids and a disabled husband.
She says without WalMart she couldn't make ends meet.

Yes they have. Relative to jewelry purchases that have been discussed, this is an important point.

'Zillions' of shoppers have made average cut diamonds bought from common chain stores, Costco, Wal-Mart, etc. the largest piece of the retail pie. Now, it can be argued that you may find diamonds with higher pedigrees (AGS or GIA), as well as better cut online - at similar reasonable prices - but that is not the path for most of the 'zillions.'

As someone alluded before: Wal-Mart clothes are not as durable, high-quality or appealing as those sold by top designers, but more people shop the Wal-Mart racks than the Rodeo Drive boutiques. Of course, if those boutiques sold the same high quality for near the same prices as Wal-Mart that could change as people made this discovery.

The learning curve to understand top cut/top pedigree with diamonds, combined with the trust curve required for such a large purchase online, makes the online vendor choice one that is slow in coming for many. Still, it's coming. In 2002 online sales were only 2% of total (this percentage is not even for goods with top pedigree, just online, period). In 2004 that number was 5% and in 2005 it's predicted to be 8%.

 

[icekid]

ewwwwww hate it. I just can''t- for the same reasons everyone has mentioned. It really just grosses me out, and I don''t agree with the way they treat their employees. Yuck!! I won''t give them my money.

 

[lmurden]

No!

 

[mrssalvo]

Anyone ever been in a Wal-mart Neighborhood Market? They actually are nice, similar to a Harris Teeter, and the prices are more in line with a regular grocery store.

 

[Erin]

no

Wal-Mart is now our nation''s single largest importer of foreign-produced goods. In fact, of Wal-Mart''s 6,000 suppliers, 5,000 of them are located in China. Our trade imbalance with China cost us 1.5 million jobs between 1989 and 2003, as American companies laid off workers and closed down manufacturing plants due to lost business. Wal-Mart also threatens the economic foundation of the communities in which it locates, forcing smaller retailers to shut their doors. More than 1 million women, both former and current employees, have accused the company of denying them equal pay and promotions.

Worst of all, at the heart of Wal-Mart''s business model are low wages and stingy benefits. It''s no surprise that Wal-Mart employees are increasingly turning to health care programs for the working poor, paid for by states and the federal government. In Wisconsin, for instance, Wal-Mart employees top the list of enrollees in the state''s health care program for low-income residents.

 

[Mara]

Did anyone see the South Park where they got a WalMart...but it was called something else, like WallWorld or whatever..and it would take over their minds and make them shop there and all the small retailers had to close shop? They had to attack the ''core'' to kill it...It was typicalSP-hilarious, and very disturbing at the same time!!

 

[platinumrock]

As a consumer, thumbs up. As a business owner, thumbs down. Walmart is cheap, convenient and have the best return policy. I don''t believe in paying retail, so I will readily push through riff-raff to save money.