WAL MART - Thumbs Up or Down?

[hlmr]

Thumbs down. They are too big, too powerful and too in your face IMO.

Heather

 

[Blue824]

Typically I go to Target, but I''ve run into Walmart for toiletries, cleaning supplies, school supply stuff. One time I did buy a set of towels because they were the perfect color purple and with in a week or two they were lining my pet carriers, they were horrible. Mostly we''d go because I''d go because I''d be running errands where there was only a Walmart, but now by both of the Walmarts near me there are targets right across the street or right down the strip, so just run in there. Its much cleaner and better organized.

 

[tawn]

I used to go about once a month for household cleaning supplies, RX''s and to stock up on TP, but I quit going about 6-7 years ago because it really seemed to be going downhill and was getting pretty seedy. Even then, I never really purchased clothing or anything of value. But, the grocery stores just gouge you on cleaners and plastic bags etc...

So, now I either go to Costco (during a weekday afternoon) or to Target for my household stuff...but I don''t really buy clothing at either of them either! I mostly shop the sales at the nicer Dept stores or hit my local Loehmans, Ross, Marshalls, TJ Max, Nordstrom''s Rack, and Off Fifth Ave. stores.

I''m a self-confessed bargain hunter, but Wal-Mart is just too much "ick" for me these days! They also put 2 families we know out of business becase those small-town clothing shops just can''t compete when WM moves in!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I buy the typical things, kitty litter, shampoo, cleaning supplies, stuff like that. Actually the bright lights at ALL the mart stores (k-mart, target even Lowes) bothers my eyes (thanks to laser eye surgery) I never encounter long lines at Wal-mart because I tend to go there late (open 24 hours) and I belong to Sam''s Club (even buy my gas there) so I guess I am very evil

I think it is terrible that they treat their employees poorly but lots of companies do. They have good prices and I have never had a truely terrible experience there.

 

[Kaleigh]

Sounds like ever since Sam died the chain has gone down hill. I like Costco, but try to go during the week if I can , so I can miss the weekend rush. I even found a great cashmere sweater there and am thrilled with it, and I am a cashmere fanatic. I go with a strict list and stick to it. Otherwise you get caught buying stuff you''ll never use up and it''s a waste.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I refuse to be seen in a place whose last name is "mart".

 

[platinumrock]

Date: 11/22/2005 8:14:50 AM
Author: Madam Bijoux
I refuse to be seen in a place whose last name is ''mart''.

LOL! So is the first name Wal?

 

[portoar]

NO. I won''t patronize Wal-Mart because 1) They treat their employees badly; 2) They use strong arm tactics on their vendors -- they have too much power to be able to dictate the prices they will pay for the products they sell; 3) They come in and drive out smaller businesses.

I will go somewhere else and pay a higher price to get what I want. To me it''s a matter of ethics. To the extent I can, I try to make my consumer choices in a way that minimizes my patronage of companies that are just downright bad. And few would argue that Walmart is a "good" company.

 

[portoar]

I DID have to go to Walmart a few months ago because my daughter got a Walmart gift card for her birthday and wanted to spend it. I should have just given her $15 and ripped up the card, but we went. I was totally creeped out by the experience.

 

[VegasAngel]

Yes, there are just some things that you buy often that are cheaper at Walmart. I can''t stand the swarms of people though so I try to go either really early or late.

 

[monarch64]

I have to give Wal-Mart a thumbs-down.

I grew up in one of those small towns where there were a lot of family-owned small businesses who went under when Wal-Mart rolled in. My parents still live there and have no choice but to go there to avoid paying grocery store prices for their household necessities, but I have since moved away and I swear I have anxiety attacks if I just drive through a Wal-Mart parking lot! I absolutely cannot stand to go in there, the place is always a madhouse and every one I''ve ever set foot in is filthy, even the parking lot. If we want to save a few bucks, my husband and I go to Sam''s once every couple of months for paper goods, cleaning supplies, detergent, etc. I like to go to Target on nights when he''s out of town just to kill time and waste money on really cute stuff I don''t need!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I DO NOT shop at Walmart! All my household items (TP, laundry detergent, pull ups, etc.) are purchased at TARGET! I love target.

FWIW, I have been into walmart TWICE. Both times, I found the store overstimulating and too crowded and immediately walked out.

 

[codex57]

I''d shop there. I just don''t like to cuz of the idiots I normally encounter. Much prefer Target which is also cheap, yet the stores are more organized and the customers don''t treat the place like a giant swap meet/bargain bin.

They''re a bit ruthless to their suppliers, but I imagine Costco and many other retailers are as well. Plus, the suppliers make millions by getting a Walmart account. I don''t see anythign wrong with all the other stuff. Well, I don''t see them being any different from other big companies so I dunno why people pick on Walmart so much.

 

[AsscherGirl]

Date: 11/22/2005 9:14:04 PM
Author: codex57
I''d shop there. I just don''t like to cuz of the idiots I normally encounter. Much prefer Target which is also cheap, yet the stores are more organized and the customers don''t treat the place like a giant swap meet/bargain bin.

They''re a bit ruthless to their suppliers, but I imagine Costco and many other retailers are as well. Plus, the suppliers make millions by getting a Walmart account. I don''t see anythign wrong with all the other stuff. Well, I don''t see them being any different from other big companies so I dunno why people pick on Walmart so much.

That''s true - however, each year Wal-Mart demands that the supplier makes the same item cheaper or in some way, better for the same price. I''m all for development and advancement, but how many shirt-producing factories do you think are finding a way to make the shirt better for the same price? The suppliers are so afraid of losing their Wal-Mart account that they will do ANYTHING to keep it.

People pick on Wal-Mart because it is easy. They are in the news all the time & are the biggest retailer in the United States. They also have a history of treating their employees badly and haven''t done anything noteable to reverse their image.

By the way, Sam''s Club is owned by Wal-Mart & they have a lot of the same business practices. There is a rather large study out there comparing Sam''s Club to Costco and the main finding is that Costco pays their employee''s more money, doesn''t strong-arm their suppliers as much and still manages to have higher profits than Sam''s. One of the main factors in this is Costco invests in their employee''s and has MUCH lower turnover than Wal-Mart. I don''t think many people realize just how expensive it is to recruit & hire so many sales associates.

I don''t mean to come off as a crazy Wal-Mart hater; it''s just disheartening to me to see how one company has changed American business so much. I don''t care if other people shop there, but that''s the best thing about the U.S. - I can choose to do what I want & so can everyone else!

 

[fire&ice]

My husband refuses to shop there. Not only do they strong arm their vendors, they bankrupt the people who build their stores. They are so incredibly cheap to ALL people who work for them that it borders on unethical.

That said, I have bought clothing items there that were made better than somethings in other stores. Save the rare item made in the US these days, most of the clothing comes from the same place. I bought three black turtlenecks last year. One from Walmart, one from talbot''s and one from a Skyr from a ski shop. The walmart one has held up the best.

For the most part, I''m not feeling the love for walmart these days. They also make their employees volunteer their time for charity w/o pay. I''m all for someone volunteering their time - but not forcing them.

 

[Rank Amateur]

The Frontline show on Walmart gave me the creeps.

Same for most of the people I encountered the one time I set foot in one.

It seems that Pricescopers are some of the few who will pay more for a better made item rather than shopping price above all else. WalMart fits in perfectly with our throw-away society.

 

[Matata]

I don''t do WalMart. To the extent possible, I try to be a responsible shopper. For years, I had a nifty book -- can''t remember the publisher and the book fell to pieces a long time ago -- that listed major American companies and profiled their record on the environment, social and community involvement, hiring/promotion of women & minorities, whether their R&D included experiements on animals and a host of other factors consumers would weigh when deciding from whom to purchase. The closest replacement to that little book that I''ve found is http://www.responsibleshopper.org/

 

[elepri]

I once bought a pair of socks in Walmart on a trip to Vermont (it was an emergency). What a scary, depressing place. Luckily, we don''t have any here in NYC (that I know of).

 

[IrishEyes]

Ick, I don''t shop at Walmart. It really is a depressing place. I won''t get into too much detail as I don''t want to offend anyone. I tend to shop at Target for my toiletries and such. It is much cleaner and organized, and the people are friendlier.

 

[strmrdr]

Whats interesting is that everyone seems to love target while I find the local one to be extremely disorganized and the staff rude.
I dont shop there either other than for small appliances I cant get elsewhere.

Mostly I shop http://www.aldifoods.com/ and dollar stores. much cheaper than walmart and less hassle.

 

[codex57]

Date: 11/23/2005 9:39:31 AM
Author: *~*Danielle*~*

Date: 11/22/2005 9:14:04 PM

That''s true - however, each year Wal-Mart demands that the supplier makes the same item cheaper or in some way, better for the same price. I''m all for development and advancement, but how many shirt-producing factories do you think are finding a way to make the shirt better for the same price? The suppliers are so afraid of losing their Wal-Mart account that they will do ANYTHING to keep it.

I don''t mean to come off as a crazy Wal-Mart hater; it''s just disheartening to me to see how one company has changed American business so much. I don''t care if other people shop there, but that''s the best thing about the U.S. - I can choose to do what I want & so can everyone else!

Sounds like the domestic auto makers.

But yeah, if that''s true, I imagine there''s a ton of turnover in the product. I believe the part about making the product cheaper. I bought a trash can and bags from Walmart before. Name brand too. However, the plastic was thinner on both. I had a Target bought trash can and bag from the same manufacturers and could use that for the kitchen, while the Walmart stuff had to go in my room where I only throw away light stuff like post it notes or scrap paper.

And yeah, that''s what''s so great about the US. We''ve got choices. I don''t like Walmart so I avoid it if I can. Target all the way for me if I need discount stuff.

 

[saturn]

I wish I could say that the reason I don''t shop at Walmart is because of my principles.
But the real reason I don''t shop there very often is because it''s depressing. Shopping at Target is fun - I can and do spend hours there. But shopping at Walmart makes me feel downtrodden and oppressed. Walmart may be a little cheaper, but for me it''s just not worth it.

Sometimes I feel a little guilty about that, though. I wonder if the reason I feel so icky about Walmart is because its shoppers are usually in a lower socioeconomic class than Target shoppers. Do I shop at Target because I think that I am too good for Walmart? Am I trying to avoid being confronted with those less privileged than myself while buying toothpaste and wrapping paper?

It''s true that I don''t like Walmart''s business practices. However, I don''t know that Target or Publix or Kmart are any better.

Then again, perhaps it''s just that I love Target''s Dollar Spot...

 

[hopefulheidi]

Out of convenience I generally shop at Walmart. There is a store right next to my job so I can pop in during the week to pick up anything I need before heading the 20 miles back to the small town I live in. We need to buy enough food and cat litter every week to care for the 2 dogs and 5 cats that we''ve rescued over the past couple of years so the couple of dollars saved on each bag does add up. Does it make more sense for me to spend more money on the same amount of food and litter and burn extra gas driving to the nearest Target, or am I farther ahead by spending less money on the essentials, saving gas by visiting a store that is right on my route home and using the extra money saved to donate to the no kill animal shelter in my town? In situations like that there really isn’t one right answer.

What I find so amusing is that people who dislike Walmart seem to default to Target though. As an Ex Target employee this is somewhat sad.

During my very first few days with Target they laid forth a number of their secrets, the first of which being the fact that they use the same suppliers as Walmart, they just charge more for the items. They actually were pretty proud of themselves for this fact. Charging more for the same items seems to subconsciously make consumers believe they are buying better quality.

While I will agree that their stores are more well organized, cleaner, and the staff more friendly, there is a reason for all of that. The trainers were quick to point out that their aisles are wider and their stores more religiously cleaned because it makes people more comfortable and therefore more likely to stay and spend money.

As you may not have even noticed, Target is one of the few retailers that uses absolutely no piped in music and very few PA announcements. Their studies have shown that people are actually more likely to stay in a store longer when it''s quiet because they are not subconsciously tracking the amount of time that has passed by the number of songs they''ve heard.

Staff members are given personality tests and interviewed to determine their ability to work within a team. This may be the reason that most "team members" as they''re called, seem to be more helpful or more friendly at Target. It may also be the fact that they always have staff watching the interaction between employees and "guests" and these things are tracked by supervisors. If you aren''t quick and or friendly, a note is made in the records and you''re talked to about it. Everyone has personal goals which they are required to meet. If you continuously fall behind, you''re let go.

The thing made most obvious to me during my time at Target was that everything that happens within each store is for a reason. These people spend all sorts of money and time to find the best way to manipulate their consumers into purchasing more, or returning more often. It all just seems very dishonest to me. They gloat about the fact that they have many practices similar to Walmart and their other competitors but that they have invested enough money in marketing and psychological research to hypnotize people into ignoring the man behind the curtain.

At this point there are very few large corporations that have great employee treatment, economic responsibility, and environmental accountability. Sometimes it’s a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils, sometimes it’s a matter of making the right choice for your particular situation. To each, their own.

 

[codex57]

Target''s smart to do all that. People are entitled to spend their money however they want. If I wanna pay 10 cents more for a box of cookies that''s clean and unsquashed and I have a nice wide aisle where I can casually stroll to the many checkout lines with only a person or two ahead of me, I should be entitled to. 10 cents or whatever isn''t worth me having to play Mad Max and bite, scratch, elbow and claw my way to a mangled bag of cookies covered in dust just so I can fight my way back to a really long checkout line that''s narrow and still full of combative people?

I''ve never noticed Target to be significantly more than Walmart. If it''s enough to notice, the quality either isn''t as good, or it''s been ransacked so anything left looks like an angry hippo attacked it.

If you think Target is bad in overcharging and using psychological tricks, you should consider what goes on at Disneyland/Disneyworld. Have you seen those prices? And lots of their supplies they get for free in exchange for advertising. Their employees also are told to be super nice to guests and stuff. They got smells piped out from sneaky places to get people to start thinking about buying various sorts of food. The buildings are designed in such a way so that you can''t see outside the park and get lost in their little world and lower your spending inhibitions.

All stores do what you complain Target does. Even you basic supermarket. Why do you think there''s a stand of candy and junk right at the checkout line? They''ve done studies telling them to put them there and what to put there. Even in the main aisles, the items are there for some specific reason.

That''s just how retail works. I think people default from Walmart to Target because you''re on a diamond site. People who can afford to buy this kind of jewelry almost certainly can afford the extra 3 cents or whatever Target costs in exchange for the better atmosphere. I never shopped at K-Mart because it was even more chaotic than Walmart.

 

[kaylagee]

I''ve never been to Wal-Mart(none nearby) but I do shop at Target. I''ve been hearing so much negative press about WM lately that I might avoid it entirely. OTOH, it''s a bit hypocritical of me considering my passion for jewelry. I''ve heard far worse about the diamond/precious stones industry than Wal Mart.

There seems to be a dark side to nearly everything. sigh.

 

[Waited2Long]

I''m with the minority here. Walmart has a bad reputation but, like Kenny said, people vote with their pocketbooks and have made Walmart the largest corporation in the world. So much of the bad about Walmart is isolated and passed around that it sounds like they would harvest crack-addict organs if the FDA would let them. But don''t lose sight of the big picture.
If you are a small retailer and a Walmart moves in next door, close up your shop. But if you are in a service business, and a Walmart moves in, then you should be ecstatic, because your costs just went down on every item they carry.
I shop at both Sam''s Club and Costco several times a month. Their prices are roughly the same for most things, but the selection is a bit different on durable goods, so I go to both. The biggest difference, going back to the comparison between relative employees'' paychecks, is that the Costco folks are very quick, very friendly, and very competent. I can''t say the same for the folks at my local Sam''s Club. I would guess that many of the cashiers at Sam''s could never get a job at Costco, or at a lot of other businesses, including fast food. Walmart "associates" might be working for minimum wage, but at least they are working.

 

[movie zombie]

another reason for a thumbs down for walmart: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051222/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_lunch_breaks

peace, movie zombie

 

[zdrastvootya]

I think they are basically evil

I''m conducting a personal boycott. (I''m sure I''m hurting their bottom line!)

My wife doesn''t like the boycott. She''s more focused on lowest price. For me, those of us that can afford to, should take our voting dollars elsewhere. Up here in Canada, the scuttlebutt is they closed a Quebec store where employees were talking union. They said the store wasn''t profitable. I think a memo was leaked advising managers how to deal with employees wanting to unionize - put them in a bad light.

Sorry - I haven''t had a chance to read the other posts. I will when I get a chance.

The company gives me a bad vibe (kind of like a cult - saw a clip of their AGM). The following Frontline documentary solidified my opinion:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/view/


Z.

 

[Kim N]

Date: 11/30/2005 1:00:25 PM
Author: codex57

All stores do what you complain Target does. Even you basic supermarket. Why do you think there''s a stand of candy and junk right at the checkout line? They''ve done studies telling them to put them there and what to put there. Even in the main aisles, the items are there for some specific reason.

That''s just how retail works.

Codex, I agree with this. All stores use psychology studies to market and position their products the way they do.