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What's the deal with Wal-Mart


Hobbes
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My first day here, I had to pick up a few things.  We don't have a Target or Costco here, so I decided to swing by Wal-Mart and my first thought was "oh holy hell...where did I just move my family to?"  There were multiple trucks with confederate flags in the parking lot, less than half the people were masked up (and they looked EXACTLY how I expected them to look), and the whole place was in a general state of disarray.

The next day we went to look around downtown.  Downtown Durango is super cute...lots of cool restaurants, art galleries, and what-nots.  Everyone was masked up.  I went to the actual grocery stores...same.  I talk about this experience with my co-workers and it was pointed out that Super Wal-Mart is the only large department store in the area so that's where all of the more rural folks go.     I want to be clear--this is nothing against rural folks.  More about the anti-mask, Confederate flag, treat a store/ employees like crap folk. 

So I guess my question is what is the appeal of Wal-Mart?  Why not go to an actual grocery store with a better selection and...honestly...better prices?  Why not go downtown a buy products from actual small businesses whom make their own products?  There is an local organic grocer that buys/ sells only local produce whenever possible that actual has incredible prices?  Why visit a store that is famous for underpaying their employees and buying products with sketchy production. 

I just don't get it???

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Regardless of the reality surrounding the prices, Wal-mart has the reputation of being affordable. And they sell damn near everything. 

We avoid Wal-mart generally, but I have to go there tomorrow for my 2nd covid shot. :( I'm not looking forward to it. 

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That is certainly part of the reputation of Walmart.  It’s interesting here, though, right now.  I have a Walmart and two grocery stores within just over a mile from me.  One of the stores just opened last fall so tons of people are going to it and made a big deal about not requiring a mask now, so I’m not going anywhere near it. the other grocery store is one I used to enjoy shopping at, but I’ve noticed it has far fewer people wearing masks, probably because it is where a lot more wealthy white folks shop, nearly all of whom have made it clear the past year that they don’t believe in anything but themselves and their own comfort.  I occasionally go in there to get flowers for my wife, but otherwise try to avoid it right now.  Some of the other stores in that chain here, at least, are better now due to demographics.

while there are some Walmarts here, I absolutely hate, the one by me has actually been pretty impressive in how most of the people inside are wearing masks.  I suspect it is because the people shopping in it are mainly blue collar and having to deal with the Covid shit show more realistically.  It has completely altered my perception of the stores here.  

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My experience with large store chains is limited, but overall I love Walmart, Target and even Kroger (Fred Meyers up here) because their stock is consistent and their prices are affordable. In Alaska, while you’ll see typical “People of Walmart” at them, the stores are generally newer builds (or renovations) and shopped by all income ranges. The stores are clean, I’ve not even had issues the bathrooms. Outside of Alaska I have only been to these stores that are in the areas around Disneyland Resort, so that experience is probably tainted more positively by their location as well.

One of the locations in Alaska, in a town right next to Anchorage called Eagle River, there is a Walmart that’s essentially in the mountain range. It overlooks a valley, is surrounded by mountains. It’s a newer build, as buildings go I guess, and it feels as though it’s exterior is designed to blend with the location.

Eagle River Walmart

All that said, I’m done with Alaska. I was brought here as a child. I’ve lived here for 34 years, my children are all born Alaskans, but I want out. I hate the cold. Winter activities suck. Summer is gone in a blink. There are only three seasons: Winter, Decomposition, and Summer. Moving costs are ugh. Rent costs almost as much as California for like no justifiable reason. Grass is greener elsewhere, yadda yadda.

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I hate Walmart, and will never shop there, ever.  My mom had her leg sliced while getting a bin of cat litter broke while she picked it up, which got infected 3 months before she passed away.  The infection was bad enough that she had to be hospitalized for a month.  She died 2 months later of natural causes.  I think her injury due to Walmart's negligence was a contributing factor in her death, because she was in poor health already, and that infection got into her blood and probably took a lot out of her physically.   Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be proven, otherwise I would have sued the shit out of Walmart.

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2 hours ago, Zathras said:

I hate Walmart, and will never shop there, ever.  My mom had her leg sliced while getting a bin of cat litter broke while she picked it up, which got infected 3 months before she passed away.  The infection was bad enough that she had to be hospitalized for a month.  She died 2 months later of natural causes.  I think her injury due to Walmart's negligence was a contributing factor in her death, because she was in poor health already, and that infection got into her blood and probably took a lot out of her physically.   Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be proven, otherwise I would have sued the shit out of Walmart.

The same thing happened to a friend's husband.  He sliced his foot on a boat anchor, it got infected, and he ended up passing away due to sepsis.  That sounds awful...

But this is all begging the question...why do so many people actually LOVE Wal-Mart?

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8 minutes ago, Hobbes said:

 

The same thing happened to a friend's husband.  He sliced his foot on a boat anchor, it got infected, and he ended up passing away due to sepsis.  That sounds awful...

But this is all begging the question...why do so many people actually LOVE Wal-Mart?

Thank you, Hobbes. I mean the official reason is my mom passed away in her sleep due to heart failure.  But I think that incident at Wal Mart was a contributing factor in some way. 

As for why people love Wally World?  My guess for many, they are the largest retailer that caters to rural areas that don't have malls or large department stores.  I remember when I lived in a small, military town named Sierra Vista, AZ, when Wal Mart opened up shop there (this was like 1991 or 1992), the locals were ecstatic.  Being from a  larger town, I failed to see what the big whoop was.

For urban Wal Mart fans, I think it is just the largest one-stop shop, and it is convenient. 

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People have to eat, they need clothes etc. A persons income demographic and their location will dominate their shopping options.

As I said for (city located) Alaskans your options are chain store or chain store, and of the chain stores Walmart is the cheapest, most consistently stocked of all options. Followed by Target. Family shopping at those places gets you everything everyone needs too, usually, and cheaper than even Kroger (which is also one stop shopping).

If you live in a village or out of the way place your options are buying things like a family size bag of chips or a six pack of soda for $15 each at a village post (with less junk food items being equally crazy priced). Or you could have items bussed, flown or boated into your location at overall equal to more cost (which is what you’re left with if you live in places like Tok or Cordova). Or finally you could just live off the land (which is obviously difficult when the land is literally frozen over for seven months). Choosing the shipping option can cost so much that people actually just travel hundreds and hundreds of miles into a city to shop* then travel back because it can be cheaper. Usually combining the trip with medical care and other things.

*I’ve even known people to buy a plane ticket to Seattle. Book an over night or two night room, shop it up, then fly back to Anchorage! They live in Anchorage, but combine a “mini vay-kay” with shopping for brands Alaska never gets. Of course, I’m like Bruh Amazon exists, but it’s the vay-kay part that sells. It’s that income demographic at work here I guess.

“Ma & Pop” stores here, the rarity that they are, are really just locally owned 7/11s. They don’t carry what you need on an actual grocery trip.

Goodwill, Value Village, Salvation Army, excluding any possibly useable furniture you might find there are not that less priced for clothes than Walmart store brands... and at Walmart you are practically guaranteed to find a pair of pants and shirts for your kids, whereas those others are more Good Luck than Goodwill.

Babywise you can go to Once Upon a Child, a thrift store, and you’d be shocked to see Walmart out prices their used items too. Teenwise you can go to thrifts like Plato’s Closet for used name boutique brand clothing. But really you are more likely to find new clothes to wear at Walmart or Target and cheaper if you stop caring what brand badge is on your ass pocket.

Bottom line is literally bottom dollar. You go where the items are which you need and that are affordable.

We all can ideologically bemoan salaries or who’s making items, or any of that, but this world is The Good Place and your options all suck somehow.

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I went to a Walmart in El Cajon one year for Comic-con to pick up sun screen and some other random stuff and I wanted to burn everything I touched afterwards. I felt so sticky and gross. People couldn't travel the aisles without touching everything and kids were running around with candy wrappers and in general just a great big disarray. The card readers were barely attached to the counter. It was a mad house. I paid more for sun screen at Ralphs downtown in San Diego but at least I didn't feel like I needed to shower in bleach.

I live in Texas so I am used to redneckedyrednecks driving around with flags. Oh and no maskers making scenes.

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3 hours ago, Zathras said:

Thank you, Hobbes. I mean the official reason is my mom passed away in her sleep due to heart failure.  But I think that incident at Wal Mart was a contributing factor in some way. 

As for why people love Wally World?  My guess for many, they are the largest retailer that caters to rural areas that don't have malls or large department stores.  I remember when I lived in a small, military town named Sierra Vista, AZ, when Wal Mart opened up shop there (this was like 1991 or 1992), the locals were ecstatic.  Being from a  larger town, I failed to see what the big whoop was.

For urban Wal Mart fans, I think it is just the largest one-stop shop, and it is convenient. 

They do contribute heavily to food banks and local areas and are making an effort to also do America Made stuff.  So there is that. At least in San Antonio. 

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Buy Walmart+. It’s $98 a year, you shop in their app, select a delivery date and your groceries will be delivered to you on that day at that time. Been doing it for the last 6 months. Best thing ever.

 

My parents and family live in a rural area. The Walmart there, you have a lot of no maskers. But it’s the same thing where I live, which is urban. The Walmart’s around me have Security on each end of the entrances, security in the parking lot, and about half the folks not wearing masks as well. As a matter of fact, just last week a cop was shot in the parking lot of the Walmart that is a mile from my house. Walmart’s attract a lot of idiots for whatever reason.

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We have gotten most of our non-bulk groceries from Walmart over the past year because their online ordering for curbside pickup has been much smoother than everywhere else here and has no fee to use since our orders have always been over the minimum.  I also use the pharmacy there.

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I just remind myself that even stupid people need groceries. LOL It makes me feel superior but I also like people watching. I try to go to Walmart right after I drop Tina at dialysis now that they're opening up at 6 AM so there is no crowds. 

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I only go to Walmart when I visit Nebraska, and that's because its the only big store for miles. At home I shop at Target (haven't actually set foot in one since January 2020, though). The Walmart here is a zoo, I just don't want to deal with it.

You know what Walmart is really good at, though? School uniforms. They're affordable and they actually hold up to wash and wear much better than Target's Cat & Jack brand. I tend to buy my daughter like 5-6 polo shirts and do laundry often. Their uniform pants are nice, too.

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On 5/7/2021 at 3:13 PM, Hobbes said:

 

The same thing happened to a friend's husband.  He sliced his foot on a boat anchor, it got infected, and he ended up passing away due to sepsis.  That sounds awful...

But this is all begging the question...why do so many people actually LOVE Wal-Mart?

I don't love Wal-Mart, I hate it. I worked around the state of Texas for several years, doing Wal-Mart remodels at night. The people that crawl into those stores at night are down right creepy. That being said, I still shop at my local Wal-Mart, because a can of Chunky Soup is less than $2 there, while at Kroger, they'd charge $2.50. A 6 pack of Cokes is $2.50 there and it's nearly $3.50 at Kroger. A typical grocery shopping weekend at Wal-Mart will cost me about $50 less than if I'd gone to Kroger.

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13 hours ago, Gamevet said:

I don't love Wal-Mart, I hate it. I worked around the state of Texas for several years, doing Wal-Mart remodels at night. The people that crawl into those stores at night are down right creepy.

Around 6 years ago, I was having major anxiety problems and often couldn't sleep.  One night probably at around 2 am, I decided to try to do something productive and went to the Walmart right across the street from my apartment to get groceries.  Not having so many people around was at least a little helpful, but I remember thinking, "So these are the types of people that come into Walmart at 2 am."  Then I realized that I was one of them, too.

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On the one hand, my uncle worked there as a greeter for 10+ years after he retired, he loved it, and they treated him well.

On the other hand, I was approached and threatened by a sex offender at my local Walmart.

On the one hand, they were a lifesaver when I had to replace my whole wardrobe quickly and cheaply and to a ridiculously anal company's dress code standards.

On the other hand, they're actually more expensive on a lot of stuff.

On the one hand, my eye doctor leases space out of my Walmart.

On the other hand, Meijer is just better.

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I only go to Walmart when they're the only ones who have what I need. Walmart skeeves me out.

And Durango is an awesome little town, isn't it? It's like the village you build with a train set under your Christmas tree! AND a haunted old hotel!

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2 minutes ago, monkeygirl said:

I only go to Walmart when they're the only ones who have what I need. Walmart skeeves me out.

And Durango is an awesome little town, isn't it? It's like the village you build with a train set under your Christmas tree! AND a haunted old hotel!

 

Wasn't the Overlook Hotel in Colorado? Just sayin'. :P

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On 5/10/2021 at 3:53 PM, Iceheart said:

On the one hand, my uncle worked there as a greeter for 10+ years after he retired, he loved it, and they treated him well.

On the other hand, I was approached and threatened by a sex offender at my local Walmart.

On the one hand, they were a lifesaver when I had to replace my whole wardrobe quickly and cheaply and to a ridiculously anal company's dress code standards.

On the other hand, they're actually more expensive on a lot of stuff.

On the one hand, my eye doctor leases space out of my Walmart.

On the other hand, Meijer is just better.

Soooooooo many hands.....

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