I don't hate wal-mart

[crosses]

I hope that nobody jumps all over me for this, but I don't hate wal-mart. Their prices are the best around and helped me feed the family when resources were tight. The always have taken competitor coupons in my area so I didn't have to drive all over town. The staff at my local wal-mart is courteous and helpful. I'm sure there must be others that have the same feeling or their stores wouldn't be so popular.

[Snoopy2645]

Nope I love shopping thier I also work inside the stores on the weekends but alot of the people including management I think are overworked & under paid & probably not treated very nice thats the only thing I dont like about the place I personally hope I never have to work thier I would hate to be treated like thier employees get treated

[jacquelynrose]

I like Walmart...I am still trying to understand why people don't like it.

[Armywife]

Hey Jacquelyn

Wal-mart is notorious for putting local area business out within a year with their low prices. They are talking about bringin one over here and the local businesses are ready to picket!

[Dingoluv4eva]

I dont like walmart.com

they're service is not good.
just today, i wanted to buy vitamins, some dental floss, and cheap BIC pens..
well walmart.com didnt have dental floss, and they dont carry BIC pens online.
and it would had been a waste just buying up a bunch of vitamins and minerals and fiber there and paying for shipping unless i can combine it with other stuff..

ended up going to drugstore.com they have dental floss, and vitamins, no pens.. but they offer free shipping so great..

saved me a visit to CVS, on a lazy sunday, and will be here in a few days, not a death or alive situaton, just wanted it taken care of..

Will still go to local walmart check out new shoes, cheap shoes for winter there, and pick up those pens.

[shengmei]

My local Wal-Mart DOES NOT take competitor's coupons. Once I tried to use a H-E-B coupon there they did not take it at all.

[ender513]

I have a problem with WalMart because of how they do business. They pay their employees poorly (wages and benefits) and put small businesses out of business.

That said however, most big box style retailers are very similar. I would never be upset that someone shops there, I just personally choose not too.

[Bruce Wayne]

I'm not American so don't really know much about Wal-Mart, but could someone clear this up for me.

This argument about Wal-Mart entering an area and putting local businesses out of work because of their low prices. Do Wal-Mart then rise their prices once these businesses aren't competing with them any more?

[Dingoluv4eva]

Walmarts motto is "lowest prices every day" Walmart owns, the Walmart and SAMS club chain of stores.

The Walmart stores are all Supercenters, meaning they sell everything,a nd they do it a discount. SAMS CLUB is a warehouse membership where you can buy items in bulk.

They are the largest U.S retailer. Wal-Mart operated 1,276 Wal-Mart stores, 1,838 Supercenter, 92 Neighborhood Markets, and 556 SAM’s Clubs practically in every neighborhood of the United States.

They offer low prices, and make up for it in Quantity.
They purchase items for all their stores at once, so since its a big accout for manufacturers. The manufactures offer them super low prices that other retailers can't demand.

Walmart than has minimal expenses, because they don't focus on service, but instead have stripped down warehouses, or supercenters with minimum wage workers, that have no benefits, or subcontract companies that sometimes end up being made out of illegal immigrants.

All this means they can sell their products at a lower price than anyone else. Because they sell everything, they put local mom and pop shops out of business.

They don't raise prices, they keep them low.. If they were to raise the prices than small businesses would crop up again.

[Bruce Wayne]

So basically they are successful because a lof of people shop there? Surely if people valued the local shops then they'd shop there?

[Dingoluv4eva]

exactly, most people don't value the local shops. They value low prices.

This leaves competeing business owners, or potential business owners (people that want to open up a store) very frustrated at the system.

[Bruce Wayne]

Thats just too bad. They need to find a way to add value to their customers. You mentioned that WalMart don't offer good quality service so that would be one way - a premium service for their premium price. Whinging won't do anyone any good.

[Lori63]

I have three kids and have to shop where I can get the lowest price.

[cicy33]

Actually not all walmarts are supercenters. There is one in my area which has not changed over and I wish they would!! I think that if you looked deep enough you would realize that walmart is no different than any other employer. There are LOTS of employers that pay horrible wages, no benefits, and treat their people like crap. I think that it is just more obvious because they are so big. and I agree the reason walmart is so popular is because as general rule, people could really care less about anything but price. the only thing I hate about going to walmart is the amount of people! I will be for Black Friday though. at 5:00 a.m.!

[zakity]

Walmart does raise the prices after the small businesses go under, but not alot. Walmart moved into the town I grew up in and after all the small businesses went out, they did raise their prices. Not alot, but they did raise them.

[jmjj215]

Originally Posted by Armywife

Hey Jacquelyn

Wal-mart is notorious for putting local area business out within a year with their low prices. They are talking about bringin one over here and the local businesses are ready to picket!

Customers put the local businesses out of business by not shopping there any more. If a town got together and boycotted wal-mart, I don't think they'd stay long. (Of course then you'd have a nasty building left vacant, which they're notorious for doing).

[jmjj215]

Originally Posted by zakity

Walmart does raise the prices after the small businesses go under, but not alot. Walmart moved into the town I grew up in and after all the small businesses went out, they did raise their prices. Not alot, but they did raise them.

How long were they in your town before you noticed the price increase?

[mom-from-missouri]

our walmart went supercenter and put in a shoe repair shop. they put out the local shoe repair we had for over 20 years. then, 3 months after he closed his doors, walmart did away with theirs. then, they put a snip and clip in the walmart store-we already had a snip and clip in town, and they outbid the lady who had the current one--put her out of business--then, after the 2 year contract with them ended, they put in a different beauty salon. same thing with the drycleaners and a blockbuster outlet. then, they promised to carry our schools school uniforms in stock year around. so, we switched to the simply basic (walmart) brand of uniforms since they were cheaper. now the manager decides our school is too small to suppport the floor space needed for the uniform racks, and he has discoutinued them-so for next year we have to find a new uniform company again...

[jmjj215]

Originally Posted by mom-from-missouri

our walmart went supercenter and put in a shoe repair shop. they put out the local shoe repair we had for over 20 years. then, 3 months after he closed his doors, walmart did away with theirs. then, they put a snip and clip in the walmart store-we already had a snip and clip in town, and they outbid the lady who had the current one--put her out of business--then, after the 2 year contract with them ended, they put in a different beauty salon. same thing with the drycleaners and a blockbuster outlet. then, they promised to carry our schools school uniforms in stock year around. so, we switched to the simply basic (walmart) brand of uniforms since they were cheaper. now the manager decides our school is too small to suppport the floor space needed for the uniform racks, and he has discoutinued them-so for next year we have to find a new uniform company again...

As said earlier in the post - it's the customers that chose the lower price for the shoe repair at Wal-mart than with the 20-year shop. Same story with the dry cleaners, barber, blockbuster, etc.

The fact that Walmart then walks away from it after enticing consumers to their business (only to drive one out) is deplorable. Why did they invest in it in the first place?

[jmjj215]

On a positive note: Wal-mart was quite adept in dealing with Hurricane Katrina. Their efforts should be lauded for that.