How many people shop at Wal-Mart?

[s.saver]

I shop at Wal-mart. I am new to this "saving money" thing, and have been reading all of these great tips. I just found out today that Wal-mart accepts competitors coupons

[s.saver]

I forgot to add that i am an introvert and a night owl and the thought of grocery shopping at 2 am with no one in the store is wonderful

[boefixepa]

I am Wal-mart shopper and don't feel bad about it. We live in a Global economy and there is little we can do to avoid the ramifications of this. It may mean fewer jobs in the US economy, but hopefully those poeple in China will someday get to where we are now. I don't know anyone in the US who would be tickled pink to spend their 40+ working years sewing $3 t-shirts. While in China that's a great job. The US economy will grow and adabt, and yes I understand for some people it will be bad, but looking at the overall picture it will be better.

I went and saw Will Smith's mover 'Persuit of Happyness" the other night. On some levels it reminds of that. Yes, it was a struggle, a huge one, with great sacrifice, for him to switch carrers and better his life. Our economy allows for something like that....so many don't. I've lived in countries where the best you can hope for is not to starve. For the vast majority of US people I believe the rise of a power like Wal-Mart is not a horrible thing.

Why do we feel we need to punish someone for being so good at what they do that they leave the compition in the dust? I can see the pro & cons of it, but where do we have the 'right' to tell them to stop because they are excelling so well? We wouldn't think to tell our child to stop progressing because he is doing so well in school...would we? If we had a small business and it was doing so well, would you stop because your compitetion was closing?

I work for a small business and I am all for it, and for small business to succeed. New flash folks....THAT'S HOW WAL-MART STARTED!! At what point do we have a right to tell them to stop.

Not me thank you...I love mine. Are they perfect, of course not, but are you? or any business for that matter. You can only demand the perfection that you yourself are capable of...to expect more is unjust.

[tinapbeana]

my only real concern is if enough businesses start closing b/c they can't compete with walmart, eventually purchasing power will be down and you'll have to work at walmart to make money to be able to shop at walmart. yes, an exaggerated example but i bring it up in earnest: if all local businesses are closing except for walmart, how can anyone actually shop there?

until walmart hires the entire working populous of a town and becomes self-sustaining and self-sufficient (it'd be like share-cropping, except it'd be share-greeting, or share-stocking, or share-cashiering!), there is a distinct downside possible when all roads lead to only one option.

as for the comment 'We wouldn't think to tell our child to stop progressing because he is doing so well in school...would we?'. well, if my child were excelling b/c he told the other students what questions they could and couldn't answer, then is my child really excelling or just really good at bullying?...

[boefixepa]

I can see that Tina, and I'd agree with you, but for my experience as a small business. What they are doing is common business practice. I see it everyday in the same, and varrying degrees. I bid a job, and then I go to one of my suppliers and say 'I have this job and if you want to supply the materials this is what I am willing to pay.' The bigger the job, the more willing they are to negociate. They may say fine, they may say no, they may counter offer. The choice is theirs. There are some home builders out other, some of them huge, that tell their subcontracors what they are going to pay them if they want them to do their work. And I promise it is WELL below the going rate. I have my choice wether or not I accept the work, and either I learn how to make a profit at that price trough more agressive negociating with my suppliers/ better company management/ or volume...or I choose not to do the work.

What Wal-Mart does is no different, so I don't see how it's a big deal. I just don't think the vast majority of people deal with this particular aspect of business, but it really does happen every day.

Those with more to offer, hold more the negociating power, it has always been that way. The market place will work it's magic, and now that it is global it's even more complex. Wal-Mart is playing the game, just like any other business. They are simply doing it better.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Originally Posted by rob62521

It's just downright scary that Wal-Mart has THAT much power. And no, you aren't recalling wrong. Don't you think they want to give the impression they are American minded with the colors being red, white, and blue?

Good to know my memory wasn't failing me

But still it's quite disgusting how much power they have.

[dossin1]

Walmart is okay. Their quality is not that great, but their prices are pretty competitive. Also, their seletion of items in most cases is more varied than Target. I'm also glad that they are considering more benefits for their workers.

[poundwise]

Anywhere I've every been where there is a Wal-Mart Super Center there are about 50 businesses in less than a half-mile radius. I'm not sure who is being put out of business, in terms of local small business people, because of Wal-Mart.

In my town, which is not exactly small but not a metropolis either, we have a Wal-Mart Super Center, a Super Target, K-Mart, Best Buy, Staples, etc. and we have tons of locally owned print shops, jewelry stores, clothiers, office supply shops, auto parts, etc., etc. on top of all the major chain drug stores, tire outlets, sporting goods stores, etc. In fact, part of the boom we've seen in the last three or four years can be directly correlated to the construction of the Wal-Mart Super Center.

I'm not a "Yay! There's a new Wal-Mart!" kind of guy by any means. I avoid them sometimes just because I don't walk a mile for a gallon of milk or some cough drops but many of the so-called 'evils' of Wal-Mart are typically non-existent, exaggerated, or, at best, presented in a very one-sided manner.

[MonkeyMama]

Personally I think walMArt takes the fall for what MANY big stores do. They probably got this bad reputation from stupid things like hiring illegal immigrants and locking in their employees in the store and not paying overtime. They have done some pretty bad things. But they are not the only ones by far. & as far as walMart taking over and pushing all the Mom& Pop stores and other complaints, WalMart is not the only Big box Store doing this.

All that being said, me defending them a wee bit, no I don't shop there. It is not because I think they are ruining society or anything, I just do not like WalMart in the least. I have no desire to fight the crowds to go into a dirty store with cheap crap.

I can go across the way to Target which is always nice and clean, better quality, and generally will have the same prices. & i don't have to fight a giant herd of people. It is so jam packed in the big city, I just shudder when I think about going to WalMArt. The 2am runs may be okay I guess... We moved and we started frequenting WalMart since it was the only store around, but after a couple of years it became insanely crowded and we stopped going. This is why I had never stepped foot in one back home. Unless you want to wait 10 minutes for a place to park and wait in line 1/2 hour too. I was never particularly impressed. Now that we have a Target just down the road I can't foresee ever going to WalMart again. THey are like night and day to me.

[pretty cheap jewelry]

Thanks Bookie for the abbreviation insight.

Yes Sam Walton started as an entrepreneur, the store basically play by the rules.
Buying at a place of your choice is just part of the game. There are still enough places to choose from IMO.

[sakigt]

Groceries - Publix (great quality, good sales)
Household goods, gifts, etc - Target
Odds and Ends - Walmart

Of course theyre building a Super Target nearby very soon. I hope to be able to shop there instead of Walmart.

I despise Walmart's business practices, but darn. Sometimes you just need wrapping paper at 2am (true story..I had to be at a wedding the next day at 7am since I was part of the bridal party). Since I cant help in big ways, I do in little ways. I buy as little as I can at Walmart, and I always try to be extra nice to the cashiers. They have to deal with awful people all day...Im sure one or two nice ones makes a difference.

[Frugal Father (tm)]

I shop online at walmart. When I look for clothes (mens) I look for bargains if I can find them, I don't mind paying walmarts close out prices and cheap shipping, the closeout prices are cheap, although cheap isn't always the issue. I avoid the stores like the plague and prefer to shop instore at target.
Quality is a big issue at walmart mostly its crap so I do take a chance ordering online but its mostly for knock around don't care if it gets stained etc clothes.
Walmart is restructuring so I read, new ad company, new execs...who knows but they have a long way to become a target. other great closeout places to shop is LL bean ( hit and miss size wise) Target and kohls. Kmart is even lower of the quality rung than walmart, I would never go there if they didn't sell
"Thom Mcan" shoes. To contradict myself cheap isn't always the best way, getting the best price for the best quality you can afford is a better option.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

if all local businesses are closing except for walmart, how can anyone actually shop there?

I've heard this is true in some areas, but it couldn't be farther from the truth around here. Both of the newest Wal-Marts in my area were built in shopping centers that were basically near death. The main stores had closed years earlier and there were a handful of small stores struggling to hang on. Both centers were located in lower middle class neighborhoods, leaving local residents few choices of where to shop for basic needs.

Along came the Wal-Mart stores. And what do you know. Now we have two vibrant shopping centers filled with new stores, restaurants, hair and nail salons, a new post office, etc. Wal-Mart has resulted in a lot of trickle down profits for small business that surround the new stores. Those business wouldn't even exist if not for Wal-Mart.

I think boefixepa is absolutely right. We have a global economy. Some types of jobs and businesses have left the US and others have thrived. Even Wal-Mart is a perfect example. They are a US based company employing tens of thousands of US workers. And when they build stores in other countries, those profits flow back to the US. What's wrong with that? Many, if not all, major companies started as small businesses. McDonald's was a family-owned hamburger stand. Now they are a global behemoth. I'm not sure that Wal-Mart does anything that hundreds of other businesses don't do. I think we just hear about it more because of the grand scale of the company.

[I'm going to win]

I want to thank every one for the replies. I have have not been back, just no need. I would just like to say I have seen many of the many complaints about Wal-Mart before just not on the internet. Sears did the same thing in the past and learned a very valible lesson as seller and maker we are in the same boat, let's both make some money. Maybe another thread? who shops at we make junk IKEA? and are worth billions and billions.

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by I'm going to win

Maybe another thread? who shops at we make junk IKEA? and are worth billions and billions.

not once i just don't like most of their stuff, so why bother?

that's really the point i got to with walmart too. it got to where i just didn't like their stuff all that much: clothes didn't last, electronics didn't hold up, food was either processed or sub-par for fresh, etc. as for their prices on food/household items, it wasn't worth saving a quarter a pop for items when i had to add 10 miles round trip and 2 hours to my shopping time. blech! not to mentioni the urge to pour a stiff drink when i got home!

there are other places i don't shop just because i don't 'like their stuff' (which for me can mean quality, value, ambiance, service, or more).

i've shopped at kmart 4 times this year, and have had to return items twice. gone.

eckerd never has better prices than walgreens or cvs. gone.

i hate the environment in old navy and it makes my size 8 pants feel like gigantic grandma clothes. gone.

victoria's secret makes me sneeze, and ditto the 'i feel huge as a size 8'. gone.

i want my 'shopping experience' to be as pleasant and productive as possible, and none of the above stores fit the bill.