Why do we as a country still shop at Wal-Mart?

[nootka]

Yes, it's nice that they're doing that. Too bad they refused to do it for a long time.

I think they got shamed into doing it to save their image, but whatever works.

Yes, it DOES come down to "you do what you want, and I do what I want" BUT it's nice to think that people know what goes on behind the scenes and think about how it affects us in the long run.

I don't approve of their overall business practices, the stores here are dirty and depressing and the people that work there have the air of despair about them. I can't handle it.

I have a lot of great alternatives and in the cases where they cost me more, well, I wait until I can find them as cheap (or cheaper) and buy there. I do not drive around from store to store seeking bargains, I would rather do without than waste the fuel and time to do that.

Anyway, this one got people thinking and I appreciate everyone's inputs and point of view.

Liz M.

 

[Sonya]

As I said before I do not like wal-mart...every one I've been in is dirty and the aisles are so crunched together you can barely move.

As for the employees...my Mom works in one in Pennsylvannia and they have treated her very very well. she gets around 10$/hour and benefits and she is only part-time (2 days week) She is not in good health but they accomidate her all the time...giving her the time off she needs, etc...perhaps each store is different, but they have been good to her in Meadville, PA

 

[Mercysmom]

That's how my shopping at Wal-Mart is--it's very specific, and items are purchased there only because they are so much cheaper. I really don't care for Wal-Mart--it's just too big & kind of cluttered & much too busy, but I cannot afford to not shop there for certain specific items.

How many items do you order from Jeffers or e-bay instead of buying those items at your local tack stores???

Agreed - and Jeffers and eBay have been helpful to me in reducing costs...and WalMart for the things I can get a bit for inexpensively (we do buy some things in bulk and the local BJs is far from us) but the lines and crowds make it less than desirable unless I have to go to Lowe's next door and then I can "kill two birds with one stone."

We have a mom & pop grocery store in town and I end up buying there a lot of times as our town is tiny, a couple and their daughter run it and it is convenient but I do pay more... would probably pay it in fuel driving to the WalMart which is probably about 12 miles away or more.

On that note - I am trying to grow my own produce again this year...my soil is very poor clay and we fortify it with aged manure but I am doing things differently - I let the potbelly pigs turn the soil for me and eat the weeds before planting and my cucumbers and strawberries are being done in homemade growing bags ( a fiber feed bag that normally holds 40 lbs of alfalfa cubes (made in Canada

) filled with peat wool and hang up can host 25 strawberry plants and they are thriving and the seeds I am starting are actually growing into flowers this year instead of damping off! I have three poppy plants that made it from peat pot inside to outdoors in a pot to get to a size to thrive. This way, I can eat something "Made in the USA."

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[LGahr]

I found this topic extremely interesting. We all share the same discomfort with Wal-Mart for a variety of reasons. They sell cheap--they sell disposable merchandise--they are staffed with people that are also treated as "disposable" and we, the customers, suffer the consequences.

I will go Wal-Mart when I have no alternative and because of the "Wal-Mart mentality" my options are getting fewer and fewer. What is the answer? I sure wish I knew--I have way too much "stuff" so I

would be happy to pay an extra dollar or two and only buy quality products and buy only what I really need.

Disgruntled workers urinating on produce---poor quality meat from unknown sources---imported inferior quality merchandise from Countries who are not "American" friendly---plenty of reasons not to shop there.

We have all heard the horror stories for years now. So give me some options........I want to be part of the solution!

 

[Jill]

There must be a wide range of quality when it comes to the Walmart stores across the country. If "my" Walmart was like those some of you have -- dirty, nasty groceries, rude employees -- I'd not shop there, either. The one I go to is nice and it is actually my favorite by far place to get groceries.

 

[Pepipony]

I live rurally, its a 25 mile drive to the closest town. It has a super Wal mart ( I worked in the smaller one for a decade) , HEB, Bealls, Cato, TSC and a few smaller stores. Nothing big at all, no mall, no movies etc. I try to watch what I buy, but its not easy. If its not Chinese, its cambodian, no matter what store I shop. If I want a larger town its a 150 mile round trip, and with todays fuel prices, just not worth it. Wal Mart in and of itself is not bad, it employes or subsidises many american jobs. I do agree they need to get away from over seas merchandise. BUT, at the same time, they wouldnt sell it if people wouldnt buy it.

While I worry about chinese products etc, I worry more that China has funded Bush's War. People freak over their merchandise, but dont seem to see that China is Bush's personal bank account.

 

[Southern_Heart]

I counted most.. I might have missed a few Wal-Marts in the San Antonio area and there are 18.

How ever San Antonio is a big place. I don't see stores closing down because of them as really San Antonio is booming with business of all kinds and growing by the day.

There are so many stores and malls there that you can choose where ever you want to shop. I have gone into the malls there and they are always crowded with people. So Walmart isn't getting all the business.

From what wal marts I have been in, they are very very clean and the service has always been good and the employees have always been helpful and nice.

My closest wall mart is about 20 miles from here as I live south of San Antonio in the boonies!

Do I shop there. Yep!

 

[horseplay]

Our Walmart is very clean, employees are very friendly and the mood inside is not in the least bit depressing. There are still 4 other grocery stores that do well and this is in a small town. I noticed that since Walmart has come here, 12 or so years ago, that it made the other local stores pay closer attention to how they do bussiness. They try harder to please, run sales and keep there stores up better. Walmart has brough many jobs here and I know several people that have been working for Walmart many years and have nothing but good to say about the company. Many of these people would not have a chance to have health insurance if it weren't for Walmart. There are so many other things that top my list as bad for our country and our children, Walmart doesn't even make my top 20.

 

[nootka]

bad for our country and our children, Walmart doesn't even make my top 20.

Nope, they just sell the majority of the lead-tainted and rat poison-tainted toys, pet food and who knows what else?

Like I said, I don't like their business practices as a whole, and the stores in this region have proven repeatedly to be "icky."

They just won't have my business. I really wasn't aware there were "clean" Wal-Marts, as I guess I have a bad taste in my mouth that won't go away unless they take some major steps.

I laugh a little thinking about Sam Walton's initial principles in starting his business. "Buy American" yeahhhh...right!

Still, this was an interesting and civil discussion. Thanks!

Liz

 

[Pepipony]

What about all the american made products they sell? Not all are foreign. As for the rat poison, you would be SHOCKED to death to see what 'we' do to our products, how many beef recalls have their been?? Spinach? Anyone remember them? So we then in turn dont buy anything from the US because we have problems as well? Anyone see a parked grain train destined for food plants? Ever see the mass amounts of mice and rats that come out of them? I agree that lead tainted things arent a good idea. However, to label one entire group for their mistakes, and not labelling every group ( insert american products for their own problems) is rather hypocritical.

 

[Shari]

Yes, there are poorly made American things sadly. Like the makers have no pride.

But I do wish there were more choice offered, which I do not see much of.

As for clean Walmart stores...having been all over the country..I have seen clean and polite ones but those kind are not around here.

 

[horseplay]

Yup, lots of lead tainted toys everywhere, I am not sure Walmart has sold the most though, the hundreds of $ stores and Kmart have sold their share. As far as pet food, look at a list, there are dozens upon dozens of high end foods that have been recalled, names that Walmart does not sell. Like I said Walmart is not even in my top 20. I just can't see only mentioning the negatives when there are positives also. But what do I know

.

 

[PrestigeMiniHorses]

I have been thinking here lately about how to respond to this.. I love ya Liz but I beg to defer. I love WalMart and will always love them I think. I have family that works there and they love it too. I have never found anything wrong with walmart. I see that alot of people on here wont get produce from them. I don't eat that much of it here so usually if I need it I get it whereever. Usually local streetside vendors here in town. Meat I get there if I need it. We don't eat that much of it though. But I love going there because there's no other place where you can drop the car off to get the tires rotated and the oil changed, drop the pictures off to get them developed and shop for everything else all at the same place. Our small town doesn't actually have a WalMart so I usually drive down to Poway to go there. We have a KMart but I don't like it near as much as I like WalMart......As being that we are a single income family we can get everything we need without breaking the budget either. I am a penny pincher so every cent counts. We take care of everything we have so everything it lasts alot longer.

But as for WalMarts being clean..I dont think I have ever walked into a bad one before. All the employees are usually great to be around and very helpful too....

 

[Pepipony]

I started with Wal Mart back in '88, when Sam was alive and they were HUGE into buy American. He passed and things changed, slowely but surely. One big problem they had was labeling a store as just a bad store, then they would send their 'bad' management there, guess to weed them out, but then wonder why those stores remained 'bad'. They finally understood they needed to get good management back in, but sadly, they seem to be back into sending bad management in droves to certain stores. Thus, the dirty stores.

If I didnt shop at Wal Mart ( I live rurally) I would spend a couple hundred more each month than I do. People around here are likely on a fixed income, especially the retirees and for them, Wal Mart isnt a choice, its a cold hard fact.

 

[susanne]

As with so many things, the common attitude seems to be that everyone does it, so therefore it is no longer wrong.

While I have little choice but to buy prescriptions there (which kills me, as my grandfather and uncle owned a small pharmacy for many, many years), I try not to buy anything else -- rarely are their prices lower than, say, Fred Meyer.

Actually, Liz and Shari, the St. Helens WalMart is a beacon of cleanliness and order compared to the S.E. Portland store -- that one is an absolute nightmare, and tparking is a TRULY life threatening endeavor. If you don't get mowed down walking to or from the store, when you try to back out, some meth-head mom lets her child run behind your car...

I've heard that the oh-so-lovely St. Helens WalMart will soon be replaced by a Super WalMart, and the old, smaller store will become a Lowes.

But then, my attitude sucks these days. This is one more reason I consider myselfr a left-wing survivalist...the more I know of humans, the more I love my animals!

 

[Jill]

Then there are people like me -- who do not feel shopping at Walmart is wrong, that Walmart is not bad for the Country, and have a nice, clean Walmart with pleasant employees in which to shop

If I think something is wrong, I usually don't do it. It is a little beyond me that so many here feel their opinion (Walmart is bad for the Nation) is shared by every Walmart shopper, and that those individuals shop there despite the fact that they know it's wrong

Ironic as it is, many of the people on this thread who have the exact opposite point of view form mine on this matter are actually some of my favorite members. I guess though I will not be bumping into them when I am doing my grocery shopping at Walmart on Sunday mornings

 

[mininik]

I'll be the one out front picketing, Jill...

(JK!)

 

[bingo]

It is a little beyond me that so many here feel their opinion (Walmart is bad for the Nation) is shared by every Walmart shopper, and that those individuals shop there despite the fact that they know it's wrong

I have to say I am a it shocked by this as well. Seems like most are sure something is wrong so the rest of us are either 100 percent shamefully walking thru the doors or are gleefully excited that we are creating/participating in the total downfall of America.

Quite frankly I find that approach completely arrogant and well dare I say ignorant.

 

[Minimor]

As with so many things, the common attitude seems to be that everyone does it, so therefore it is no longer wrong.

While there are many things in this world that are wrong, shopping at Wal-Mart isn't one of them IMO.
As I said, it's not my favorite store, but when it saves me so much money on certain items, yeah, I'm going to shop there, and no, I don't feel guilty about that!

When I look at all the stores I do shop at, I have to wonder how most of them are really all that different from Wal-Mart? I don't guess I shop at too many mom & pop stores. What exactly is a mom & pop store anyway? Safeway? I wouldn't say so. It's a big chain, yet shopping at Safeway is acceptable from what I read here? They sell many of the same products that Wal-Mart offers. Superstore? Not hardly. Future Shop? Visions? Payless Shoes? Giant Tiger?

I did go into a mom & pop store here last week--a little locally owned shoe store that does have very good shoes, most of them very high priced. I couldn't find a single pair of shoes that fit me--I take a size 11, and not a narrow 11--they had very few pairs that were larger than 9, and of the few they had none fit me because of either the style (I can't wear heels because of my back) or because they were narrow. I looked at Wal-Mart and at Payless Shoes. Payless shoes had the best selection & I found a pair there. Yes, made in China, but they fit me & they were comfortable, which is my prime concern when it comes to buying shoes. Should I have just gone barefoot until the mom & pop store finally got in something that fit me? I don't think so! I'm pleased with my purchase, and will happily admit it. If the local economy collapses because I shopped at Payless, then I'd suggest that there's something bigger than me that is wrong. If the mom & pop local shoe store wants to compete with the "cheap" chains, they need to at least get in a better selection of larger sizes. I know more and more people that say they need bigger shoes, yet the "good" shoe stores constantly say that they don't sell many of the larger sizes, so they don't get many in. Well, as I see it, if they don't get many larger sizes in, then they can't sell them?

Friday afternoon I tried to buy a mouse for my computer. I went into the local office supply store (I suppose the closest thing to a mom & pop office supply store in this town, only to find they had a very poor selection--nothing at all that would work with my old computer unless I wanted to pay upwards of $80 for a laser mouse, which I think would have worked. I simply don't have $80+ for a mouse, so I went racing for Wal-Mart, not sure they'd even have much selection. Then I saw the Future Shop sign & went in there--and got exactly what I wanted on sale for $20. I know there have been complaints about Future Shop taking away business, but I believe they are filling a need. Maybe some would pay $80 for that mouse if that's all that was available, but for me, if that's all that was available then I'd have simply gone without & made do with my half-functional old mouse. The local mom & pop store still wouldn't have got my business!

So, yeah, sometimes these big chain stores are simply filling a need that isn't being met by the smaller "local" stores. I for one am not ashamed to be seen shopping in Wal-mart!

 

[mininik]

Reading labels, it's interesting how many items sold in Petsomething stores are made in China or other places out of this country. And yes, many of the same products are also sold in Walmart (for less). We even have a couple "mom and pop" petstores in town and they are both run down, spendy and offering the same products (for much more). It's difficult, but I am usually able to find what I want, made in the US, but sold at Petsomething... I'm just not sure how much of an impact this makes, as all of these places are still selling loads of junk from China at varying prices.