Weekly Poll - Week 1: Walmart

[Heath Ledger]

I hate shopping at ridiculously overpriced malls, I despise setting foot into one.
I shop at Wal Mart with no regrets. Pandoras box has been opened, there is no going back so you might as well accept that fact and take advantage of the savings. As far as the gripes of Wal Mart having cheap , guess what, that's what Americans wanted and thats what they got. A bunch of for very cheap.

Many of us would not have the lifestyle and all of the cheap ty little toys we do without Wal Mart.

[101A]

I'll give Walmart a -10 for being possibly the second most traitorous company in American history (behind Enron). The way they ushered in this era of arbitrage from cheap Chinese labor is sickening. They bully companies into shutting down their American manufacturing plants to move them to China. It's sickening the direction this country is going in where middle class manufacturing jobs with benefits are constantly being replaced by $8/hour jobs at Walmart.

The worst part is, Walmart until the 90s (when Clinton conned us into giving China Most Favored Nation status) was an amazing company that got ahead not by arbitrage, but by real innovation. They were once a shining example of American ingenuity. They they cataloged every single thing happening in their stores to make extremely accurate predictions of exactly how much stock of each item to keep in stock. They were first major chain store to recognize the importance of IT, and it gave them an enormous compe ive advantage to allow them to keep prices low. To see this once amazing company that once gave such great utility to its customers now turn so violently against them is saddening.

Damn.

That is EXACTLY right.

[mrsmaalox]

I don't have a problem with Walmart's merchandise or even the people who shop there (there are idiots everywhere). It's crazy, but my biggest problem with Walmart is the filthy parking lot I know they aren't all the same, but the one near me (1604/281) is pretty bad and there's no point going out further to one when Target is even closer to me.

[NASCARdad]

Just watch and see how many flag waving Americans you'll see packed into Wal-mart on the 4th of July grabbing all their stuff for their cook outs.

[CosmicCowboy]

Went last night for the first time in a while ... it was okay, but they had a *special* person working the quick checkout. The checkouts were not quick.

Nothing repulsive or remarkable happened, though.

*shrugs*

Damn. Same thing happened to me. I went into the Super Wal-Mart on Vance Jackson a couple of days ago to look for an extra set of cables/power supply/sensor bar for the Wii...

I'm OK that they don't have any decent help in electronics...I knew what I was looking for (and didn't find) and hit the checkout lane and the only quick check was being run by a special needs person that was PAINFULLY slow.

I give Wal-Mart props for hiring old/handicapped/mentally challenged people but DAMN...make em a greeter or give em a broom and have em clean Maalox's parking lot...something...Don't put them on the quick check register!

[SAGambler]

I go to walmart for one thing. Married pussy.

What aisle number is that on?

[Trainwreck2100]

walmart ushered in the new age of 'it don't matter how crap the customer service is people will judge with their wallets'

[Fpoonsie]

Yeah, I shop there all the time. As far as the cleanliness of it all, I've actually found some pretty nice ones a lil north of Dallas. This one in Highland Park was like the Neiman Marcus of Wal-Marts. Even the check out girls were hot. And it was STILL cheap as .

[Thunder Dan]

I won't shop at Wal Mart. I go to Target

[SAGambler]

[QUOTE=baseline bum;3757259]

I'll give Walmart a -10 for being possibly the second most traitorous company in American history (behind Enron). The way they ushered in this era of arbitrage from cheap Chinese labor is sickening.

Uh, who took advantage of the "cheap Chinese labor" about 80 years before Walmart even existed? The railroads that helped settle and build this country, that's who. Cheap Chinese labor was being used in the late 1800's.

They bully companies into shutting down their American manufacturing plants to move them to China. It's sickening the direction this country is going in where middle class manufacturing jobs with benefits are constantly being replaced by $8/hour jobs at Walmart.

Those plants were shut down by greedy Unions, not Walmart. You can't pay someone $40.00 an hour to make hand towels, sheets, etc., then expect the customer to pay the kind of money for the product that you have to have to make a profit. I suppose Walmart is to blame for the domestic car manufactures to practically go the way of the dinosaur, if not for government (Obama) bailout billions. Again, put the blame on the greedy Unions.

The worst part is, Walmart until the 90s (when Clinton conned us into giving China Most Favored Nation status) was an amazing company that got ahead not by arbitrage, but by real innovation. They were once a shining example of American ingenuity.

Maybe you helped put Clinton in office........I certainly didn't.

They they cataloged every single thing happening in their stores to make extremely accurate predictions of exactly how much stock of each item to keep in stock. They were first major chain store to recognize the importance of IT, and it gave them an enormous compe ive advantage to allow them to keep prices low. To see this once amazing company that once gave such great utility to its customers now turn so violently against them is saddening.

So you blame Walmart for seeing the "handwriting on the wall" before other companies? Be real. Or maybe that's why Monkey Ward is no longer around, Sears has been bought up by KMart, and JC Penny is barely hanging on. Because that didn't see the future and didn't adapt.

Or maybe you are one of those that screams to everyone that will listen, how Walmart run all the mom and pop stores out of business. Again, they were already on their way out, they were just too stupid to see it coming.

Grow up. Quit blaming Walmart for every bad thing that happens in this country. , just do what all liberals do and blame it on George Bush!!!!!!

[JudynTX]

Remember when Walmart had lay-a-way? That's when that place would turn into a zoo.

[angel_luv]

I give Walmart 1.5 points out of ten.

For most of my shopping needs, I am better served by HEB.

I like that Walmarts are open 24/7 so I give them a point for that. Walmart occassionally has some good Christian novels for a reasonable price so I'll give them half a point for that.

When it came to registering for my wedding, I registered with both Walmart and Target and found Target to have the better quality items.

Also Walmart rarely has enough check out stations open, which is the main reason why I rarely shop there.

[BacktoBasics]

I give Walmart 1.5 points out of ten.

For most of my shopping needs, I am better served by HEB.

I like that Walmarts are open 24/7 so I give them a point for that. Walmart occassionally has some good Christian novels for a reasonable price so I'll give them half a point for that.

When it came to registering for my wedding, I registered with both Walmart and Target and found Target to have the better quality items.

Also Walmart rarely has enough check out stations open, which is the main reason why I rarely shop there.

Half a point for Christian novels. Shame. Shame on you.

[desflood]

I'll admit it - I shop at Wal-Mart all the time. The food is usually decent and everything is cheap, which is essential when sticking to a budget. 7 1/2 out of 10.

[angel_luv]

Half a point for Christian novels. Shame. Shame on you.

Half a point because I rarely find the novels I want at Walmart.
Walmart has a very small selection of Christian fiction even though they normally have a semi decent sized book area.

[Wild Cobra]

Well, you can tell who the lemmings are...

Walmart boycotters!

maybe walMart isn't so good in your area, but the one I shop at is great. I save so much money there compared to all other grocery retailers except for WinCo. WinCo is close to their price, but still about 10% more.

My local Safeway, Fred Meyer, and Albertsons have regular prices 50+% more than Walmart does. Then they market these "sale prices" on about 1/3rd of their items that is still a good 15% or more higher than WalMart.

I buy allot of the V-8 Fusion. WalMart has it for $2.98 for a 46 oz. bottle. I drink about five of these a week. The other stores have prices like $4.69, and then give a sale price of like $3.69. So many other items are similar. The Ice Cream I like is $2.59, but four something elsewhere, and sale for three something, or two for $7.00. No Thanx. Campbell's and Progressive soups, about $1.50 a can, but about $2.60 a can elsewhere, sale at three for $5.00. I could go on and on.

Sorry, this jacking up of prices and dropping them to a point still higher than WalMart doesn't fool me. Maybe you guys, but not me.

[MsMcGillyCutty]

I shop at Walmart and don't think twice about it.

[BacktoBasics]

Half a point because I rarely find the novels I want at Walmart.
Walmart has a very small selection of Christian fiction even though they normally have a semi decent sized book area.

Christian Fiction

:drippingsweetirony:

[florige]

I don't have a problem with Walmart's merchandise or even the people who shop there (there are idiots everywhere). It's crazy, but my biggest problem with Walmart is the filthy parking lot I know they aren't all the same, but the one near me (1604/281) is pretty bad and there's no point going out further to one when Target is even closer to me.

I work there off-duty at the 24 hour Super Walmart some nights. And you are right, those parking lots be full of garbage and overflowing trash cans. I like shopping there though because I normally do all my shopping when I get off in the morning when there are no crowds. lol

[florige]

I won't shop at Wal Mart. I go to Target

Target can't hold a candle to Walmart when it comes to stock. At least here in MD anyway.

[angel_luv]

Christian Fiction

:drippingsweetirony:

You're very clever.

[Wild Cobra]

I work there off-duty at the 24 hour Super Walmart some nights. And you are right, those parking lots be full of garbage and overflowing trash cans. I like shopping there though because I normally do all my shopping when I get off in the morning when there are no crowds. lol

Wow...

You Texan's must be filthy people. We don't have that problem in Oregon.

[CuckingFunt]

I find WalMart's business model absolutely abhorrent, so I don't shop there.

Even if I didn't have a moral objection to the company itself, however, I probably wouldn't go often just because I hate super stores in general. I have learned to tolerate Costco, and I go to Target where I live because there aren't many options for certain things, but I generally have a problem with being able to buy food, shoes, and a gun in the same place. It's the city girl in me, perhaps.

All that being said, I certainly don't blame people for shopping there. Which is, I think, an assumption that is being made about some of the other comments in here (baseline bum, for example). Bargains are hard to turn down, especially within the communities that WalMart targets (part of that abhorrent business model), so I'm not about to demonize the consumers.

[florige]

Wow...

You Texan's must be filthy people. We don't have that problem in Oregon.

I live in Baltimore.

[ManuTP9]

I get mostly all my new games from Wal-mart, so i give it a 7. Better than dealing with half those assholes at Gamestop.