Why Don't You Shop at Wal*Mart?

[UncleBob]

Okay gang - I know there's a lot of CAGs who really, really don't like to shop at Wal*Mart - and some who just *don't*.

I'd like to know why.

However, if your answer is the "Wal*Mart is an evil Mega Corporation that is destroying the planet, killing small business and eating babies", please don't reply - as that isn't really helpful for what I need. Additionally, please keep your replies "PG"-friendly. :)

Thanks.

[CoffeeEdge]

Wal*Mart is an evil Mega Corporation that is destroying the planet, killing small business and eating babies.

Also, it's always full of freaks. And they've destroyed completely excessive amounts of beautiful property here in Tallahassee.

[Deadpool]

I shop at walmart all the time at 3am. I wouldn't dare go there during peak hours... i just feel dirty.
And if anyone's small business is ruined by walmart, well they didn't have a great business model then did they?

[ITDEFX]

The only time I go to walmart is when there is something cheap I need from them. Most of the time it's stuff under 20 dollars. Just stay the fuck clear of them on Blackfriday. My walmart is located in the same shopping area as Target, TRU, BJ's, and BB...so blackfriday's on til the end of the year it's a freaking mess!

[YoshiFan1]

The deals on games suck. $19.82 for 2001 PS1 sports games, $49.96 GCN launch games, rollbacks making Tiger Woods 2006 for the PSP $29.82 (this was last week) etc.

Not to mention the lines are long, the store is dirty. I go to Walmart once in a while but would rather shop at Target.

[coolsteel]

Wal*Mart is an evil Mega Corporation that is destroying the planet, killing small business and eating babies.

Also, it's always full of freaks. And they've destroyed completely excessive amounts of beautiful property here in Tallahassee.


That really about sums it up, lines are always long and its just easier to go somewhere else.

[nativetongue88]

because its boring. they all have that same boring feel to me. plus i live close to every other store u can think of so why go to wal mart.

[ITDEFX]

depending on my mood, when the cc swipe machine asks "Was this store cleaned today? OR Did your cashier greet you today?" I say NO!

do I get a discount? Nope... Is the store a mess the next time I come back, yep... why bother? *sigh*

[UncleBob]

Oh, I forgot to mention in the OP, I'm looking for reasons why you don't shop at Wal*Mart for your Gaming needs. :) If you just shop there for TP, but won't buy games there, why not? :)

Some good answers so far. Just remember to keep it "PG" please. :)

[CoffeeEdge]

To put it simply, they never really have mind-blowing deals on games. Nothing I can't live without, anyways.

[BattleChicken]

Walmart is INSANE.

It thinks it can move black friday to THIS friday...

http://holiday.ri-walmart.com/?section=secret

[davo1224]

Like was already said, their deals on video games are terrible in contrast to everything else they offer.

[dpadilla4]

The local Wal-Mart is always full of smelly, dirty, poor mexicans who speak little/no english. That's why.

skid, so i'm smelly and dirty. I wish I could see ur redneck wisconsin face.

[xdl]

I wont buy clothes or video games there, unless I want to pick up a game at midnight to return later once ive found a better deal. No problem going in there for general needs though. I dont see why everyone runs around with their nose in the air like they are above shopping at Walmart. I would rather shop at Target, but in the end who really cares. You're probably only in there for a handful of minutes at a time anyway.

[skid]

I'm not saying all mexicans fit that description, the ones who do just stand around Wal-Mart all day.
And at least the white trash speak english.
Seriously, have the time I see a Mexican checking out they need to bring over someone because they don't understand something or want to ask something.

[Kirin Lemon]

Because I live in Japan.

[dpadilla4]

I love Walmart becuse they support us troops, while Target does not.

[djkunai]

Because they suck overall.

[skid]

What?
Also, I was responding to zionoverfire in the second sentence, you know that.

[TheUnsane1]

My local walmarts are all in complete disarray at all times. I can't stand wading thru a total mess of items thrown here and there. Besides that it often takes upwards of 15 minutes to get any sort of help in the electronics department. Also it seems most departments are littered with 6-10 abandoned children who are running around screaming and more then likely causing the disarray.

[SaraAB]

I actually do not mind walmart, they are one of the few stores who will not try to sell you extras on a purchase such as a video game console, and they also offer a FREE 90 day warranty (as long as you have the receipt) on video game consoles which is something many other retail stores do not offer (gamestop only gives you 7 days for example). I appreciate knowing that I will not be charged for something I did not intend on purchasing such as a warranty or magazine subscription and stores like best buy like to add these things to customers orders automatically. I would much rather shop at wal-mart than best buy for these reasons.

They also basically do hassle free returns on anything as long as you have your receipt, so if something breaks shortly after you buy it or you just don't like it, its a breeze to return it.

I really don't shop there much though, maybe once a month, and not during peak hours, if you avoid peak hours its just fine.

Lines are shorter than kmart and the lines seem to move much faster due to the fact that kmart only has 2 employees working the registers at most times and walmart employs quite a few more than that.

Their photo lab is also good, despite being the only digital photo lab that I know of in the city. A few weeks ago I received a slide of a very precious photo from a friend and I took it to walmart and they got the prints made no problem and they came out very good. Who would have thought you could get prints made from a slide at your local walmart?

Walmart like many other retail stores is a self-service store, if you want to go in and grab something and know what your buying its fine, if your looking for advice on what video game console to buy for your kids or which digital camera is right for you its the wrong place to be shopping.

[guyinga]

I shop at Wal-Mart because groceries aren't any cheaper in my area. :(

I've only seen a few video game/entertainment stuff for cheap there -- like Raiden III for $19.82 for instance. And Taito Legends 2 for $12.99 as well.

Most of the time I go in there, I want to get the hell out of there. Most of the people who shop there (regardless of their race, ethnicity or national origin) haven't heard of a shower, seem to walk slowly and like they are cattle, and sticks of deodorant seem to be well in stock. The people who work there are as bad and a few seem to yell gibberish over the intercom (your car has its lights on, your fuckin' kid is lost because you wanted a carton of cigarettes, etc.).

[Hatedlegion]

I usually don't go there to buy videogames, it's usually movies or something similar.

I don't like going there because the parking lot seems a bit unsafe, and the general sense of being dirty when in the store.

I once needed to replace a lightbulb for one of my headlights, but the book that indicated which one to buy had had the page with my make on it torn out. They didn't have another, and so I went to an autoparts store to get it.

Their customer service was surprisingly better than I had thought, even the day after Black Friday.

[DuelLadyS]

I've just never liked big-box stores. If I want something, I like going to a store that specializes in what I want so I have a bigger selection to choose from.

I don't mind going, really- but it's more of a 'this friend/relative needs to go, so I'm tagging along' thing. I'll buy stuff there when it's convenient (I want CD, sister goes to Wal-mart, I go buy CD and save a trip to Best Buy/FYE later.) I also like digging through the dollar DVDs for old butch-dub anime.:D

of course, from about now through Feb. 1st, I will begin avoiding Wal-Marts entirely... since i only go for convenience, there's no point when I have to spend 2 hours wading through a sea of human trash to get anything.

[MrDubbs]

The only time I like Wal-Mart is when they release a CD in a two pack deal thing.

Like I bought Matchbox 20 GH (with six new songs) with a DVD tonight

[Surferflames]

I can deal with Walmart, but my big gripe is the clientel they attract. It's a huge spectrum of society, but it tends to be the worst of each demographic all in one place. We lack a really good grocery store around here, so the super walmart tends to have the most stuff.

As far as "evil killer" mentality, they aren't any worse than most places. Very rarely do you find retailers who actually do their part (recycling, community, etc.) I'm fortunate enough to work for one that does, but the vast majority would rather just make money everywhere than have an entire department dedicated to breaking even.

Target isn't much better really. Cleaner, quieter, and clearance stuff, but they pretty much knockoff all of IKEA's stuff without the good prices.

Don't get me started on Kmart. If it weren't for their incompetence, which leads to fantastic clearanced game deals, I'd never step foot in one.

[MrDubbs]

lol I went to K-Mart tonight to, they had "clearence" games for the first time, but they were all 06 sports games and they wanted 20 bucks each..

[whitedeath]

i usually shop walmart for dvd. but 99.9% of the time there is no one in eletronics to help people and when someone asks about a certain game no one can answer so i help them out and say it 5 bucks cheaper at best buy just to show the eletronic employees that customers are stupid

[tysontomko]

I dont go after 9 period, after 9, thats when all the trash end up showing up, at least around here anyways, maybe its different in other areas, but around here you dont wanna go or you'll end up being hassled by a mullet on meth or thuggin and buggin

[Callandor]

I prefer the Target here, but I tend to go to Walmart for groceries and late night 360 headset replacements. :(

[puternerd]

There is only 2 reasons I go to walmart, My cat will only shit in their "special kitty" brand litter (she craps on the floor if I get another brand) and the good clearance deals I find sometimes like the brand new xbox 360 HDD for $25 and the Wii/DS wifi connectors for $2 I got last week.

[Ice2Dragon]

THey do suck overall. They have worse customer help than freaking cc..

Theyre so disorganized there too..

[Chacrana]

Walking into a Wal Mart is the quickest way to lower your social status. Seriously, the people who shop there just look dirty.

[xRiskyx]

I love Walmart becuse they support us troops, while Target does not.
They support the troops by selling ribbon magnets made in China!

Also, Wal-Mart sucks because;

Always full of disgusting looking people
Smells like urine
Parking lot is always littered with trash
People that work there are about the dumbest fucks you will ever see

[Mafia]

Nothing like walking through one at 3am and watching school age kids walking with their trash parents when they should be in bed.

Ever since the Walmart became a Super Walmart its become a much dirtier store as well. It just looks like they never clean the place.

[yukine]

I shop at Walmart, just not for games... lately I've been buying a lot of games online since I can get free shipping and no tax.

When I go, I go really early in the morning when there's no one there. I pick up most of my food and all of my toiletries there. Prices are cheaper, and if not I can price match anything, it's much better than having to drive around burning gas to get the various deals when I can get everything at Wally World.

I don't get the "I don't go to Walmart because the people there are dirty" comments, I don't know about where you live but most retail establishments have dirty looking employees, it comes with the job. If you don't like it, then buy your groceries online like a true hermit.

[jimbodan]

I don't shop there because they hardly ever have any deals on stuff I buy. 5 cents off a game or beating the competition by 1$ on a 200$ purchase just doesn't qualify as a deal to me. The fact that their clearance sales are so YMMV and have no uniformity with other stores is a major strike against them also. On top of that I don't particularly like the type of people that frequently shop at Wal-Mart.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

The local Wal-Mart is always full of smelly, dirty, poor mexicans who speak little/no english. That's why.

LOL You live in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, skid? No wait, you don't even live in PA, but we have Wally Worlds like that around here.

And yes, they kind of tend to take the slow cattle approach too. They move in herds around the damned store and since they don't understand English, you can say 'excuse me' all the live long day to get them to kindly move so you can get by and they are oblivious.

As for me, I just laugh at their bargains, since the best one I ever found were the American flags, made in China. But, I guess in order to provide such low prices, they had to forgo the 'Made In The USA' branding, huh?

As for the worst time to go to Wally World, that's during a summers night around here, since the one kids camp used to bring the campers in @ midnight to wreck....er..shop the store. Kids would leave the place a mess and the counselors would get on the PA and keep telling them they had 1 minute to get to the registers to get checked out or they'd be left.

Sadly, none were ever left in the store unattended, as some of us had rolls of clear packing tape and plastic shrink wrap ready to ship them back off to camp with.

[zewone]

Watch this movie and be disgusted for having ever given Wal-Mart a single cent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiSmlmXp-aU&eurl=http://www.walmartmovie.com/

[yukine]

So Walmart is evil for being a successful business?

How are stores like Best Buy any different? You don't think they have put mom & pop electronic stores out of business?

[zewone]

So Walmart is evil for being a successful business?

How are stores like Best Buy any different? You don't think they have put mom & pop electronic stores out of business?
If you watch the movie, you would know it's more than that.

It shows workers from their sweatshops around world. They pay them $3 a day and have hundreds of them corralled in a small dorm that they charge them rent for, even if they choose to live somewhere else. They only allow them to have one fan in a hot room with 9 people living it.

They force them to lie to inspectors who come to check the working conditions. If they don't lie, they are either fired or punished at work.

The inspectors who do find out about the inhumane conditions, are fired when they report their findings.

There is much more in the film. It's very interesting and disturbing.

[guyinga]

I've seen the movie and somewhat felt it was as much as anti-capitalistic as it was anti-Wal Mart.

Most of its problems with Wal-Mart has to do with, like you said, the sweatshops, but also the poor working conditions and the intimidiation and harassment tactics used by the company when workers voice their opposition and want to form an union. If Wal-Mart would change a lot of what people voice their displeasure with, then I think a lot of it (especially the union stuff) would be solved or changed.

And I would say most of the management (especially Lee Scott) need to be gotten rid of. With Wal-Mart's stock prices going down and fewer people not wanting to invest in Wal-Mart, then maybe that will be a reality.

[Chacrana]

I don't get the "I don't go to Walmart because the people there are dirty" comments, I don't know about where you live but most retail establishments have dirty looking employees, it comes with the job. If you don't like it, then buy your groceries online like a true hermit.

It's not the employees, it's the people that shop there. I have two different Wal Marts in my city and they're on opposite ends of the area. They both have a lot of really, really questionable people. There's a Target right next to one of them, and if you go there, it's an instant improvement. I'm really not sure what it is.

But as for not liking it -- it's not that I don't like it. I'm mildly amused by some of the people I see there, and a little afraid for the future as well.

[mykevermin]

However, if your answer is the "Wal*Mart is an evil Mega Corporation that is destroying the planet, killing small business and eating babies", please don't reply - as that isn't really helpful for what I need.

I'm curious why these kinds of responses aren't needed. It's the exact reason I don't shop there often. I don't believe in abstaining from all places at all times, but I shop at WM perhaps 4 times a year, and that's typically for nothing big (basically, I go there when I need to buy something on the fly at 3AM).

I also don't buy games there, unless they're mispriced to my advantage. There are ample people (few who will admit it here, though) that are more than happy to take advantage of WM's lax exchange policies to flip games bought at other stores on the cheap for credit that can be used to buy full price games.

Well, WM and Target are two different demographics. Market research from the mid-summer showed that WM's own firms discovered they were losing ample sales to Target and similar chains because of the "dirty" and "cheap" perception. Basically, people shopped at Target and paid the marginally higher costs at Target so as to avoid the stigma that they give themselves for shopping amongst the plebians. Also, since it's well documented that WM uses their market monopsony to dictate the terms of their distributing relationships, they often get "custom" goods - more and more consumers know that, if a product is available at WM, it's cheaper than everywhere else, and it has an exclusive model/item# that can't be found elsewhere, it's a piece of shit that won't last. Not all people know this (after all, roughly 1 in every 4/5 consumer transactions in the US takes places in a WM), but a growing number do.

EDIT: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2006/07/0081115 An excellent read.

[CaseyRyback]

The biggest reasons I don't shop at Wal-Mart are there are too many people there and the lines are too long. Plus Target isn't that much more expensive, and at least around here their prices are not all that much higher (and on a lot of the stuff I buy they are more expensive).

[b3b0p]

I stopped shopping at the local Supercenter(s) Because they put shit in their meat.

I only go when I need something I can't get someplace else. Damn you Chibi Robo!!!

[AGuth]

I DO shop there strictly because of convenience. I can find all of my groceries and household products in one place, and launch week games/DVDs/CDs are already marked down to whatever price is the lowest among the sales flyers from the other stores. Plus, the 90 day hassle free return policy is kinda cool. However, I really DON'T like shopping there because of many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. I'd rather shop at Super Target, but we only have the regular ones here so I have to do my grocery shopping at WM. On a side note, I once had to beat some guys brains in with a half-gallon tub of neopolitan ice cream in a WM parking lot because he tried to rob me. The security guard just watched me the whole time and only walked over after he saw that I had just laid the guy slap out.

[SaraAB]

My local walmarts are all in complete disarray at all times. I can't stand wading thru a total mess of items thrown here and there. Besides that it often takes upwards of 15 minutes to get any sort of help in the electronics department. Also it seems most departments are littered with 6-10 abandoned children who are running around screaming and more then likely causing the disarray.


This sounds more like my local target, items all over the place, floor employees crass and unwilling to help (if anything they bother you when you clearly don't want to be bothered). Target also has a poor selection of merchandise due to the aforementioned disarray of the store, whenever you go in there for something, they never have what you are looking for, they just don't stock enough product, either that or some employee put it in the wrong place so you can't find it. Why even bother shopping there if they never have what you are looking for? Video game department is empty most of the time and ransacked, plus overpriced. Target is now just as dirty as walmart, if not worse, you should have seen the floor the one day I went in there, it was completely black in the middle, assuming from all the kids who feel the need to skate with heeleys in the middle of the store amongst all the customers.

At least walmart has employees in the electronics section, in fact my walmart recently revamped their electronics section so its much bigger and more organized now, and they have registers there and at least 2 employees there at all times. Try hunting down an electronics employee at target...

[onetrackmind]

I don't shop at Wal-Mart because i don't believe in the process of eliminated jobs in the US and shipping them overseas. Since all of Wal-Marts produces are made in China i just don't shop their.

My old man is a union guy so i've always bought products made in America even though they cost more. Sometimes its just not an option though i.e. Video games, and it's getting harder and harder to find things made in the US.

[ighosty]

Walmart uses offshore outsourcing to make products cheaper and with less quality. They also give there employees crap health and insurance opinions and keep there pay very low. Altogether Walmart is aimed to appeal to the everyday american who wants something fast and at a low price.

[daminion]

I don't like to shop at Walmart. Not because of some altruistic cause.

1. The store is unorganized and chaotic. The rows are usually packed with crap and you can barely navigate the store.

2. The electronics section is a disaster. They have all of their games locked up in cases and half of them don't have price tags or shelf tags. Many games are hidden behind others or are just tossed into the bottom of the case.

3. Finding a store employee to actually open said glass case is often difficult as it's the same person who is ringing the register and they are often busy.

4. I've never been allowed to just browse in the case when I do find someone to open it. They ask what I want and when I say that I just want to dig through and see what they have they say that they cannot allow that.

5. Clearance items are virtually non-existent. They take old merchandise, mark it down 10% and put it on an endcap and call it clearance. I've seen the same stuff sitting in clearance in my Walmart for 2 years.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

I stopped shopping at the local Supercenter(s) Because they put shit in their meat.

I only go when I need something I can't get someplace else. Damn you Chibi Robo!!!

You didn't try Kmart for Chibi Robo? I saw a copy of it about a month ago @ an out of the way store. Now, if I could get back to that store while the 30% off is going on, I could finally get a game I'd like to try on the GC I have sitting collecting dust.

[GuilewasNK]

I don't do much game shopping there anymore. I'll still go there to buy DVDs because they get them in faster than any other place in my area.

[davo1224]

Hate to sound like an ass but:

a.) Are they the first or last to exploit factory workers? If that's your biggest qualm then I hope you don't wear or use anything that you didn't make yourself. Factory worker exploitation is unfortunately just how big business works.

b.) Do those people getting exploited have any other choice? It's either working in a factory for an overseas company making shit pay or dying because you have no skills to get another job so you starve to death.

[GuilewasNK]

Hate to sound like an ass but:

a.) Are they the first or last to exploit factory workers? If that's your biggest qualm then I hope you don't wear or use anything that you didn't make yourself. Factory worker exploitation is unfortunately just how big business works.

b.) Do those people getting exploited have any other choice? It's either working in a factory for an overseas company making shit pay or dying because you have no skills to get another job so you starve to death.

You aren't sounding like an ass. You speak truth.

[PyroGamer]

It's the cool hip thing these days to be against Wal-Mart while hanging out at one of your twenty local Starbucks.

I'm not against Wal-Mart at all. They have a fantastic selection of good quality products at cheap prices, and there's stuff there that I can't find anywhere else, and at a good price, at that.

I certainly wouldn't buy my videogames or electronics there, though.

*snip* sweatshops *snip*
You honestly think Wal-Mart is the only company to take advantage of sweatshops? Wake up and smell the fucking gravy, do you realize how many things in your house were made in a sweatshop by underpaid children working in abysmal conditions? Are you that ignorant? Beyound that, what the hell would people in third world countries do if they couldn't stitch you baseballs in abysmal working conditions? You think they can just take a course at their local community college and go into aerospace engineering or get a cushy job in an office?

The claims about wrongdoing in sweatshop inspections might be valid to look into, if you couldn't levy the same charges at nearly every other retail chain in existance.

Wal-Mart is hated for one simple reason: they strongly oppose the unions, choosing to give the money back to the poor consumers instead of into the coffers of the rich union bosses. And even without unions, they pay their employees more and give them more benefits than many many similar chains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjsshqyAFh8

And for the record I'm about as fucking hippy as you can get. I buy my food local, vegetarian, etc.

Walmart uses offshore outsourcing to make products cheaper and with less quality. They also give there employees crap health and insurance opinions and keep there pay very low.
1. OMG srsly? Offshore outsourcing? OMG EVIL!!!!
2. Not true about the pay and healthcare. Wal-Mart is above average on both.
3. Just looking at your postbit I can tell you're either very ignorant or a complete hypocrite.

[ighosty]

Hate to sound like an ass but:

b.) Do those people getting exploited have any other choice? It's either working in a factory for an overseas company making shit pay or dying because you have no skills to get another job so you starve to death.
The sad thing about this statement is that they usually make more money doing those factory jobs for overseas companys then they would if they just farmed or worked for local business owners. A big example is Dell, they employee thousands of India citzens who live much better then most of the population. But this just gets into a whole discussion of Globalization and culture alienation.

[DuelLadyS]

2. Not true about the pay and healthcare. Wal-Mart is above average on both.


For those going 'BS, Wal-Mart sucks'- this much is true. My mom works for Safeway has had co-workers leave for Wal-Mart because of better pay/benefits/ hours. Not to mention no more panicking because the Union starts talking about a strike not all members want (or can afford), and no more forking out hundreds of dollars in Union dues- which, by the way, you have no choice in if you work for any grocery chain where I live.

Honestly, I tend to question if unions are really that effective anymore. Government policies generally keep employers in line these days... I'm not sure how much that independent body is going. (I imagine they must be doing something right, but I'd be hard-pressed to give anyone a list. Or maybe my local stores are just better to their employees than other places. *shrugs*)

[phear3d]

cause they still sell Wave Storm for the Gamecube for $49.99. and hardly any clearance. i cant imagine how Chibi Robo for the DS is doing as an exclusive to their store.

[PyroGamer]

There is one bone I have with Wal-Mart. Their stocking of The Protocols and their website's description of it:

"If ... The Protocols are genuine (which can never be proven conclusively), it might cause some of us to keep a wary eye on world affairs. We neither support nor deny its message. We simply make it available for those who wish a copy."

The description is absolutely despicable. Whoever wrote that should be fired. However, they have since removed the book and I'd hardly claim it was the Wal-Mart's board of director's decision to carry it, or publish that horrid description online.

Wal-Mart's a big enough camel to withstand that straw.

[dracula]

they are really too far from me, they are in van nuys, and while that is only 12 miles or so from santa monica, the traffic is hell.

As for the business model, they offer super good prices and really that is the bottom line.

Yeah some of their workers are poorly paid: the minimum wage workers are the ones that are probably going to be people who would otherwise be begging on the street, in an assylum, or in a retirement home or a comparable government institution so as far as that goes, i think that wally world is doing the workforce a favor.

I guess I understand about how smaller businesses will suffer, but if the smaller businesses could offer the same low prices, then they would not be in trouble. They cant do that and stay in business so they lose. Its plain and simple.

[addicted2games]

I will buy food from Walmart, but as far as games go, I go to the sales/clearances at Kmart, Sears, Target, CC, BB, TRU, etc.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

For those going 'BS, Wal-Mart sucks'- this much is true. My mom works for Safeway has had co-workers leave for Wal-Mart because of better pay/benefits/ hours. Not to mention no more panicking because the Union starts talking about a strike not all members want (or can afford), and no more forking out hundreds of dollars in Union dues- which, by the way, you have no choice in if you work for any grocery chain where I live.

Honestly, I tend to question if unions are really that effective anymore. Government policies generally keep employers in line these days... I'm not sure how much that independent body is going. (I imagine they must be doing something right, but I'd be hard-pressed to give anyone a list. Or maybe my local stores are just better to their employees than other places. *shrugs*)

Around here, the stores and other employers are given incentives out the wazoo and even if they don't live up to their projected or promised employment numbers, they get to keep them. Honestly, the area I'm in is like working a third world country at times. You get companies promising $10 an hour prior to their place being built here, then they reneg on that and pay only $6-7.

As for WalMart, they were paying $8 or so an hour about 6-7 years ago around here, but the state just mandated the minimum wage go up to $7.15 an hour, so chances are they leveled off their wages like many places have due to the 'state' minimum going up.

Either way, I'm like everyone else in this thread thus far, I'll shop there for groceries sometimes, but games are ridiculously priced even years after their release.

[yukine]

It's the cool hip thing these days to be against Wal-Mart while hanging out at one of your twenty local Starbucks.

I'm not against Wal-Mart at all. They have a fantastic selection of good quality products at cheap prices, and there's stuff there that I can't find anywhere else, and at a good price, at that.

I certainly wouldn't buy my videogames or electronics there, though.


You honestly think Wal-Mart is the only company to take advantage of sweatshops? Wake up and smell the fucking gravy, do you realize how many things in your house were made in a sweatshop by underpaid children working in abysmal conditions? Are you that ignorant? Beyound that, what the hell would people in third world countries do if they couldn't stitch you baseballs in abysmal working conditions? You think they can just take a course at their local community college and go into aerospace engineering or get a cushy job in an office?

The claims about wrongdoing in sweatshop inspections might be valid to look into, if you couldn't levy the same charges at nearly every other retail chain in existance.

Wal-Mart is hated for one simple reason: they strongly oppose the unions, choosing to give the money back to the poor consumers instead of into the coffers of the rich union bosses. And even without unions, they pay their employees more and give them more benefits than many many similar chains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjsshqyAFh8

And for the record I'm about as fucking hippy as you can get. I buy my food local, vegetarian, etc.


1. OMG srsly? Offshore outsourcing? OMG EVIL!!!!
2. Not true about the pay and healthcare. Wal-Mart is above average on both.
3. Just looking at your postbit I can tell you're either very ignorant or a complete hypocrite.
Well, you said what I had to say.

And for the record, shopping at Target doesn't make you better than Walmart customers. I can't think of anything that Target sells that is of better quality than what Walmart sells. But I'll admit, I probably like Target more. It's just ridiculous that so many people would base their decision on going to one place rather than another to avoid being perceived as "one of those dirty Walmart customers."

No one cares, seriously... this isn't high school. Shop where you want to shop, because you want to shop there.

And I don't like the flocks of people at Walmart either, hence why I go early in the morning (or late at night) when the place is empty besides employees cleaning and so forth.

[sleepydumbdude]

I just go to Walmart grocery side and check the dollar dvd rack on my way out. I tried shopping at grocery stores around me that weren't walmart and kept spending well over 100 every visit. Spend 60-80 at walmart for the same stuff.
My walmart's clearance sucks, they just mark it down like 10% and it sits there forever. They still have a bunch of over priced GBA advance and gamecube memory cards at mine.

[chakan]

You didn't try Kmart for Chibi Robo? I saw a copy of it about a month ago @ an out of the way store. Now, if I could get back to that store while the 30% off is going on, I could finally get a game I'd like to try on the GC I have sitting collecting dust.He was talking about Chibi Robo: Park Patrol for DS, which is inexplicably a Wal*Mart exclusive.


I don't shop at Wal*Mart often because the other customers look like special ed dropouts. I feel dumb by association when I do go there. I can't remember ever getting a great deal on video games.

[spookyhurst]

Like just about everyone else, I don't shop at Walmart for games because of the poor prices. I only shop there occasionally for groceries and other odds and ends.

So here's my Walmart story: I have this special backpack/birdcage that I use to take my bird with me on outings (she likes seeing new people and getting a change of scenery). I've taken her into Walmart with me several times over the last couple of years with no problems. Recently, I was in the fabric department and when I gave the hunk of fabric to the employee to cut, she asked, "Is that a helper bird?" Um...what? She then went on to say that only helper animals are allowed in the store for hygienic reasons. Okay, 1. Who in the hell ever heard of a helper bird? 2. Isn't this policy there so that people don't have their dogs running around the store peeing on stuff? 3. How are helper animals more hygienic than non-helper animals? Do they not shed, drool, pee, poop, etc.? 4. My bird is contained within this backpack thingie, so she's not pooping all over the floor or leaving anything else disgusting in the store, and she doesn't make a peep. 5. Considering I bathe my bird every other day, I'd say she's more hygienic than most of the snot nosed kids running around putting their grimy little hands all over the merchandise. 6. I was in the fabric department, not the grocery area, so what's the big deal?

Most stores love it when I bring my bird in because the employees and customers like to see her. I've even had a drugstore tell me that dogs are welcome so long as they are in the cart. I just found it funny that the fabric employee was so up in arms about it while the other employees and customers were enjoying her (the customers in the fabric department said they thought fabric lady was wrong for trying to kick my bird out).

[Surferflames]

Like just about everyone else, I don't shop at Walmart for games because of the poor prices. I only shop there occasionally for groceries and other odds and ends.

So here's my Walmart story: I have this special backpack/birdcage that I use to take my bird with me on outings (she likes seeing new people and getting a change of scenery). I've taken her into Walmart with me several times over the last couple of years with no problems. Recently, I was in the fabric department and when I gave the hunk of fabric to the employee to cut, she asked, "Is that a helper bird?" Um...what? She then went on to say that only helper animals are allowed in the store for hygienic reasons. Okay, 1. Who in the hell ever heard of a helper bird? 2. Isn't this policy there so that people don't have their dogs running around the store peeing on stuff? 3. How are helper animals more hygienic than non-helper animals? Do they not shed, drool, pee, poop, etc.? 4. My bird is contained within this backpack thingie, so she's not pooping all over the floor or leaving anything else disgusting in the store, and she doesn't make a peep. 5. Considering I bathe my bird every other day, I'd say she's more hygienic than most of the snot nosed kids running around putting their grimy little hands all over the merchandise. 6. I was in the fabric department, not the grocery area, so what's the big deal?

Most stores love it when I bring my bird in because the employees and customers like to see her. I've even had a drugstore tell me that dogs are welcome so long as they are in the cart. I just found it funny that the fabric employee was so up in arms about it while the other employees and customers were enjoying her (the customers in the fabric department said they thought fabric lady was wrong for trying to kick my bird out).
Frankly you shouldn't be bringing your pet around to privately owned places, even if it is better behaved then most people's children (which I have no doubt is probably the case).

As far as the "helper animal" bit, they were refering to animals that assist with medical conditions. This does not always refer to seeing eye dogs, but in many cases some pets are used as stress-reducers for unstable patients. They are normally required to wear a special harness that signifies their use. It's not a matter of being more or less hygenic, it's a matter of ADA regulatory needs.

[Dragon_Master]

I shop at my Walmart for some stuff but usually not my games. The Walmart near me never has any good deals on games they are always the same price as every where else its really annoying.

[Trenchalicious]

I couldn't care less about what the name on the store is, if I get what I want for the price I want.

[spookyhurst]

Frankly you shouldn't be bringing your pet around to privately owned places, even if it is better behaved then most people's children (which I have no doubt is probably the case).

As far as the "helper animal" bit, they were refering to animals that assist with medical conditions. This does not always refer to seeing eye dogs, but in many cases some pets are used as stress-reducers for unstable patients. They are normally required to wear a special harness that signifies their use. It's not a matter of being more or less hygenic, it's a matter of ADA regulatory needs.


I guess it's a matter of consistency. Most of the Walmart employees tell me it's okay to bring my bird in, and one told me it wasn't. Of all the places I've taken my bird, she was actually the first to tell me it wasn't allowed. I've found most places are fine with pets so long as they aren't loose. Except for probably restaurants, I don't imagine they would allow it. Although a pizza take out place said it was okay for me to bring her in while I waited for my pizza.

[SithFran]

Frankly you shouldn't be bringing your pet around to privately owned places, even if it is better behaved then most people's children (which I have no doubt is probably the case).

Now what kind of sense is that? If the animal isn't bothering anyone and is in a cage of sorts, then what is the harm? I wish most kids in these stores were in a cage next to their parents. Frankly, I think you should leave your kid in the car instead of letting them run around, crash into me, start crying, then the parents give me a dirty looking. :bomb:

Yes, it happens everywhere else too, it's just at Ghetto-mart it's all the time. And no, that's not the only reason I hate being in that store. Finally getting my girlfriend to realize how shitty the place really is.

[UncleBob]

Now what kind of sense is that? If the animal isn't bothering anyone and is in a cage of sorts, then what is the harm?

The problem could be that some people are highly allergic to bird dander. Is it really fair to bring a bird into an enclosed space because it's fun if it risks making someone have an asmtha attack?

[Demolition Man]

Its not that I don't want to shop at Walmart.... its just that a LOT of the time they don't have what I am looking for. Either they don't have the (un)advertised HD-DVDs that are supposed to be on sale (and employees who don't know what I am talking about), stocking only full screen DVDs on titles they got dual releases, shitty prices on games (oh wow Madden 2000 for $20.. yeah I'll take 20 of those yes bag em please), etc etc etc....

I don't even bother going in one particular Wallyworld here on a weekend. I swear if I could get away with it I would bring in a video camera. The store is pretty much an foreign market.

[xcoax]

I tend to not shop at wal-mart due to the complete disarray of their stores. Its always a crap shoot every time you go to find something. That, and the employees are for the most part complete idiots. Granted, I'm asking if they have _____ on HD-DVD and thats a bit more complex than "milk" but still, at least know a little bit about the department you work in.

[Chuplayer]

When I tried exchanging a defective DVD, they said I couldn't do that because it was copyright infringement. They then said that I could do it, but they could only give me a refund because they had no more copies left. After I got my refund, I went to the DVD section and found a half dozen more copies. I wanted to take it up to the customer service desk to rub it in their faces, but I decided to leave and go to Best Buy instead.

[Demolition Man]

Oh, and I forgot to mention...... their idea of a fucking clearance is marking something off by a dollar. Then shoving it to a far corner of the store. With a few rare exceptions that's how a typical Walmart clearance is around here.

[puternerd]

Like just about everyone else, I don't shop at Walmart for games because of the poor prices. I only shop there occasionally for groceries and other odds and ends.

So here's my Walmart story: I have this special backpack/birdcage that I use to take my bird with me on outings (she likes seeing new people and getting a change of scenery). I've taken her into Walmart with me several times over the last couple of years with no problems. Recently, I was in the fabric department and when I gave the hunk of fabric to the employee to cut, she asked, "Is that a helper bird?" Um...what? She then went on to say that only helper animals are allowed in the store for hygienic reasons. Okay, 1. Who in the hell ever heard of a helper bird? 2. Isn't this policy there so that people don't have their dogs running around the store peeing on stuff? 3. How are helper animals more hygienic than non-helper animals? Do they not shed, drool, pee, poop, etc.? 4. My bird is contained within this backpack thingie, so she's not pooping all over the floor or leaving anything else disgusting in the store, and she doesn't make a peep. 5. Considering I bathe my bird every other day, I'd say she's more hygienic than most of the snot nosed kids running around putting their grimy little hands all over the merchandise. 6. I was in the fabric department, not the grocery area, so what's the big deal?

Most stores love it when I bring my bird in because the employees and customers like to see her. I've even had a drugstore tell me that dogs are welcome so long as they are in the cart. I just found it funny that the fabric employee was so up in arms about it while the other employees and customers were enjoying her (the customers in the fabric department said they thought fabric lady was wrong for trying to kick my bird out).



Has nothing to do with the stores in most cases. The health department is the one that says only service animals are allowed. And that only applies to places that sell food or drinks. The businesses face big fines if they get caught.

[pacifickarma]

I love Walmart becuse they support us troops, while Target does not.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/target.asp

[dwhelan]

It's the cool hip thing these days to be against Wal-Mart while hanging out at one of your twenty local Starbucks.....

1. OMG srsly? Offshore outsourcing? OMG EVIL!!!!
2. Not true about the pay and healthcare. Wal-Mart is above average on both.
3. Just looking at your postbit I can tell you're either very ignorant or a complete hypocrite.

Guess I should run down to my local Starbucks and start swilling coffee, which is a fate worse then death, since I think coffee is one of the most vile substances on the planet.

Now as for why I do not shop at Wal-Mart, it is because in 2005, Wal-Mart "...acknowledged that 46 percent of the children of Wal-Mart's 1.33 million United States employees were uninsured or on Medicaid." This news was kind of a big deal to me, since I was a student teacher at the time and topics that effect children register high on my radar.

Now I know, Wal-Mart is a large corporation and corporations are in business to make money, but I think corporations have a social responsibility, especially if they are the largest private employer in the U.S. (1.3 Million). Wal-mart apparently did not agree, because to appease the press they introduced there low cost health care plan, which came out between 10-11 dollars a month for a full time employee, who by the way, their average hourly pay is approximately 8.40. This was reported and Wal-Mart’s press issues were resolved for the moment. That is until you look at the Health care plan they proposed. For the employees 10 dollars a month, they got 1,000 dollars a year, per person on the plan. Which does not sound bad until you put the hospital costs in perspective, a Family practice doctor visit can range for 55 to 120 dollars per visit, an ER visit 360 dollars for examination (not treatment) and the specialist range all over the chart. Also that does not include any tests, like X-rays, CT scans and blood work. It is not adequate coverage, and I chose not to spend my money there, which was tough because student teachers make no money during the year of teaching, so it would have helped to save. I instead started shopping at a local teaching store. I went to the farmers market and local delis for food goods and I took up a part time job on weekends to help me make ends meet.

I know recently, Wal-Mart has started making strides towards improvement, with full-time employees being anyone that work 34 hours a week or more but, I have not heard them changing policy about the benefits opt in policies (6 months for full time employee, 12 for a part time employee) nor about the horrible healthcare plane listed above. So, I don’t see myself going back there. Personally, I like shopping at local stores here in Delaware, and I like supporting local business. I realize, I won’t get the great discounts I could get at Wal-Mart. But the tailor I go to knows my name, Happy Harry’s (now Walgreens) Pharmacists don’t look like they want to kill themselves and the Farmer’s market and Newark Co-op have quality food. So I really don’t see a problem and I do not judge others for their choice, because from a budget standpoint it makes sense to shop their, it is just a personal choice.


For Factual References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/business/26walmart.ready.html
http://www.dsausa.org/lowwage/walmart/health.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wal-Mart
http://www.amsa.org/whosyourdoctor/

[red flare graf]

The place is too damn big, I hate walking around in there. Feels like I have to walk a mile to get to where I want to be. I'd rather go to a regular grocery store. Time is money, so I'll pay the premium to get in and out of there.

[The Mana Knight]

Where I live, the Wal-Marts are garbage IMO (well, the two closest to me are). My problems are:
-They sell old video games for full price.
-The quality and look of the store is no better than Goodwill (looks like a rummage sale).
-My Wal-Mart has always had very few cashiers, and it takes forever to check out.
-They raise their prices, then lower them, way too much (to prove they roll back prices).
-There will be a lot of times they choose to just not carry stuff (like Toilet paper, toothpaste, etc.).
-They put my Pillsbury Ready to Bake Sugar Cookies on the top shelf, where they get smashed whenever you try pulling them out (and I gotta eat smashed cookies).
-The people who go to Wal-Mart in my area are..........can't think of a nice word to say.

Despite them turning my Wal-Mart into a Supercenter not too many years ago, it still doesn't look very new inside (old if anything). The Wal-Mart in my college town is much nicer, bigger, and doesn't suffer the same problems as my local Wal-Mart, but I still prefer other stores.

Thankfully, there's a Meijer closer to me, which is better than Wal-Mart is almost everyway. The store is neater, has better sales, does not take too long to check out (despite them getting more business than Wal-Mart), they usually carry what I want. Only thing I don't like about Meijer is that most of their prices are low, but a few things will be priced much higher than anywhere else, so you gotta be careful (also, between the 3 locations where I live, ALL their pricing is different on various food items).

Unfortunately, no Super Target in my hometown, but there is one in near my college and some within an hour of me. I really like Super Target (some ways more than Meijer, some ways not as much as Meijer).

[VanillaGorilla]

Here is why I DO shop at Wal Mart, at least for my groceries:

Cheaper than everywhere else, and it's not even close.

[The Mana Knight]

Here is why I DO shop at Wal Mart, at least for my groceries:

Cheaper than everywhere else, and it's not even close.Not in my case a lot. If Meijer runs a special and if there are coupons, they are cheaper. But then again, Meijer is only in the midwest. They use to be way cheaper when they'd double $1 coupons and triple some coupons.

[umcthomas]

I grew up in a small town and saw all the businesses going under after walmart moved in. However, since it was the only place to shop I did shop there.

Now that I have a choice I rarely shop there because of many bad experiences. These mostly incuded wrong prices noticed after purchace, long lines to check out, and longer lines for customer service. I would just not return broken things to walmart because I could count on an hour wait at customer service.

I only shop there about once every 2 months now. Aldi is cheaper for food and I shop target for everything else.

[lionheart4life]

There are over 20 checkout lanes, but I've never seen more than three cashiers active at a time, and I'm not exaggerating. So it basically takes at least a half hour to check out no matter what you're buying. That's if there are no problems with any of the prices on anything in the cart or carts (yes multiple carts per person) that are in front of you, which is unlikely.

The people in front of you in line are likely to be enormous with a dozen unruly children running around.

And don't every buy anything Site-to-Store for instore pickup. They will have to ship whatever you get from a warehouse, even if its something normally on the shelves. Your email confirmation will say all of your items are there, even if only one is. Even the confirmation doesn't ensure that they will be able to find your item in the back when you do show up and wait around for someone to come to the store pickup area since nobody actually works there.

[jaysapathy]

I've never seen so many stuck up, self righteous people in one thread. Really, it's amazing.

Retail elitists, never thought I'd see the day. :roll:

[Rozz]

The deals on games suck. $19.82 for 2001 PS1

My Wal-Mart has NBA Live 2001 for $47.99 :hot:

[D_Icon]

That one video makes me feel less bad about paying $7 for SM3 on blue-ray.

[j.elles]

Lines are to long.

Prices aren't that cheap if you read the sales for other stores like Tom Thumb, Krogers, Albertsons, etc... that come in the mail each week.

Games section sucks generally and is full price for what i'm looking for if they even have it.

Stuff I buy there has broken multiple times.

Eternal Darkness for Gamecube is still listed at $49.99. Great game but come. It's old and is much cheaper everywhere else.

[dafoomie]

1. Most of their products are complete and utter crap.
2. They don't have a significant price advantage on name brand products in my area.
3. Their stores are dirty and disorganized.
4. Their stores are so utterly large, and yet they never have what I want. They instead have six rows of one product instead of any kind of variety.
5. I'm union (this reason comes behind the rest, if they offered a pleasant experience, products I want, and at the best price, I'd probably shop there anyway. They don't. Simple as that.)

I absolutely loathe going there, and not for any philosophical reasons. They simply fail as a retailer. They offer me no reason to shop there over the competition.

Last time I went in there, a friend of mine wanted some automotive related items, cleaners, floormats, etc. They had a marginal selection despite ample shelf space, and I cut myself while picking up one of their off-brand products. We went to the nearby Autozone, who beat them on price on nearly everything, and by a good margin.

[PyroGamer]

Guess I should run down to my local Starbucks and start swilling coffee, which is a fate worse then death, since I think coffee is one of the most vile substances on the planet.
I'm not talking about you.

You have fine reasons for not shopping there, are obviously a very thoughtful person, and made a great post. As long as you're not a "Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price" bandwagon jumper, I'm fine with you.

Unfortunately I have no idea what anything in your post means. You try to put their health care plan into perspective by saying "it's not enough to cover expenses", but that doesn't put it into perspective at all.

You have to show me that the health insurance at the other stores is better: that Target somehow covers everyone's healthcare expenses that works 34 hours a week with them at a $10 an hour job.

Without any comparisons to other retailer's healthcare plans, I can make nothing of your post.

[callmesteam]

Walmart is INSANE.

It thinks it can move black friday to THIS friday...

http://holiday.ri-walmart.com/?section=secret

haha... i literally laughed out loud at that. i wondered what major nelson was talking about when he said they had great hd-dvd deals...

[PyroGamer]

this reason comes behind the rest
:lol:

suuuuuuure.

I can almost guarantee that reason STEMS the rest.

[dafoomie]

:lol:

suuuuuuure.

I can almost guarantee that reason STEMS the rest.
The places I shop most aren't union stores, and I don't much care.

But, if you don't want to argue the points and just stick to ad hominems, I think you're ugly and you smell. There, that brought about as much to the table as you did.

[allyourblood]

you're all wrong. Wal Mart doesn't even exist. this is worse than the milk thread.

[akilshohen]

there's only one in chicago that opened about a year ago. I've only been once, other wise Wal-Mart is in the burbs. I've only been to wal-mart about 5 times in my life, so I don't go to em because they're too far

[BattleChicken]

you're all wrong. Wal Mart doesn't even exist. this is worse than the milk thread.
Walmart exists...

If only it was some terrible fevered nightmare -- but no! It exists. It lives and it waits... until it can KILL AGAIN.