Do you ever shop at WalMart?

[undeterred]

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I pick up my prescription there...

...and sometimes I get dragged in there by my husband, but I try to avoid it as much as possible. The place really depresses me.

[karlrschneider]

2. I have to pick "other" because it's the only grocery store within 30 miles

So I go there to avoid a 60 mile drive. It's a Hobson's choice.

[undeterred]

5. they've put everyone else out of business

I am amazed at how many communities are voting NO to Walmart Superstores recently- they get it.

[karlrschneider]

66. They put "Homeland" (formerly Safeway) out of biz here 3 years ago.

About 7 months ago, another grocery "ALPS" (Always Low Price...something like that) moved into the old Homeland building. But their prices weren't any lower than Wally World. They closed down a month or so. I feel like a whore when I go to WM but if I make a road trip burning 5 extra gallons of gas and spending 4 more hours to buy somewhere else, what's the net gain? I hate having to make the choice.

[ohio_liberal]

3. Walmart was the only local store that had my son's low profile tire

I ordered it on the internet instead. :D

We will not shop at WalMart.

[HockeyMom]

4. Once around 5 years ago

I bought towels. All the pink dye (didn't use bleach) came out and they came out all shredded.

Never set foot in that place ever again.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. To see my opthamologist

She works for the eye doctor there, and it's technically NOT WalMart-the space is subleased to them. She's hoping to open her own eye clinic at her non-profit foundation soon (she works at WalMart to support the foundation). Also had to buy a printer for my office there-only after finding out our local office supply doesn't sell printers any more. But I get the ink from the office supply store.

[Double T]

7. WalMart employees need a paycheck too, meager as it may be.........

and with little or NO benefits. Most corporations in America today are scumbags, so if we were ALL true to our hearts and causes, we probably would NOT shop anywhere. We need to change the way business is being done at ALL corporations, including WalMart. When enough of us begin to feel the 'REAL PAIN' of scumbag corporate behavior, then something will be done to change things.

[undeterred]

9. I think WalMart is quantitatively worse than all the rest

They take up a huge chunk of our economy.

[Double T]

16. There is no one taking away more of our economy than China........

'Made in China' found everywhere you shop and for everything you shop.

[greiner3]

42. I've seen it in print where wallymart is getting so much stuff;

From China that it accounts for 20% of the US deficit! And still the sheeple go there and buy more crap and save a few pennies.

[noahmijo]

36. That's true Wal-Mart is just at the top of the evil corp list

aside from Halliburton of course.

Still though look hard enough not all corporations breed evil.

Take Costco, Ben N Jerry's hell even Japanese car manufacturers who do more for the American worker than any of the so called American Big Three, and unlike Ford or Chevy they don't donate to Republicans! (in fact they donate to NO political party)

[Double T]

39. 'Most' NOT 'All' corporations...............

Thanks for the Good Corporations Short List.

[noahmijo]

45. I read ya the first time I know what you meant

True though it's like finding a needle in a haystack but every now and then you can find a corporation that is at least a little less evil than the norm (maybe their only vice is they make workers work on holidays but at least they give them double overtime or something)

I wonder if corporations vary their practices by state though I know out here in Arizona thanks to it being a shitty state with its crooked labor laws (Thank You Republican Corporate Commission) unions are almost non-existant and virtually every corporation out here does a few things I doubt they'd have the guts to do in their blue state counterparts. (forcing workers to work during lunch hours, purposefully hiring illegals as cheap
labor, no overtime, non-existant 15 minute breaks, no benefits despite being full-time employed ect)

[Telly Savalas]

67. Good point.

A corporation is just a business arrangement. The diffusion of ownership typically means that maximization of profits takes priority over social responsiblity, but single-owner businesses and limited partnerships are guilty of this with nearly as much frequency.

Corporations aren't inherently evil. Rather the problem lies with members of management maintaining a "boost profits as much as possible" mentality that tramples the well being of its employees and the environment. This is largely fuelled by the apathy of stockholders who view their securities as simply an investment tool without exercising their power of partial ownership. Shareholder activism would go a long ways towards injecting some humanity into corporate decision-making, however most folks who own enough stock to make a difference are people that Bush calls "his base". Thus we need an activist government to police the corporations, but this doesn't work too well when the public votes for Republicans (and many Democrats) who are in bed with the people they are supposed to be watching over.

Incorporating and going public is an efficient way for a business to raise capital to expand operations. Granted, I'm biased because I'm a huge fan of Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia. (Although Ben N Jerry's got bought out by the European conglomerate Unilever.)

[patricia92243]

8. NO - and I need a vacuum cleaner badly. I've thought going to K-mart or

Target, but I'm not sure if they are any better. I'm not sure what to do. I can't afford Penny's or one of those type stores. :(

But I will not shop Wal-Mart even if I have to use a broom on my carpets!!

[undeterred]

12. I needed a new vacuum cleaner and a friend of mine

picked one up that somebody put out as garbage. It works fine and I've been using it ever since!

[ohio_liberal]

15. Try eBay for a vacuum

I go through a vacuum cleaner every 2-3 years (I've got a 3 story house that gets vacuumed once or twice a day). I get great deals for them on eBay, even with the shipping charges.

[celestia671]

26. I got my little vac from Kmart...

I paid $50 for it, and lo and behold, a better one was on sale at that same price a week later! Doh!

[greiner3]

44. You sound rich;

Will you adopt me? :rofl:

[Mend]

53. I ordered my my vacuum from Costco on-line and they shipped

it to me. I would use a bag of sticks to sweep before setting foot into walmart.

[Touchdown]

69. Try Sears. They're on commission and have a variety of models.

Many times on sale.:hi:

Best Buy has some $100 or less vacuums, but they're not much better than Target. Still a big box store.:shrug:

[progressivebydesign]

10. Not only oppose Walmart, I HATE the stores!

Humans are not meant to shop in cavernous, airless, flourscent lighted boxes. No window? No money from me. My motto.

[tularetom]

11. I don't go there but my wife does

Its the only place that carries the only kind of cat food our stupid cats will eat. I used to go in there to buy shotgun shells and get licenses because there was nowhere else nearby i could get them but they've quit stocking firearms and ammunition in CA so I haven't been in the place in years. I remember narrow aisles, stuff piled in the aisles, dirty floors and a general unpleasant odor. Oh, and used diapers scattered around the parking lot.

[AngryAmish]

13. Golf balls

Cheapest anywhere. I also buy some fishing gear there.

[obxhead]

33. Do you have a Dick's sporting goods in the area?

If you watch their sales you can often get 2 dozen of good name brand balls for under 20 bucks. I just 2 dozen Noodles for $17.

[yorkiemommie1]

14. luckily i am surrounded

by hundreds of other choices within walking distance so it is easy for me to avoid wmart.

[SmokingJacket]

17. It's ugly, badly lit, depressing, and has crappy products.

I used to live in a town with **no** other stores. NONE. Luckily where I live now has a target, a nice Salvation Army, a K-Mart, and of course ebay, so there's no need to depress the hell out of myself anymore.

[celestia671]

29. I wish we had a Target here...

When I lived in Dallas, I went there quite a bit. I get most of my makeup and hair stuff from Ebay. I can get good high end brands at prices I could pay for the cheap stuff at Wally World.

[country-bumpkin]

18. Best Prices

They have the best prices in town and carry products I cannot find at other stores. If people do not like the stores work ethic then they should not apply for jobs there. We ALL KNOW WHY the prices are so cheap.

Ciao!;)

[undeterred]

21. Welcome to DU country-bumpkin

And why do you think the prices are so cheap?

[ohio_liberal]

24. The prices on some items are cheap because they're badly made

and manufactured by Chinese slave labor. Yeah, great place.

[evlbstrd]

31. In some small towns, those are the only jobs to be had.

Welcome to DU.

[Jayhawk Lib]

46. Good part time employment

In my neck of the woods the Walmart employs mostly senior citizens who just want a part time job to supplement their social security. The seniors that I know who work there are tickled to death with the pay and no pressure to work full time. There are also some mothers who do not want a full time job and can work the hours the kids are in school.

My elderly mother loves Walmart because she says her limited dollars go farther there.

Myself I prefer Dillard's, Kohl's, Target, Ace, and True Value to do my shopping.

[newyawker99]

71. Hi country-bumpkin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Oeditpus Rex]

19. Never, under any circumstances

And I can't think of any that would make me shop there.

[forintegrity]

20. Used to until I learned of its terrible practices

and what it does to communities.

[undeterred]

22. It wasn't even in my part of the country

until after I knew about it, so I've really only been inside one a couple of times. They have some better prices, but NOT everything is cheaper.

[TommyO]

27. Same here

I haven't stepped foot into a Wal-Mart or Sam's Club in several years now, and I don't miss them at all. I just joined Costco, a company that knows how to keep prices down (the savings on one item more than paid for the membership today) and still treat their employees as human beings.

[celestia671]

23. It's kind of a necessary evil for me...

If there's something that the Dollar Stores don't have, I have to get it from Wal Mart. I really don't like the Supercenter, it's always too crowded and the shoppers are pretty rude. That's why I prefer the DG stores. They're smaller, less crowded,and it doesn't take long at all to get in and out.

[stray cat]

25. Is it any different than Kmart, Shopko, target, sears etc?

or is it just more visible and a easier target. I assume all of these stores use the same practices although I may be wrong.

[undeterred]

28. WalMart has actually put other companies out of business

And I don't mean direct competitors. Their market is so large they don't have to negotiate or accomodate a manufacturer whose costs have gone up because of materials. I don't think the other stores have that kind of leverage or business practice. WalMart put Rubbermaid out of business.

[stray cat]

30. Thanks for the information

[Silverhair]

34. No. Rubbermaid put Rubbermaid out of business by bad business...

...decisions.

[darkism]

32. Not at all in 2005.

I'm planning to continue the trend into 2006. :D

[Kahuna]

35. No, because I just find it an icky place.

Ugh! :puke:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

37. Our group came to a decision

If they are the only store for miles, and they are undercutting what other stores there are and you are poor, then go ahead and shop there. However, do not stop speaking out against them. The reason Walmart is able to do these things, is because of their disgusting unethical practices, so don't stop speaking out against them.

[hang a left]

38. I had to shop there last year for fishing gear because out KMart

no longer carried tackle. Asides from that, I avoid shopping there.

[Silverhair]

40. I save thousands of dollars annually there.

I see no reason why I should pay higher prices than I need to. Nor have I had any problems with the quality of the stuff either. Besides, the choice here is between a big chain or a big chain. Mom and Pop stores began to go out of business around here in the 1950's. By the 1970's it was nothing but the big chains.

I do go online for many items now, but for the regular stuff, I go where the prices are lowest for the same items.

[Bill McBlueState]

50. the Waltons are saving millions

by paying shitty wages and forcing their workers to apply to the government for taxpayer-supported handouts. I'm sure they're thrilled to help you save money.

[greiner3]

41. The reasons are too many to list here;

Although the latest one is my 19 yo, 6 months pregnant daughter was working in one down south. One day her boss lied to her boss about my daughter and my daughter was out of a job. Who hires a teen in her condition? She finally got a job at target (I know, but she does have bills!) and is due in March. Wallymart can suck a garden hose for all I care.

[China_cat]

43. With 2 diabetics in the house and no insurance

it's the only place I can afford to buy syringes. Even online they're almost $10 box more...before shipping. I had to give up on buying their brand of insulin, though. It just flatly was not doing what it was supposed to.

However, when I DO have to go to get syringes, I wear my union shirt.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

47. All the time. Got a ton of my Christmas stuff there too.

But regularly go there for diapers, baby formula, cat food and kids clothes.

[ScreamingMeemie]

48. I don't because I can afford not to...My grandmother does and I drive

her there, because she is on a fixed income. As for those who talk about Walmart's employees needing a paycheck.
This is true, but there are other Marts to work for. KMart is always hiring as is Costco.

[raysr]

49. I get my

eyeglasses there and I hate it but they're over $50 cheaper.

[high density]

51. No other choice other than Wal-Mart

The options I have to buy things from are grocery store chains, Home Depot, Staples, and Wal-Mart. That said I avoid Wal-Mart as much as I possibly can. The stores's a dump, though a recent visit was rather comical since they had what looked like a full trailer load of Bounty paper towels stacked up around the store.

[Initech]

52. I tend to avoid Wal-Mart like the plague.

[Deja Q]

54. The way the world (& my health) is going, I no longer care where.

Though I typically avoid walmart, I will go there if I have to.

[demosincebirth]

55. No, I'm a unionman with union pricipals

[mandyky]

56. Other - Yes out of necessity

I don't drive and shop once a month because the cabfare is $10 roundtrip. I shop at Walmart because I can get almost everything I need there. I do not like doing it, but since I only have $100 to $200 per month to spend on groceries and school supplies for my son, that is where I shop.

[in_cog_ni_to]

57. Nope. Haven't stepped a foot in a Walmart in years. I DETEST their stores.

:(

[deadparrot]

58. I go to college in an extremely small town.

Unless I want to drive 90 minutes away, the Super Wal-Mart is the only place available. I barely ever go, only to stock up on health/sanitary items...probably 3 times since school started in August.

[kcass1954]

59. Not since early last year.

I'm lucky to live in a metropolitan area with lots of shopping. I rag on my friends who still go there. But I would never say anything negative to those of you who have no other option.

We went to my grandmother's in southern Virginia last spring, and my kids forgot a couple of things. Walmart's just about the only show in town there. I felt so dirty!

[Odin2005]

60. It's either Wal-Mart...

...or not being able to save enough $$$ for college. :(

[mitchum]

61. No...for both aesthetic and political reasons...

poorly paid people selling poorly made shit to poorly dressed people

[newportdadde]

62. Yes we shop there some, mostly for food items.

Only for certain items and only when they are fact cheaper. We do not buy any meat there, any hamburger, other items the selection is poor so we do not shop for those their either.

Home items, we spread out between Target, Sears, eBay(can still get some deals here and there) and look for sales.

I do wish Walmart treated their workers better but honestly I saw enough small town 'mom and pop'(ie crooks) screw people to not be naive. Instead of a big corporation calling all the shots you had 5 white guys who had the monopoly and usually most of the free available land in town as well, they controlled all business, owned the banks etc.

Heh my uncle was the only grocery store in town where I grew up and he was as sleazy and dishonest to match any corporate man at Walmart. Uncle had one guy working there for 20 years never paid him squat.

With times we live in we have to stretch a dollar as best we can and that often means Walmart.

Edit: It is also convenient one stop shopping which didn't mean as much when I was single or even newly married but with a toddler and twins coming that becomes more important.

[Kansas Wyatt]

63. The absolute last option.

If they don't have what I need, then I walk out with nothing.

[meisje]

64. Anyone who shops there should be banned from DU!

Shame

[Nikki Stone 1]

65. I've got choices and I choose against Wal Mart--ALWAYS!

......

[Touchdown]

68. Twice.

Once in 1988, to buy x-mas gifts, when I didn't know any better, and was new to town and didn't want to get lost.

Second was 2002, when my mother insisted that they had the cheapest paint. Even after I said it didn't matter if I went to ACE Hardware and paid a little more for their paint. My mom would hear nothing of it.

You try telling your mom anything when your a man! Women get away with arguing with their mothers all the time. Men? We're wimps!

[calendar girl]

70. try these ideas

After seeing the film about walmart's and reading a book a union put out that I got at one of the places they showed it (and that was even more informative and shocking), I have greatly cut back going to Walmart's. I suggest downloading flyers from the wamart movie site and putting them in
Walmart's to inform shoppers. Places I suggest are as follows"

-tape to the wall of the bathroom stall
-in the magazine rack while in the checkout line (people always read here and they don't check it if it's open)
-in the meat case
-in the dvd bin
-in shopping carts (but they guard them)
-on any shelf
-folded on ONLY one windshield when coming and one when going (so they don't catch you)
-in restaurants, gas station, and other stores bathrooms
-at bus stops

or just write the name of an informative anti-Walmart's website on duct tape and tape places.

feel free to add more ideas of where to put these for more people know all the awful things about walmart's-

[newyawker99]

72. Hi calendar girl!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: