10 Things I learned shopping at Walmart...

[cynatnite]

Money is always really tight at this house so we have to be careful in picking and choosing where to shop. It's always dependent on what we need and how much we have to spend. Sometimes it's a matter of searching through the circulars to see what is better and how far should we shop for it.

Sometimes going into Virginia is cheaper. Their sales tax is quite a bit less than ours. Sometimes shopping at Walmart is far better for us...especially since it's a lot closer to us than other stores. Our first choice is Food City in Virginia, but there are some days when we don't have the luxury of choosing. It has to be Walmart and this is what happened tonight...


1. The parking lot sucks because I'm not the only idiot hunting for a decent spot.
2. The once brand new carts are now wobbly noise makers and are almost to the point of being dangerous. The belts don't stay on right and some are even broken.
3. The store is noisy as hell. Between the music, announcements, other customers who yak on their cell phones while trying to steer their cart, and screaming kids who run down the aisles like little heathens... being in the store for any length of time is a trial within itself.
4. The sewing section is gone. :(
5. Eating healthy costs a lot more than eating unhealthy.
6. There is more crap in Walmart. They're selling these cup looking things that are supposed to be for bras to go in the washing machine. I had no idea I needed one. That's not counting the rest of the cheap crap that probably came from China and may have lead which may make me or my kids sick.
7. The plants are in horrible shape. The flowers are wilted and some plants look close to dying.
8. In the check out line, they're piling more crap for people to buy. On each side of you are more items, cheaply made of course, that they hope will entice you to buy.
9. The check out lines are longer and slower.
10. It's always a relief to get out of there...as if I just survived the Paragon Trail (An exercise at Ft. Dix, NJ during basic training...it was hell on earth)

[YDogg]

1. the produce sucks ass

[cynatnite]

3. Yeah, I should've put that down, too...

It's gotten awful. We love fruits and veggies.

At least we've got a local farmer's market where most of that stuff is brought up from Florida.

[Kitty Herder]

19. I does indeed. I don't buy food at Walmart.

I buy some other things there because I have no choice where I live. But for food, I support my local grocers. They have better stuff anyway.

[Chovexani]

31. Oh god, does it.

I was basically forced to shop there when I moved to my current apartment because it's the only food type store within walking distance and I have no car, and I literally felt myself getting sicker off that shit. The produce was always disgusting in there, sprouting root vegetables, bruised fruit, and nothing beyond the very basics.

Fortunately I discovered Safeway.com's delivery service and have had very good experiences so far, aside from an inexplicably bad batch of onions I got with my order on Saturday. I've not had to pay the delivery charge yet with 5 orders, due to judicious use of coupon codes found on Retail Me Not. I can't tell you how much better I felt once I was eating good organic produce again, fresh herbs, etc.

My heart goes out to the folks who are not as fortunate as I am to be able to exercise that option because Wal-Mart is the only thing in their area or it's all they can afford. I really feel that Wal-Mart trades in human misery in all respects, and that is something I did not truly understand until I was forced to shop in one. I never had to until I moved to AZ, as NYC has thankfully kept Walmart the fuck out (we're a union town blue and through!).

On Chris Rock's last comedy album he had a bit about supermarkets in black areas vs. the ones in white areas, it was funny as hell but it was the truth. A lot of what he had to say on it could be applied to Wally World.

[DS1]

44. I won't buy produce from Wal*Mart. I only go there as an absolute last resort in the first place

But I just do not believe they're properly equipped and trained to handle produce, or anything else fresh, for that matter.

[old mark]

52. Guess we got lucky...

Our local Walmart is pretty good as far as produce, but I don't like their meat and really avoid their seafood department.
We buy over 85% of our weekly stuff at Walmart, the rest eivided among several regional chains with really good to excellent meat and fish.
I actually enjoy shoooing there, but I like crowded circuses and county fairs, and most of the other local stores are as bad.

mark

[sir pball]

67. Ours isn't bad at all

The produce is decent, not great but certainly passable, on a par with any of the other stores, and the seafood is actually pretty good (of course all the seafood departments are good in Maine..). The meat is all prepackaged injected crap, but the local butcher shop is cheaper than any other supermarket anyway.

[TomInTib]

2. I cannot understand why anyone would go to one of those places.

But, then, I have never been inside a WalMart.

Never will, either.

[OwnedByFerrets]

16. Its called being poor.....

simple as that. Or ignorant. I am the former.

[Lorien]

34. I was dirt poor long before Walmart ever existed

I still found ways of living without Wal-mart, as I do today.

Save-rite, Costco (especially if you go in on a membership with friends), thrift shops, farmers markets...there are better alternatives out there (unless, of course, you live in the sticks. Then Wal-Mart has slaughtered other businesses and you're their captive audience, getting exactly what you pay for).

[elizfeelinggreat]

53. I have to go through the WM parking lot to get to

other stores in town and the cars I see are not what you'd expect from "poor" people. I'm not disagreeing with you at all but I just wanted to point out.

(I know there are circumstances where poor people may drive a mercedes or lexus but I doubt that many and not that shiny new. Something else is going on with them and it's probably avarice.)

[TomInTib]

72. Hell, I am poor.

I would do without rather than lose a chunk of my soul by walking into one of those awful places.

[Kitty Herder]

20. There are some rural places (like where I live) where you can't buy certain things

anywhere but Wal-Mart without driving over a hundred miles. Because Wal-mart drove out all the small, local retailers who used to sell those things.

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. I went into one last week, for the first time in forever, and it reminded me why I quit going there

1.) They suck

2.) They really suck

3.) They really, really suck

4.) They really, really, really suck

5.) They really, really, really, really suck

6.) They really, really, really, really, really suck

7.) They really, really, really, really, really, really suck

8.) They really, really, really, really, really, really, really suck

9.) They really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really suck

10.) They really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really suck




Oh... did I mention that they suck?

[ThatsMyBarack]

51. No, you forgot to mention this:

They really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really,.....REALLY suck! ;)

[spanone]

5. and it takes you longer to check out than to shop....

[MercutioATC]

6. As a Heathen, I take offense!

...seriously, you're spot-on.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. No sewing department, that sucks big time.

People should learn how to sew, and if you know how, you can't find the supplies, and can't find any decent material. As somebody here said, all the material now is thin stuff that quilters use, not garment makers.

The JoAnn's chain has contracted and has a lot fewer stores. The only place to get good quality natural fabrics (cotton, linen, silk), or upholstery fabric for your sofa, is in the big city in a big single-outlet store.

[cynatnite]

9. I'm not great at sewing, but I can get buy if I need to...

I have on occasion done a few garments and I so love cross stitching. When I saw the sewing section gone I couldn't believe it. It wasn't a great section, but it was okay in a pinch.

[emmadoggy]

48. The Walmarts around here still have the sewing departments.

I wonder why yours was dropped? That's too bad. :(

[knitter4democracy]

14. We are lucky to have a Field's Fabrics in Kalamazoo.

It's not top-quality, but it's better than JoAnns, and it has the best button, thread, and zipper collection I've ever seen. I go there when I have a sweater to finish.

I'd love to learn how to sew, but my mom's old sewing machine scares the heck out of me. I get so nervous about not sewing straight or whatever that it's just not relaxing to me. I'm thinking of taking a class and doing doll clothes to start.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. Your mom's sewing machine scares you?

It's probably a Singer. I love Singers. They are easy to sew on.
It shouldn't be intimidating. Find somebody who knows how to sew and will show you how to thread it, thread the bobbins, adjust the stitches and so on. That would be cheaper than a class.

If you can't find somebody to show you how to operate it, do take a class. There are books you can buy on how to sew. Most patterns nowadays are pretty straight and loose and not fitted, which makes them easier to cut out and easier to sew.

Good luck!!! :D

[knitter4democracy]

41. No, it's an old White.

It's weird to thread, and I can't get the tension right on the stitches. Mom lost her book, and I found a place on-line that sells them for ten bucks. I'm going to start there and see if the manual would help me get everything right.

[juno jones]

17. If you are looking for material and notions

Google up these US companies that are kind to their staff and give good prices and service:

Dharma Trading Co.
Jacquard Dyes
Rupert Gibbon and Spider

There's a bunch more that are more quilt and craft-related but I don't have their names immediately availible.

Some of this stuff is dye-it-yourself, but for $2 a yard, I can handle dying up and sewing raw silk.

JoAnn's is really no better than Wal Mart, they carry the same horrible chinese crap and only pay their employees a tad more, certainly not enough more to justfy the inflated prices on their cloth. About the only thing those places are good for are 50% patterns.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

33. This is our local fabulous fabric place:

www.highfashionfabrics.com <---nifty neato, makes your imagination run wild!!!

Excellent stuff.


Also, we have fabric stores in ethnic neighborhoods. I've seen fabric on hangers cut to certain lengths for saris and salwar kameez (the tunic over pants that men and women wear).
I've seen good stuff on the roll also at Indian stores.

I've taught myself pattern drafting in self defense. The selection of patterns is pretty bad and they cost a goddamn fortune.

I have a lot of patterns and material I need to sell that my mom bought in the 50s and 60s. I remember when a Vogue Designer pattern was $6.00 and that was a fortune!!

[juno jones]

49. Ahh yes, the indian store

Used to love those when I lived in Sacramento. I miss 'em :)

[stillcool]

75. you can get Vogue Patterns..

for $3 and change at JoAnn's when they are on sale..which is often.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

8. Also, have you noticed the godawful smell that permeates the place?

It's like this melange of formaldehyde and mothballs and despair, hanging limply in the air and saturating everything. It's sickening and I smell it in every single one I've been in, no matter where. No other store has that peculiar stench. Whatever it is it can't be healthy. :scared:

[cherokeeprogressive]

11. That would be the "Great Unwashed", right?

:sarcasm:

[Art_from_Ark]

28. I've never noticed any stench like that in any of the Wal-Marts

in Northwest Arkansas

[Balbus]

43. Yeah, poor people stink.

It's best to avoid the places where they congregate if at all possible. I hear it can be contagious...

[sir pball]

68. I always noticed it

In Kmart. None of the Walmarts I've ever been in are like that, but every Kmart I've gone to in the last fifteen years is just sad. Smelly, run-down, generally decrepit.

[fed-up]

10. when I've gone in w/BF I ask "where are the "NOT ANOTHER WALMART" signs?" :) nt

[Fox Mulder]

12. Plus their meat sucks. Not only that...

there's usually only three-four checkout lines open at any given time and they have about 25 of them. :eyes:

[cynatnite]

13. We haven't bought meat in Walmart in over two years...

Talk about overpriced crap. :puke:

[femrap]

56. I bought some eye of

round steaks many years ago at Walfart. I individually wrapped and froze them. When I thawed and broiled the first one, I couldn't finish it. I swear the meat was NOT beef.

I keep my receipts so I bundled up the remaining steaks and took them back for a refund. The clerk started to give me a hard time, but when I raised my voice and started discussing HORSE MEAT, she immediately gave me my money back.

I hate Walfart. Haven't been there in years.

[emilyg]

15. I like Wal-Mart.

Now I'll go and hide.

[Bobbieo]

18. I like Wal-Mart and I'm not going to hide!!!

It is 8.10ths of a mile from my front door! Their pharmacy staff is top-notch and the winter visitors have left so there is plenty of space in the parking lot. I only buy what I need and it is always food or household goods - no clothes, furniture. Their house plants. etc are in excellent condition!!!

There are also 4 Wal-Marts in the area so by the end of summer there may be only three and I'll take my chances that my Wal-Mart is one of the ones that are left.

[Lorien]

36. ....

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

[Lorien]

35. Watch "Wal-mart, the high cost of low prices"

then get back to us on that.

[Pisces]

21. Walmart sucks and I am sorry that anyone is forced to shop there due to hard economic times

[emilyg]

29. I shop there because I want to.

[Dreamer Tatum]

59. They're the world's biggest retailer, but people only shop there during hard times?

Hm. Interesting.

[King Coal]

22. I notice the bad teeth of most of the older employees. No dental care, you see.

God, I hate WalMart.

[yorkiemommie1]

23. our first visit yesterday

AND our last yesterday.

I'm glad our Target is closer!

[Bigmack]

24. A friend tells me...

that the local Mall-Wart reminds him of the bar scene from the first Star Wars movie. He says there are more weird-looking and ugly people there than anywhere else on earth.

[Balbus]

42. Yeah, poor people are ugly.

It's best to avoid the places where they congregate if at all possible... I hear it can be contagious.

[Dreamer Tatum]

60. So far we've learned that Wal Mart shoppers stink, are ugly...

...the older employees have bad teeth, and people really only shop there when things
are tough. Wal Mart shoppers also have to suffer the bourgeois indignity of searching
for a parking place and dealing with a loud store, which is evidently unique to world
of discount shopping.

Looks like people here also attempt to mitigate their need/desire to shop
at Wal Mart: "But I HAVE to shop there..."

Yet Wal Mart somehow manages to scrape as the largest seller of stuff in the world.

Know what millions of Wal Mart shoppers do when they're not embarrassing their social betters?
They vote.

[DS1]

45. There's some characters in those places, that's for sure

They're usually wearing sweatpant shorts, Jeff Gordon slippers, and XXXL-sized t-shirts with bald eagle and american flag prints.

[Robb]

69. I can't believe you saw me and didn't even say hi!

:cry:

[bluesmail]

25. Wallmart-filthy rich corporation

that is personally responsible in part for the collapse of our economy. Communities have flocked to Wallmart and bought their crap, and as a consequence have bankrupted locals. I walked into one once and was greeted by a phony greeter. Something still in the memory.

[Tektonik]

26. Walmart and Target are the same to me

They both carry cheap crap we don't need and are both red as can be.

I've never understood the mentality of those who'd shop at a Target than a Walmart. :shrug:

If one wants to shop at a blue company then go to Costco.

[bullwinkle428]

47. I'd be happy to shop at Costco, if it wasn't over 100 miles away!

Keeping my fingers crossed that one will eventually open within a reasonable distance...

[renate]

63. did you know you can order some of their stuff online?

You don't have to be a member.

Their photo-developing service is really good, btw--I think it's only about $10 (plus shipping) to get a 20x30 poster-sized print.

[FloridaJudy]

27. Okay, I'll admit it

I occasionally shop at MallWart because their craft supplies are half the cost of those at other places - and those stores are chains too, like JoAnne'a and Michael's. I probably won't shop there much longer, because they seem to be phasing out the fabric/craft departments. And JoAnne's has frequent monster sales that lower the cost of their supplies to reasonable prices.

But I had to hoot when I saw the fake Chinese brass coins used for jewelry-making proudly labelled "Made in America". 99% of the cheap crap MallWart sells is made in China, but the one item you could reasonably expect to be manufactured there is made over here.

[Chovexani]

30. Have you seen the Robert Greenwald doc on Wal-Mart?

The guy who made Outfoxed made a doc on Wal-Mart. The High Cost of Low Price. Rent it some time.

I have no car, live in a place where there are no grocery stores within walking distance except Wally World, and I've resolved never to shop there again (I got lazy and complacent with my anti-Wal-Mart stance because of where I moved to). I order groceries online and catch rides with friends to Fry's Food.

[TexasLady]

37. Ours is a 'Shock-Mart'

We have a tiny HEB and a Walmart. Ever since Walmart was built, the HEB nearly doubled it's prices. I can't $hop at HEB unless there's a helluva special. But every time I go into Walmart, I get shocked. If my kids touch me, if I touch any items, and it is baddest in the cold sections. I hate it.

If I need tampons or shampoo, I have to jaunt clear to the other end of the store from where the food is. I haven't bought 'crap' there in over a year, because all my money goes for food now, or soap and such.

I was in the eye center waiting one day, and about thirty employees came in that area and had one of those weird creepy associate meetings. No offense to those that work there, but it was really weird! Maybe I've been out of the public workforce too long (I work at home on Computer) but the stomp stomp clap clap, let's turn around and do the hokey pokey was strange indeed.

[bunkerbuster1]

38. What's wrong with America in a microcosm

Depressing surroundings, depressed-looking workers, depressed-looking shoppers. Grim as hell, but hey--looky them prices!

Alvays low prices....ALL-VAYZ!!

[Snarkturian Clone]

39. If you think that's bad,

go on the 3rd of the month.

[annonymous]

40. I avoid Wal-Mart whenever possible

I hate trying to navigate the parking lot, they have poor quality merchandise, and there is always a toddler having a meltdown in the toy section. The last thing I purchased there, a rolling backpack for my son, fell apart after 4 months. Money is pretty tight in my household but thrift stores, Aldi, Save-A-Lot and Big Lots are better alternatives to Wally World for me.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

66. We don't have Aldi and Save-a-Lot in Texas.

Only Big Lots which used to be MacFrugals. Guess the average American idiot doesn't know what the word "frugal" means.

[ThomWV]

46. It bothers me that more and more other stores are starting to look just like Wal Mart

I went into a brand new grocery store last week, it had been open for less than a week and was well located on the edge of the most affluent area in the state's 3rd largest city. You'd expect it to be nice. My very first impression when walking in the door was 'this is just like Wal Mart'. I mean I think the same company designed and erected the building, sealed the concrete floor, placed the rows upon rows of cashierless checkout lanes, arranged the spacing of the rows of identical shelving.

Same people working there too - not a smiling face in the crowd.

[Blue Diadem]

50. At least one of the Walmart's here has a sewing section

I'm not sure about the new one that opened a few months ago but the other Walmart(newer..opened within the last 2 yrs) does carry sewing goods. It's where I ended up buying material/remnants for my granddaughter so she could learn to sew. BUT, when they re-built that store and made it into a super store, they did cut down considerably on the size of the sewing section. Before, when it had minimal food stuffs, the sewing section took up an entire corner of the store, now it's down to just a few aisles.

We don't buy their meat and only occasionally buy their fresh produce. Most of the time the produce stinks..really stinks.

[Echo In Light]

54. 50 check out isles, 3 of em that are open/staffed

[orangerevolution]

55. Nothing New Here

Your comments apply to any Big Box chain.

[Echo In Light]

57. The local Target is actually nothing like Hellmart...more aspiring, affluent yuppies...

...that's the most notable difference LOL

[TCJ70]

58. 5. Eating healthy costs a lot more than eating unhealthy.

That's true everywhere in my experience...maybe I'm not going to the right places or something.

[SpiralHawk]

61. In the short run....but

chronic diseases arise from crappy mutant processed corporate food...the freeper diet.

[L. Coyote]

62. #1. After the sliding glass door crushes you, the company tells you to get lost!

Wal_Mart has a policy, and I have a tape of their lawyers stating this.
They NEVER reply positively to an injury claim.
The force everyone to sue if injured!!
Of course, if you are poor, and cannot afford say $10 K for an attorney ....

The door released me, I have a life-long injury, and now
I inform everyone of how corporate policy treats everyone. Wal-Mart SUCKS!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

73. If you're injured the atty pays the costs up front.

It doesn't matter if you're poor.
You don't pay anything out of pocket up front, if you're an injured plaintiff. The lawyer gets his fees and costs out of the jury award at the end of the trial and after the appeals are finished.

The lawyer won't file a case for you unless he is pretty sure you have a valid claim.
That's what good plaintiff's lawyers do. They don't file dog cases.

Too bad you didn't sue within the statute of limitations, which is usually 2 years from the date of the injury.

Yes I am a lawyer but I don't play one on TV.

[goddess40]

64. Lead in the toys makes us dumber - could it be intentional

... That's not counting the rest of the cheap crap that probably came from China and may have lead which may make me or my kids sick

I really believe that the lead ended up in all those Chinese product because it's cost effective for them and they have no regulations to prevent the greedy bastards that are only interested in the bottom line.

[GTurck]

65. The Army town...

where we live has a Wal-Mart Supercenter, 2 H-E-B's, and a small IGA for almost 200,000 people. The base commissary takes up the rest of the food shopping. Sounds like we have choices but really not. The town is spread out in such a way that driving from one to another is going to cost gas and the commissary is only for military and retired military (once an open base you now need a special permit to even drive through it). So Wal-Mart and one of the H E B's is really all there is. The other needs for clothing, gardening, appliances, etc are just as restricted. I think there are many places like ours some that once had vibrant downtowns - not here; some that were subdivisions that got so big they incorporated and then had to find retail outlets to service their inhabitants.

[Dukkha]

70. I just spent $20 more on an item at another retailer than Wal-Mart

it's well worth $20 to preserve my pride & dignity not to mention my local community.
If you think you're saving money going there you're dead wrong. The long term effects on the local community will hurt you plus the third world sweatshop crap you buy there will break on you in no time. If there are blocks of empty stores in your town you have the great evil empire Wal-Mart to blame, but then again no one forced you to support them in the first place. and yes I prefer to be spared the illfavored apprearnce of the store and it's shoppers that dwell there like zombies.

[Solon]

71. Wal-Mart steals money from its own employees, that's the price we paid for your low prices...

don't expect any sympathy from us for when money is "tight" for you. Shop at goodwill if its truly tight, Wal-Mart is for middle class yuppies who pretend to be poor.

[stillcool]

74. Walmart has bad vibes..

nobody is happy..it's like it's own zombyish world. The store near me still has a sewing section but JoAnn's is right next door..and the prices are comparable. Actually, I don't know anything that Walmart sells that can't be found elsewhere for the same or even a lesser price...but then.. I'm fortunate to live in an area that has lots of choices.

[John Kerry VonErich]

76. No different than Target and K Mart

nt