Wal-Mart

[Meenah]

Video: Wal-Mart closing 10 Sam's Clubs

1500 people losing their jobs. How many Mom & Pop stores did they put out of business when they opened?

[PrincessFiona]

So...the problem that I have with wal-mart is that they post billions in profits but pay their employees so little (like 17,000/yr) with such crappy medical benefits that many of these full-time employed people have to be on some sort of an assistance program.

Putting mom and pop shops out of business = fail in my book too...but I believe businesses should have to pay a living wage before they can post such serious profits....

Maybe I could get the CMS to step in and help out. hehehe

[SoonerTexan]

Ha, Wal-Mart is a big recruiter at OU. I avoided them like the plague because I refused to believe that they would treat their corporate employees all that much better than their store employees. Turns out, I was right--I met more than a few IT folks who ran like heck out of there after a few years of 70-80 weeks.

[Cumberland]

If you worked there, you could enjoy people like this all day-

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

[scrub-jay]

My hometown actually blocked Wal-Mart from opening any stores in the County.

They did so to preserve the local economy and the small mom and pop stores - which are still barely surviving the economic downturn, but with a W-M, they would have been long gone.

As a mom and pop store owner I have mixed feelings about walmart that I won't even get into...but I thought I would share my my favorite site/ concept on how everyone can help local businesses

www.350project.net

[GrayMatterWife]

So...the problem that I have with wal-mart is that . . .

. . . it is completely gross. The merchandise displays are unappealing, the entire store smells like polyester, fake leather, and cheap plastic, and the disgusting parking lots are full of CRIMINALS and ne'er-do-wells. I have seen an assault at one Wal-Mart, then showed up at another minutes after a shooting in the parking lot.

Target all the way, baby. No four-cent savings at Wal-Mart over the Target price on shampoo is worth the grimy experience.

But maybe it's just me...

[Rapunzel]

. . . it is completely gross. The merchandise displays are unappealing, the entire store smells like polyester, fake leather, and cheap plastic, and the disgusting parking lots are full of CRIMINALS and ne'er-do-wells. I have seen an assault at one Wal-Mart, then showed up at another minutes after a shooting in the parking lot.

Target all the way, baby. No four-cent savings at Wal-Mart over the Target price on shampoo is worth the grimy experience.

But maybe it's just me...

Nope it's not just you. My entire town fought a Wal-Mart development tooth and nail. We won. DCJenn might remember that making the local news. I'd love to have a grocery store a bit closer to my house - but NOT a Wal-Mart for precisely the reasons stated above.

[Vanquisher]

Sorry, but I save hundreds of dollars, HUNDREDS, every month by grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.

When I am a rich dawkter's wife, I'll care more. For now, the kids need milk, cereal, chicken, etc.

[mommax3]

I have to say I am with Heidi on this one, although it is DH doing the shopping, not me. It is WAY cheaper, and also has lots more selection than our Super Target or any grocery stores here. They also have the biggest quantities (biggest box, jar, bag, whatever) available for various things, which has become increasingly important to me as my kids have gotten bigger and started eating more!

Since I have gone back to work, our weekly grocery run needs to happen on the weekends. Wal-Mart on the weekends makes me want to stick my head in a gas oven. I don't remember feeling that way when I could go on weekday mornings, which is when I used to go. Every dysfunctional borderline abusive parent is there on the weekend. DH is able to ignore all of that, so he is the one that does the shopping, and about half the time, he does it at some ungodly hour after a delivery. He enjoys saving the money and seeing how quickly he can get everything on the list. More power to him.

[SoonerTexan]

. . . it is completely gross. The merchandise displays are unappealing, the entire store smells like polyester, fake leather, and cheap plastic, and the disgusting parking lots are full of CRIMINALS and ne'er-do-wells. I have seen an assault at one Wal-Mart, then showed up at another minutes after a shooting in the parking lot.

You know, the town next to us fought them putting in a supercenter for YEARS. They finally got one it, but it is the most upscale Wal-Mart I've ever seen--it puts any Target or upscale grocery store to shame. We're talking sushi station, pastry bar, and a wine selection that beats most liquor stores.

I like shopping there, but at the same time, it kind of sucks that they made it into a market they normally wouldn't have and are thriving.

[SuzySunshine]

Unfortunately I also have to shop at Wal-Mart and Sam's right now. Wal-Mart because in the dead of winter I only want to make one stop and it really is the cheapest. Sam's because we don't have a Costco.

I know they suck and someday I won't have to shop there but for now it is what it is.

[SoonerTexan]

Every dysfunctional borderline abusive parent is there on the weekend.

Another random thing I've noticed--parents with small children and babies taking their kids grocery shopping after midnight. Shouldn't they be in bed??

(DF and I like to go on random Wal-Mart runs at midnight. We're in college. In Oklahoma. Don't judge )

[DCJenn]

I don't shop at Wal-mart and haven't for years, since I read about how they won't pay for birth control for their female employees but will cover Viagra for their male employees. So there's a lot of horny geezers knocking up women in Arkansas apparently...

That and every reason that Abigail listed. I find myself offended every time I'm in there. (and yes, I do remember when Rapunzel's town fought them off. It was a huge deal here.)

The only good news is that Wal-mart has zero interest in entering the inner city so we're good, here.

Jenn

[Rapunzel]

OK, dh and I actually did a shopping comparison not too long ago between THE grocery chain out here (HEB) and Walmart and... we found that HEB had a much larger selection than Walmart and quite comparable prices. And, the stuff from Target that is household goods holds up for so much longer than Walmart. Even when we were in the poorhouse I didn't shop at Walmart (of course I didn't shop at Target either back then). I just haven't seen that Walmart has a better selection of anything (food or otherwise) over a grocery store or Target. shrugging my shoulders here