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Sure, Walmart has great prices, but I can't stand it. Are good prices worth all of the pains/injustices?
1. The unfair working conditions/lack of benefits for their employees.
2. The child slave-labor in China they use
3. Many of the products are from China
4. Crowded and Nasty
5. I don't want to have to call Child protective services. I see so many neglected kids, and parents verbally abusing their children, it's scary.
6. Apparently Walmart is some sort of singles club. I always get hit on in there(while I have my wedding ring on!!)
7. Stalkers. Have you ever been in a store and it feels like someone's following you? If you're in Walmart, they probably are. Really strange, smelly men follow from aisle to aisle and invade personal space.
8. NEVER, I repreat, NEVER go into the restroom while at a Walmart. I don't care how bad you have to go, run out to a bush. You will have nightmares after the sights & odors of a Walmart bathroom.
9. Rude & unmannered kids. I am one of the people that will tell these kids to knock it off. 'Stop riding the bike throughout the store, Junior.' 'Stop pushing the button on the tickle me Elmo, little Hannah Montana wannabe, and pull your pants up, I can see your thong!'
10. You'll never find assistance. Walmart seems to have a million employees, but anytime you need help finding something/getting something down or out of a case, good luck finding one. It's probably due to their poor salary.
11. Many good stores are being put out of business. My favorite grocery store was too close to a Walmart and suddenly closed down. It's a big chain, so think about all the small businesses affected by it.
12. There are Walmarts EVERYWHERE. I can't escape them. We have 2 within 5 miles. You can't even go to a small town without seeing one.
13. You can only play the 'how many ladies with curlers can you count?' game so much till it loses it's fun. How badly do they need those cookies that waiting for their hair to set first was impossible?
Of course, if you like to people watch, there is plenty of entertainment. I just don't think the laughs are worth it, though.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday Thirteen - Reasons I don't shop at Walmart
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29 comments:
Walmart makes me squirm too. Unfortunately, this is a small town and our choices are limited. We go a town over just to buy groceries (Kroger) b/c I dislike Walmart. Occasionally we buy stuff at walmart (like razors, dogfood, cat litter...shampoo...that sort of stuff). They just have everything and its so cheap. ALTHOUGH...we don't have too many weirdos. In fact, its only packed on certain nights after payday. But even then it's not truly "packed". The bathrooms though...eh...I hate huge public bathrooms anyhow.
I first started going to Walmart when my friend told me how cheap everything is. I didn't go often because it was far, but fortunately there weren't any weirdos there. However, I've learned a lot about Walmart since I first started going there, and a lot of them aren't good things as you've pointed out. I visit Target more frequently now when I need something fast and cheap. :P
Oh, I despise Walmart. Besides all your reasons...I hate the way it's organized. You can't see down the aisles because they criss cross...and you can't fit two carts down one aisle because inevitably there is a pole in the middle...oh...I could make my own list of 13! I am a Tar-jay girl at heart!
At our local WalMart you can play count the illegal immigrants. Hence the reason I stay away. I hate that place.
there is a huge walmart going in near my parents' place - a small rural community - and they are fighting it --- unfortunately, they are loosing the battle...and all those people who voiced their concern will probably shop there once it does open....sad!
As much as I dislike Walmart and prefer to do most of my shopping elsewhere, there are times I have no choice but to go there...I do it grudgingly and speed shop.
I love #13, that was a classic!
Loved visiting your Thursday Thirteen, hope you will stop by The Cafe and visit mine.
I avoid Walmart like the plague. Although I don't think our Walmarts are quite as bad as the one you described. Yikes! Sca-ry!
tee hee, you should totally move to my town. The nearest wal mart is an hour and a half away!
Oh you don't even KNOW the can of worms you just opened up! What follows are my own opinions, experiences, thoughts and words (except where quoted) about Wal-Mart.
As one of the world's largest retailers, Wal-Mart is a horrible corporate citizen, and a horrible company through and through.
Wal-Mart not only ruins diversity of economies, it pushes wages down, destroys jobs and damages the environment...all with impunity.
References:
http://www.walmartwatch.com/
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (movie)
Wal-Mart's relentless drive to push down prices forces American manufacturers to make their products in China. Chinese-produced goods are often of low quality and at the low prices are essentially "disposable" negatively impacting our waste and landfills.
Wal-Mart's massive reach in retail often forces American companies to enter their distribution chain to sell enough product to stay alive as Wal-Mart eliminates smaller competitors. As much as 60% of a company's sales can be produced by Wal-Mart. When Wal-Mart forces you to drop your product price year-over-year, many American companies have NO CHOICE but to either manufacture overseas for lower labor costs or simply go out of business.
This information alone should scare you out of Wal-Mart forever (from wakeupwalmart.com):
===================================
Wal-Mart buys much of its merchandise from China.
* Wal-Mart reported that it purchased $18 billion of goods from China in 2004.
* Wal-Mart was responsible for about 1/10th of the U.S. trade deficit with China in 2005. ["U.S. Stock Investors Wary of Analyst `Yuan Plays': Taking Stock, Bloomberg, 7/1/05]
* If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada. [China Business Weekly, 12/02/2004]
Many of Wal-Mart's "American Suppliers" actually manufacture most or all of their products in China.
===================================
That's just the very tip of the very large and very dangerous iceberg known as Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart commercials and advertising convince you of 2 things: 1) you don't have any money and 2) you don't have any time. Therefore you have no choice but to shop at their stores for their low-quality products and their low-quality foods. Yes, do not doubt that Wal-Mart's meat and vegetables are the cheapest quality available.
I used to shop there all the time out of ignorance. Finally 2 things woke me up: 1) the excruciatingly horrible customer service experience (from criminally underpaid employees), and 2) the number of BMWs, Lexuses, Land Rovers and Mercedes in the parking lot of the Covington, Louisiana Wal-Mart where I used to shop/suffer. Covington, LA is in the highest per-capita income county (parish) and the fastest-growing county (parish) in the state. WHY ARE THESE LAWYERS, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS AND EXECUTIVES SHOPPING AT WAL-MART?
I tried shopping up the street at the locally-owned grocery after that (Rouse's). Honestly? It cost me 20 extra minutes in round-trip travel and 20 extra dollars on a $200 grocery bill. What I got in return was a satisfactory if not excellent customer service experience, as well as higher-quality fresh foods, and the satisfaction of supporting a locally-owned business.
Now I realize that an extra $20 is not in the budget for many families. I UNDERSTAND this fact. Wal-Mart provides a low-cost alternative for these families (albeit in a downward spiral of economic destruction). Not everyone CAN spend the extra $20 at the locally-owned grocery, but in the same vein, not everyone HAS to save the $20 by shopping at Wal-Mart either!
I could go on and on and on but I'm getting way too angry all over again.
Think for yourself.
Make conscious decisions when spending your limited time and dollars.
Understand that there is value to be found by making better choices.
And recognize that what you do with your time and money often contributes collectively to impacts on your community, culture, economy and quality of life -- far beyond a week's worth of groceries.
*rant*
@93octane
WOW - Who knew? I'm afraid in my small town Wal-Mart is the closest thing around unless you of course have time to drive further out. But our Wal-Mart is nice and clean and well they are helpful and the kids have manners. LOLOLOL - Then again I am in Texas. It's sort of required. LOLOL - Great post. Have a great TT.
Sorry. I borked that movie link for "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price".
Here is the correct link.
My independent, locally-owned Video Rental store carried it. Don't know if the majors will have it. Netflix probably does.
@93octane
Testify sista! I truly hate Wally World too. #7, #8 and #9 must be universal truths about each and every store.
You are so right with your reasons. I used to shop there years ago while in Florida and they were everywhere, but now that we're in Boston, there are none around, and I don't miss it one bit.
I hate Walmart too....
I don't like going there either. I feel a bit guilty every time I do.
I wanna {hug} you. Seriously. I was just saying today that those WalMart bastards are communists. I saw a whole documentary about how crappy they are to their workers and how the towns they move in on are wrecked.
In my town, you have to speak Spanish to find anything. Argh.
I'd rather pay the extra $.06 and buy my diapers from Target.
Tho I did once find a bra at WM for only $4, in case you need the crappiest of crap bra.
It's truly...HELL!
Good Golly, It's like I just wrote this post. I cannot stand the scummy bathrooms and you are so right about the bratty or neglected kids. I hate that place too. That's why I work at Target!
Oh, I have issues with Walmart. Especially really touchy (grabbing your kid kind) cashiers. I wrote about it earlier this week. UGH!!!
Your Walmart sounds really creepy, I don't think I would shop there either!
I live in a small town and don't have many choices for late night shopping, so Walmart it is. Luckily, it's clean and well organized without a lot of creeps. Of course, this is a college town, so there are some weirdos...but they're just having fun!
Happy TT!
amen, sista. I hate WalMart with my heart. But, Doug makes me shop there because of the prices. It's the worst.
This is my favorite Thurs. 13 EVER! I cannot STAND Wally World! Thanks for the affirmation and a great list! ; )
I will try to keep this short as possible. I didnt like walmart because the isles are too tall so if you dont know your way around, you can stand back and look over to see where a sign might be for houseware or womens or what ever. But last summer I decide we are "poor" hehe and walmart advertises good prices. Well I can get the kids each a new play outfit for 5 buck each so I have gone there a few times. One time a few months ago, we were going out of town the next day so after I got my children to be at 8PM and did dishes, laundry ect, it was about 10:30 and I ran over to walmart. It was a school night and almost 11pm, there was a line in the McD's (with school aged kids in it) Althoughout the store were kids, rude adults ect. I am thinking its no wonder they are not getting passing grades, they didnt sit down to a family meal at home and they are out pass a reasonable bedtime for a school night. Lastly, you have basic driving courtesy with cards, but not in walmart, they wont move to let you pass or scoot over if they are in the middle of the lane, ect ect ect. Why are they the rudest slobs in the world shopping there? I am not a rude slob and I was there, where are the rest of the non rude, dressed acceptable for public people? I only go if I have no other choice. You are right on the money! thanks for seeing things my way, I have not wanted to say anything to anyone that they might not understand or take it wrong. Thanks (wow all the comments people made are good also)
Great post! I shop at WalMart, when I have to, but we don't have one around where I live and my sleeping schedule is insanely odd and I am never awake during the day time, so WalMart is sometimes literally the only option I have. Definitely some odd people lurking around there, though, I've seen several who are just...odd.
I was actually just at Wal-mart today!! lol I had to buy some stuff their for hubby. Our Walmart here is new and "high class" if you can have a "high class" Walmart!! lol They were under strict building codes here!! So this one isn't too bad as far as creepy and weirdos go. But you are right, they have Walmart everywhere. I am from a small town originally and the only place we had to shop was Walmart and Kmart and there, Walmart was the cleanest of the two!! I didn't know about how they treat employees and the such though! That is terrible!!!
I'm sorry to hear your Walmart is such a dive; our's are actually pretty nice. That said, I really don't like it much more than you do. It's only a penny or two cheaper than Target for most stuff anymore. Groceries are definitely the cheapest, but let's put it this way: there's a difference between cheap and inexpensive. Walmart is cheap, and that's not a compliment!
You summed it up PERFECTLY! I refuse to go to Walmart, I don't care how much money I can save. It isn't worth my sanity.
Great list! I would add that I can't stand my local Walmart because the aisles are so narrow that 2 carts can't pass without swapping paint, and when I buy 5 things I somehow always end up with 4 of those stupid white plastic Walmart bags!!
So where do you shop? I'm just curious. I try to hit the local chain most of the time too. Not always though.
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