feeling disgusted

[IanDMacDonald]

The funny thing is, Wal-Mart was not mainstream till the last decade and change. I remember the first Wal-Mart in Michigan, and it had the reputation of being not better than K-Mart. Then flash-forward a decade, and it's everywhere and lost the crap reputation. Had to watch a few documentaties in college on the company. Wal-Mart's Sam's Club has been around much longer here, and before it was Sam's Club, it was Pace, owned by K-Mart, just as Source Club was bought-out by Costco, and HQ was bought-out by Lowe's.

Getting back to my point, even when that store first opened, they did not have all the lines open. Only time I see it is Christmas-time.

[JeffH]

While we may not particularly like Walmart, wasn't the problem really created by the American Consumer? You don't grow from one store in Rogers Arkansas to this giant company if people aren't buying. American consumer liked the 'lower pricing' and flocked to it. American consumer was willing to have a different customer experience and level of customer service to lower pricing (at any cost or implication??)

It says company grew from 1 store in 1962 to 24 stores by 1967 with $12M in annual sales. 1992 there were 1,928 stores. By 2000 there were 3,989 stores. By 1990 all the old Woolworths and WT Grant & the other 1930's -1940's stores were in the wrong places in run down areas. Old time store owners died. Their kid was a hippie doing lsd. Those old 'age of the dragon' type stores / shoppers gave way to 'modern era' as cities declined and suburbs grew wildly.

Walmart has been along on this wild ride too. Gotta be wild-wild beyond their wildest expectation. All driven by the American Consumers choices voting with their wallet again & again.
It ain't all their fault that when a store opens hords flock in and keep coming week after week. I see 9 stock splits since 1972. Waltons and employees with original $16.50 in stock did ok. that one share is now worth $43,008. Guess I should have bought a couple shares of WMT instead of a couple beers??

Jeff

[phatts27]

Wow guys, this thread blew up overnight! That is a good idea to buy stuff at electronics. Maybe if I ever decide to go back, that's where I'll try.

I feel much better now after a full night's sleep. I think I'll go back and share my experience with the daytime manager. I'll likely never shop there again.

I have no problems with high security. Boscovs has huge black and mirror finished bulbs strewn throughout the ceiling, concealing security cameras. Autozone has cameras near just about every isle, even local pizza shops are wired up for cctv. I've never thought twice about these cameras. I've always felt they were there to protect me. At Wal-Mart, the cameras are not there for me, they are for there for Wal-Mart.

I wonder, if Wal-Mart can't keep the check out isles staffed, who is even watching their cameras?

[IanDMacDonald]

Haha, even in Suburban Fenton, they have a great LP team. U'll never notice them unless you're there every week like me. Too much of a coincidence to see the same plain-clothes guys walking the aisles every week with nothing in their hands. An interesting tid-bit a xashiecashier told me. They're allowed to be off on their register count $35 every day. Anything more, and it triggers an audit. $35x5x52= $9,100 they could embezzle. However, they eliminated health care for anyone working less than 35 hours a week.

[crazy steve]

Walmart got big by going into small towns, undercutting the local businesses on price until they went out of business, then raising prices on the items they no longer had any competition on. This model works in the small towns, less well in urban areas which is why Walmart now has 'underperforming' stores. My daughter/son-in-law were thrilled when Walmart came to their small eastern Washington town, not so much now. The son-in-law in particular found that the great deals he got on sporting goods at Walmart went away after the local independent store closed because Walmart sharply reduced the variety of stock they carried besides raising prices. He now drives an hour to a nearby town to buy the stuff he actually wants.

Walmart is a predatory business, always has been, still is. Add in the fact they have the worst labor-relations record of any major corporation in America and that makes them my last choice for any purchase...

[LoHo]

Another aspect of this is that if a guy is caught shoplifting, it is almost impossible to bring charges without clear video evidence. In some cases, people caught stealing get off if the video is grainy or the act well hidden; in the old days, the store security just had to say so and you were charged. I think playing up the camera issue keeps some folks from being stupid, but might give others a preview of blind spots.

[Prothec]

... At Wal-Mart, the cameras are not there for me, they are for there for Wal-Mart. ...

Maybe that's the real source of all of the "people of Walmart" photos!

Statistically considering the number of times I have tried to steal from whatever particular Walmart you mention, the cameras have apparently proven to be an effective deterrent

[phatts27]

Maybe that's the real source of all of the "people of Walmart" photos...

Let me know when you see me on there

[DiverRay]

phatts27:

Let me know when you see me on there

So you're in the zebra stripe pants????
In Santa Cruz County, there are NO Walmarts. The county will not let them build here, and I don't care. I go in now and then on vacation, but only for one or two specific items. I chose to try and shop online, or the small local stores.

[MaximPhil]

Hey guys, just need to vent a little. I went over to wally world tonight to pick up an Allen wrench, among other things.

I've never noticed before but there are cameras in just about every isle. OK, that's nothing new. They also have monitors displaying the live feed from the security camera near each end cap. Now I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. Next to every moniter is a sign that reads something like "keep prices low, don't steal". Now I feel insulted!

After wandering about the massive Walmart compound for quite sometime, I found myself near checkout and wanting to leave. There's just one catch, self-checkout.

Of all 20 checkout isles, 4 were open and all were self checkout. I stood at the machine confused and needing help. I waited there for a few minutes before I realized no on was coming to help me. I left all 10 of my items on the counter and walked out of the store. On my way out I see one more camera near the exit, this time the
monitor is much larger. Bold red letters spell " RECORDING..." on the screen.

I've never enjoyed shopping at Walmart and now I never will.

-end rant-

Hi phatts27,
Voted with your feet
I guess their "convenient" check out backfired on them.
Shop where you feel welcome.
Phil

[Gmac]

Security camera's are

Everywhere. Its a fact of life because of lawsuits and theft prevention.

The Walmart I frequent here is less than a mile from where I work so its a matter of convenience for me. Its clean and all the employee's are courteous.

I have watched their theft prevention team nail shoppers trying to leave with TV's to carts of merchandise. They don't like thieves, period, and neither do I because its an added cost to everything I buy.

I have experienced only one time not having anyone manning a checkout register at night and I did what Phatts did, I left the cart, walked out and drove back to work. I mentioned it in passing to the manager later that week and he said it probably happened because of the floor refinishing they were doing at the time.

Anyhow, I've seen the same with other big box stores from sorry to so shiny you needed shades. Staff is what makes the difference.

[ViperRon]

I can understand how you feel about Walmart and the camera's but Walmart is a big target not only for theft but also for fake law suit. You would be amazed how many people go in and take a liquid and create a spill and try to fake a fall. Due to the cost of defending a lawsuit Walmart has to settle on ones where people just go after 5 to 10 grand. Myself I have traveled some and in other places they have what I feel is much better ways to resolve things. In Ecuador I saw the system in practice in a shopping center. All the stores have a store Guard and if you come in with a bag he/she kindly takes your bag carries it to a large color and number coded locker carefully places your stuff in it locks the door hands you a the only key a shopping cart or what ever you need. They have a few people in stores as security that watch people and if you are seen doing something that appears to be steeling you are taken to the front the items are removed and a large picture of you is put on the wall and you can never enter that store and the stores share pictures and you can not enter their stores and also the police come to get you. If you run out of the store the guard will yell to halt and if you do not he will shoot at you to kill. Other shop guards will join in chase shooting to kill and they more than likely kill you in the street. A reward is given by the store and shared by participants. A city truck comes strips you of anything of value and you are hauled off with the rest of the trash. Personally having seen it in action its much better than camera's. We have many camera's jails etc here but there most times the problem is resolved quickly cheaply and permanently. Here we make everyone feel like a criminal to protect the rights of those that are not worth the time of day.

[fredintoon]

First time in a while on this site and look at what I've missed:-
I'm with Wildkat, I never wear makeup in Walmart either.
But the cameras? Pure economics. It's cheaper to install surveillance cameras than to keep all the goods in a stockroom and employ competent sales staff to fetch it for you.
And the "People of Walmart" videos? Seeing all those repulsive people on screen certainly enhances one's self image, eh?

[b.walker5]

We dont have Walmart here, we have K Mart and the Warehouse, and from the sound of it, the experience is the same. Same ****, different wrapper. Cameras everywhere, untidy, lots of crap. The Warehouse's advertising slogan is "Where everyone gets a bargain", however most people know it as "Where everythings open and broken".
I only shop in them when i want something cheap, to do one job, once, and they usually have something that fits the bill, but the thing that does peeve me off is the self service checkouts. Fortunately the local Warehouse doesnt have them yet, but K Mart does, as do most supermarkets. I can use them okay, and do when i have too, but my beef with them is that they put people out of work, and to me, thats morally wrong.

People before profits.

[XJOK2PLAY]

I avoid Wal mart at all costs..
But when I do go there I usually enter through the auto section
and either pay there or at the electronics section..I will never understand how they have so many registers but most are unmanned..
I shop Super Target..prices are comparable, stores are clean and rarely have to stand in line more than a few minutes
Btw. parking is ALWAYS better by the auto section.

+1, Joe... me too.
Only problem I encounter with that plan is they lock the doors after 6 pm here, so it ceases to work.