Something's wrong with Walmart

[lxskllr]

That's strange, Wally usually never loses on price...

I suspect they have different prices at different stores. There's a lot of money around me, and I think the Walmart may reflect that. I try to avoid Walmart, so I haven't confirmed with other areas. As far as store experience goes, mine's tolerable, but the prices are never marked correctly. It's usually only tens of cents off, but it pisses me off. I don't feel like wasting my time price checking my stuff at the register, but it costs me money, and eats into the bottom line. Their prices aren't that good to begin with, and then getting me for more money at the checkout makes it worse.

 

[ponyo]

That's strange, Wally usually never loses on price, it's just a YMMV situation as to stock/service level, the one near me actually has been better than a few years ago when it was common to be behind 8-9 people to check out..

Walmart is very price competitive. Now they have self-checkout lines, I shop there occasionally so I can compare prices. If Walmart is not the lowest price, they're very close to it. That said, I do about 45% of my normal shopping at Trader Joe's, 40% at Costco, 10% at Publix, 5% at Walmart. I think Trader Joe's has the best customer service/good price/good product ratio out of all stores. Costco has OK customer service/great price/good product. Publix has great customer service/poor price/good product. But if you only buy sale items and BOGO deals at Publix, then the poor price becomes good price. Finally, Walmart has poor customer service/great price/poor products. Low prices can't overcome poor customer service and poor products.

 

[desura]

As a practicing accountant, I agree.

*NEVER* let accountants run a business.

Amorality was kind of amusing to me for a while, but it's honestly, seriously, a terrible way to be.

 

[WilliamM2]

If you shop at walmart your patriotism is dead. End of story. It's not made in america, the people working there are paid by the federal government so essentially american taxes pay most of the salary/medical for their workers, and they actively try to destroy local businesses.

So you think there is a big difference in pay between Walmart and competing big box retailers? Nonsense. I'd also like to know what other retailers offer more American made products? Kmart? Target? Right.

 

[Phokus]

Has anyone else noticed Walmart seeming to decline, recently? My local one is still better (IMO) than Kmart or Target, however--

1. There are now tables full of clearance merchandise in the aisles. At my local one, this only happened in the past year or so. Seems sloppy to me, and a sign that their storied inventory management is slipping.

2. Workforce seems overstaffed and sloppy at the same time. I had an item shipped site to store. Watched about a dozen employees walk by without noticing me waiting, some of them gossiped on the sales floor among themselves, finally 10 minutes later someone comes by and gets the item.

Anyone else notice Walmart slipping? I mean, in the past they've often impressed me with quality and price, and in my visit I was pretty impressed seeing a $6.88 folding lawn chair, but I get the feeling that they're simply not executing as expertly as they did in the past.

That's what happens when you pay people poverty wages.

 

[OutHouse]

Absolutely.

Anyone who thinks otherwise needs their head checked. And that's only after it's been properly lopped off.

No thinking is even necessary to arrive at this accurate conclusion.


Of all comparable nation-wide retailers, Target does reign supreme.

You might be able to save a little bit by shopping at Walmart, and Walmart generally has a heck of a lot more to offer, but it's just not worth it. I'd rather combine trips by going to both Target and Kroger (the nearest "shopping center" just down the road has both, which is simply all kinds of Win), then ever step foot in a Walmart.

For the all-in-one experience, around here, Meijer is also better. But Meijer has limited market reach iirc.
Above all though, I absolutely prefer Target. It's a cleaner and classier shopping experience. And the employees actually seem to have a passing interest in possibly helping you, and actually knowing how to do so.

Too expensive

 

[BUTCH1]

Walmart is very price competitive. Now they have self-checkout lines, I shop there occasionally so I can compare prices. If Walmart is not the lowest price, they're very close to it. That said, I do about 45% of my normal shopping at Trader Joe's, 40% at Costco, 10% at Publix, 5% at Walmart. I think Trader Joe's has the best customer service/good price/good product ratio out of all stores. Costco has OK customer service/great price/good product. Publix has great customer service/poor price/good product. But if you only buy sale items and BOGO deals at Publix, then the poor price becomes good price. Finally, Walmart has poor customer service/great price/poor products. Low prices can't overcome poor customer service and poor products.

I primarily shop at Publix, it's close and you CAN get great BOGO deals, IDM eating the same think for a few days. If your a vulture like me go there early on Thursday AM, that's when they start the new week, if the meat dept. hasn't changed the sticker on a piece of meat that's on sale that week you get it free because it rang up wrong and that's store policy. I've gotten some free steaks doing this, a co-worker got an ENTIRE pork loin one day when it went on sale and they wheeled a display out front, all with misprinted labels. Started a thread about it but I kinda got hammered as many thought of me has a rip-off but hey, that's their policy, if it scans wrong, it's free..

 

[Jeff7]

Accountants. The only thing that matters is the next quarter for shareholders. That's why I avoid publicly traded companies when possible.

And of course, with everyone thinking in quarters like that, anyone who tries to do any kind of long-term thinking is taken out back and shot.

 

[jpiniero]

Can't really comment on Costco's prices since it's been awhile but my opinion was that prices were legitimately cheaper than the average grocery store (albeit in bulk) but it got to the point where it wasn't really.

As for Kmart... now that's a sad store.

Grocery stores are out of control these days. Reminds me of when Pharmacies popped up everywhere about a decade ago (and half of them went out of business a few years later), but this is an even bigger scale. I wonder if the bubble will pop eventually.

It might be because Amazon/other internet companies have for the most part ignored the food shopping business, although you have to wonder how long it'll be before that changes.

 

[Jeff7]

Can't really comment on Costco's prices since it's been awhile but my opinion was that prices were legitimately cheaper than the average grocery store (albeit in bulk) but it got to the point where it wasn't really.

As for Kmart... now that's a sad store.
...

I've almost entirely stopped shopping at the local Kmart (which sucks, it's really close). If it's not in stock, I can't buy it. They were constantly out of things. The entire second of 120V timers was empty, for three months. (I would check periodically, out of curiosity, after I bought one elsewhere.) RCA cables - only the large spools (50ft or 100ft) were left. The grocery and household consumables sections were always stocked though, I'll give them that.

(They also had an excellent clearance sale back when I first moved into my apartment. 50% off all clearance prices. Stuff like a $40 lamp set for $6, or $30 curtains for $5, an aluminum-bottomed stainless steel frying pan for $5 - that sort of thing. The stuff was just ridiculously cheap.)

But at some point, I got tired of always wasting my time there, needing to go to another store to get everything on the shopping list.

 

[Wheezer]

You more or less got it, but their generics are as good as national brands(Kraft, Hormel, Green Giant...). The selection is very small. They have what you need, but not a lot of choice. It's setup like a warehouse where goods are left in boxes, and stacked. To carry groceries, you can use a box free(my preference, they're good for recyclables), or bring/buy bags. To use a shopping cart you unlock it with a quarter, and you get the quarter back when you dock it. That keeps asshats from leaving carts out, and prevents damage. They utilize every method of cutting costs, and that gets passed to the consumer. It's not an elegant shopping experience, but you can save a ton of money. You probably won't get everything you want there, but combining a trip with a regular grocer will leave you more cash.

Btw, they sometimes get special purchase items of either premium American foods, or European imports. All excellent quality, and great prices. It's German owned I believe.

FYI Aldi only takes cash or debit card.

 

[OverVolt]

Shop where you like but most rich people don't shop at walmart.

Depends how rich, those types im not worried about since they were born into it. For them its all about not trying to get cut off from mommy and daddy. Trust fund kids. Thats your lindsey lohan and paris hilton types, yea their lives look so great.

You can fake status, people mostly shop at places like that to fake it, or blow mommy and daddys trust fund, etc. Thats not rich to me.

 

[WelshBloke]

Depends how rich, those types im not worried about since they were born into it. For them its all about not trying to get cut off from mommy and daddy. Trust fund kids. Thats your lindsey lohan and paris hilton types, yea their lives look so great.

You can fake status, people mostly shop at places like that to fake it, or blow mommy and daddys trust fund, etc. Thats not rich to me.

We don't really have an equivalent to walmart over here but I'd definitely rather spend a little bit more and have a more pleasant experience and I'm in no way rich or trying to "fake status".

The way I see it is if you can make everything in your life more pleasant why not? You don't get the chance to do it all over again.

 

[Ksyder]

All of the rich families shop at Costco, at least in my cities. I know b/c I shop there all the time and work next door. The wal-mart in my area is full of hood rats.

Costco has great prices but you are forced to buy a TON. For example, I bought 10 bag of frozen chicken breasts. It was 22.99 and the smallest they had. If you get 2 things there without a cart you will regret it. I bought burgers from their meat department, it was something like 6 lb+ package. Another item I buy there regularly is frozen blueberries, 4# pack for $10. I spotted the same exact bag at walmart but it was only 3#. Also $10.

No one is good enough to shop at exclusively if you are picky about foods and prices. I shop at Costco, Aldi, Trader Joes, and some regional discount chain for the most part. Sometimes Kroger in a pinch. Its amazing how much prices can vary. I watch it closely out of habit since I buy the food for a hotel restaurant.

Also Costco, Aldi, and Trader Joes all have a reputation for paying their employees well.

 

[WilliamM2]

We don't really have an equivalent to walmart over here but I'd definitely rather spend a little bit more and have a more pleasant experience and I'm in no way rich or trying to "fake status".

The way I see it is if you can make everything in your life more pleasant why not? You don't get the chance to do it all over again.

Have you even been to a Walmart? They aren't all the same. Like I said, ours is clean and well stocked. we go there once a month or less, to stock up on most household items. Same brands as sold elsewhere, for less money, sometimes as much as half price. How is that unpleasant?

Groceries are all bought at a local chain weekly, very competitive prices and a more convenient location. We have an Aldi's too, but the produce always sucks, the store isn't neat or clean even though it's brand new. Prices aren't any better than the local chain, and it's generic crap. No thanks.

 

[Anubis]

id shop at CostCo over Walmart however the closest CostCo is 100 miles away in another fucking country

actually the 20 closest CostCos are all over 100 miles away in a another country

 

[desura]

So I take it that no one in thsi thread is brave enough to short walmart stock?

 

[tcsenter]

Have you even been to a Walmart? They aren't all the same. Like I said, ours is clean and well stocked. we go there once a month or less, to stock up on most household items.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...wal-mart-empty-shelves-for-target-costco.html

 

[lxskllr]

So I take it that no one in thsi thread is brave enough to short walmart stock?

*I don't do stock. I don't believe in the market, and I don't do government supported/sanctioned gambling.

Edit:
*Aside from work related retirement crap. I'd rather use a purer investment strategy, but don't have the time or capital.

 

[WilliamM2]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...wal-mart-empty-shelves-for-target-costco.html

At the supercenter across the street from Wal-Mart’s Bentonville, Arkansas, home office, salespeople on March 14 handed out samples of Chobani yogurt and Clif Bars. Thirteen of 20 registers were manned -- with no lines -- and the shelves were fully stocked.

Sounds horrible.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Sounds horrible.

LoL, must be nice. They aren't like that around here.

 

[tcsenter]

Sounds horrible.

You seriously think the Super Walmart location directly across from Walmart's HQ (i.e. where all the execs might pop-in at any given moment) would be anything less than a crown jewel?

See my post here

You'll find a dozen posts in the archives of me defending Walmart. I have been a loyal customer for years but something has gone rotten in Bentonville, based on the declining situation I've personally seen, which matches all the same grievances that are being reported by other former-loyal Walmart customers in multiple locations, and they're all reporting it occurring (roughly) over the same interval of time (within the past two or so years).

 

[desura]

You seriously think the Super Walmart location directly across from Walmart's HQ (i.e. where all the execs might pop-in at any given moment) would be anything less than a crown jewel?

See my post here

You'll find a dozen posts in the archives of me defending Walmart. I have been a loyal customer for years but something has gone rotten in Bentonville, based on the declining situation I've personally seen, which matches all the same grievances that are being reported by other former-loyal Walmart customers in multiple locations, and they're all reporting it occurring (roughly) over the same interval of time (within the past two or so years).

Go on...

what do you think about my thoughts about shorting the stock? I noticed a decline in store performance and management competency which makes me think that shorting the stock might be wise.

 

[WilliamM2]

You seriously think the Super Walmart location directly across from Walmart's HQ (i.e. where all the execs might pop-in at any given moment) would be anything less than a crown jewel?

I don't know, sounds just like the Walmart here, nowhere near their headquarters.

Maybe crappy areas have crappy Walmarts. Just like most other chain stores.

 

[brianmanahan]

*I don't do stock. I don't believe in the market, and I don't do government supported/sanctioned gambling.

i wouldnt exactly classify investing in companies to receive dividends and potential capital gains over long periods of time as gambling, but yeah there is inherent risk. it can be minimized by buying funds which contains essentially the entire market.

do you just use government savings instruments like bonds? or just save cash or invest in real estate?