quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

lowest common denominator in terms of quality of goods . . . The stores are not very attractive, they're not inviting, nor are they located in areas of town that I care to go to.

Walmart is not my favorite place, far from it, and I do not intend to defend them, but I do not completely agree with your statements.

• Quality: National brands of grocery items, like canned foods, packaged bread products (Arnold's Rye, for example), etc., are the same quality as those items purchased in other stores, and can be as much as a dollar / item less than a "nice" grocery store, like Publix. That can make a heck of a difference in the food budget, especially for people in lower income brackets.
  
  
• Attractiveness (or lack thereof) and location: Yes, many Walmart stores are ugly, not well maintained, and in not-so-nice areas. However, the Neighborhood Market Walmart Grocery stores that I have been to around here are all in solid middle-class areas, the ones I have visited are reasonably clean and well staffed. If I have a question about a grocery item it is way easier to locate an employee in one of these stores, than it is in the huge Super-Walmart locations. The main problem that I see is the apparent inability to keep shelves stocked. Things seem to sell out as fast as they hit the shelves A bit of an exaggeration, but they are frequently out of the item that I am looking for.

I agree with Vtail on the Neighborhood Market. Another problem is that they often will stop carrying a product and there is limited selection. Sadly, we do not have many choices here. The local Rouses{out of New Orleans} does have many specialty and local items and better quality.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

I agree with Vtail on the Neighborhood Market. Another problem is that they often will stop carrying a product

This is true. And frustrating. For example,

• Jumbo eggs. They still carry the large and extra large.
  
  
• Lender's onion bagels. They still carry the plain and yucky flavored ones like blueberry, etc. Blueberry bagel? Please. Get real.
  
  
• Great Value (house brand) English muffins. I have been led to understand that these are the same as Thomas, from the same bakery, just branded for Walmart at a lower price.
  
  
• Some varieties of Coke. My wife likes the lime flavor.

These are just a few of the items that were carried at the Neighborhood Market at one time, and have been discontinued. Every one of these items is still available at the big Super-Walmart store, where I do not really like to go, because it is not on my way home, the parking lot is like demolition derby, the store is not attractive (as corsair stated), it is jammed with People Of Walmart, it takes much longer to check out, and maybe some more reasons that I have not thought of.

This is a small part of a paper I wrote on Walmart for a Business Ethics class in 2009.

I have not stepped foot in a Walmart since.


2009
Wal-Mart has a historic adversarial relationship with its primary stakeholders. The company
has taken the strategy that as long as customers are coming in the door and see value in the
product, everything else is simply a distraction that takes away from providing Every-Day-Low-
Prices.

Wal-Mart has three primary groups to be concerned about:

Suppliers
The influence that the company has over suppliers is absolutely amazing. Because major
companies such as Clorox, Revlon, Kraft Foods and Kellogg do double-digit percentages of their
total business through Wal-Mart, the company is able to demand certain concessions from
these suppliers. This means guaranteeing annual price decreases from vendors, dictating the
type of merchandise-tracking-systems companies’ use and even forcing businesses to pull up
stakes and move their manufacturing overseas to ensure lower production costs.

Wal-Mart actually accounts for 10 percent of the U.S. trade deficit with China (O.C. Ferrell, J.
Fraedrich, & L. Ferrell 2009) and as the country’s eighth-largest trading partner, provides more
trade with China than Australia, Canada, and Russia! Because of this, most companies are
willing to lower their quality standards to create exclusive Wal-Mart product lines that can be
sold at a lower cost. It put Rubbermaid out of business, forced Levi to market a “cheap” version of the 501, and forced Snapper to pull its products from the retail-giant.

Snapper corporate management refused to play by Wal-Mart’s rules and market a product that did not meet Snapper quality standards. Similarly, Stihl Chainsaws ran a marketing campaign letting consumers know that their products cannot be found at Home Depot, only your local hardware store.

Employees
The relationship with employees has been the most public concern to the company, and the
one that media outlets seem to review and report on the most. The company has been sued
for discrimination of female and disabled workers, accused of allowing overseas sweatshops to
exist, charged with using illegal immigrants for afterhours janitorial work, and is known
throughout the retail industry to pay its hourly employees the lowest possible wages it can get
away with paying them. A whole paper could be written at the lengths that Wal-Mart has taken
to keep unions within the United States from forming.

The value of the Wal-Mart associate is still lacking in the corporate culture. Aside from publicly
announcing its stance on ensuring that employees are paid for every hour worked, there is little
evidence available that shows a commitment to change how employees are paid, which
benefits are offered, and how women and minorities are offered opportunities for promotion.
In fact as recent as 2005 the company paid out $172 million dollars in a California class-action
suit regarding paid rest breaks.

Environmental
Aside from the multiple allegations brought against Wal-Mart for failing to obtain necessary
permits, violating air-quality restrictions and in some cases mishandling hazardous materials,
the company has also made an enormous physical footprint across the nation. Many groups are concerned about the amount of “green space” acres that are taken up when a new Wal-Mart comes to town; in addition, city roads and traffic flow were not designed to support the
influx of vehicles that a Super Center bring to an area.

There are over 26 million square feet of empty Wal-Mart’s. In most cases
these are retail outlets that have been closed and abandoned after the company maxed out
capacity for a smaller store and found a need to increase size and build a Super Store. The
company makes it difficult for new businesses to buy out the old spaces (especially for a
competitor like Target) and so these large spaces go mostly unused.

So, I'm guessing no one has actually tried the steak, have they?

We've had a distribution business for over 25 years. It entailed delivering and invoicing products into all the local grocery stores as well as Targets and Wal Marts. I've seen it all at Wal Marts. From the back receiving and warehouse areas right up to the front door and every thing in between. I still shop Wal Mart. Around here it's silly not to buy your canned goods and paper items there just based on price. Campbells Chunky soup is the same Campbells Chunky soup at the grocery store only it's about 30 cents a can cheaper at Wal Mart. Meats that are cryovaced packaged. Same thing. Tyson chicken, Smithfield ribs or pork butts are the same ones every where else.

Not that we need to pinch pennies I just don't like throwing money away either. Over time it adds up. If you want you can find a reason not to like any chain or grocery store and not shop there. Our local grocery chain has had a ongoing feud with Frito Lay that has lasted several years. As a result their products are always full price and their allotted space has shrunk and they have a very limited selection. I'm aware of and understand the issue between them but it punishes the customer more than anything. Lots of things go on behind the scenes in the grocery distribution business.

But I still shop that chain for meats and fresh produce and other things as well. We've made a very good living distributing to all these stores and I feel a obligation to shop them all. I have made a lot of friends at the grocery chain and the Wal Marts. Now that I'm retired the problem I have is trying to do some shopping without it taking several hours to do 20 minutes worth of shopping. I know too many people in the biz and keep running into to people who want to catch up.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
So, I'm guessing no one has actually tried the steak, have they?

That’s all I was looking for.... that and the fact I was surprised to see Wagyu, in any form, in a Walmart.

Bristol Farms, my upscale grocery, offers grass-fed 22% fat ground Wagyu for $8.99/lb. The guy behind me counter told me it was from New Zealand. Genuine Wagyu? Dunno, but it’s pretty good ground beef.