Why I don't shop at Wal-mart

[calulu]

I split my grocery list between Aldis, Target and Food Lion. Each has their strengths and weaknesses so I divide the list accordingly and they are all within a few hundred yards of each other.

However I would not step foot in the nearby Wal Mart if they were GIVING away their stuff! Too many bad experiences involving Mah-muh and her unwashed spawnage.

The very last time I shopped there, over a year ago, I was innocently standing in line behind Mah-muh, Buhhbey, Granny and young Cletus. Mah-muh and Granny were engaged in a spirited debate as to which redneck chickie in town was a bigger slut while young Cletus kept tugging on Mah-muhs Nascar t-shirt and saying he didn't feel so good. Mah-muh kept ignoring him until he power-spewed, projectile vomiting all over my tweed trousers and leather shoes. I got beslimed that kids puke from knee to toe and all Mah-muh did was start to beat the bejesus out of the kid, who was wailing and crying. I felt so bad for the kid, because he had been genuinely trying to tell her he was not well and now he was getting thrashed for it. He kept blubbering how sorry he was. Mah-muh never once apologized to me, she started yelling at the poor Wal Mart cashier about various things I couldn't understand. The cashier handed me some paper towels to clean up with but at that point it was about like trying to clean up a hazardous waste site with a handiwipe, not happening. Had to throw the pants and shoes away because nothing I did or the dry cleaners ever totally took away the puke smell.

Wal Mart = pageant of the trans mundane!

[Peppergirl]

There is a Target being built in my part of town about 1/2 mile from another Target store. It doesn't say so on the sign yet, but I'm PRAYING it's a Super Target.

That said, I'm a single mom on a tight budget myself. I've comparison shopped quite a bit between Target and Wal-Mart, and for the few cents higher that Target is on particular items, it's WELL worth it to avoid all of the many issues and hassles of WalMart.

I'm lucky to work a funky schedule where I squeeze in a full week in to 3 days of work, so I have time to check the store ads and go to 3 stores each week in order to get the bargains.

Bottom line, I avoid WM like the plague. It's just not worth the few cents I save over Target or other stores. I'm sure it's different in other cities, but here the prices are comperable.

[SC Slave]

Diapers don't (usually) leak.

You either are not a parent or have been extremely lucky. I've worked in countless daycares, in addition to helping to raise my siblings, and I have been privy to plenty of leakage incidents.

[AKWalMartCartGuy]

even I know diapers leak

this is the type of thing that's going to happen in every store, it's the general public we're talking about, some stores will have certain customers that are simply gross, but they don't limit themselves to one store

[ArenaBoy]

I remember one Saturday at Wal-Mart with my ex, and we saw just the most hardcore hillbilly you could ever see. John Deere hat, stunk like a farm, dirty boots....my ex poked me in the rib and said "That's the major of my hometown."

Sounds like the towns my cousins and some friends live in.

[thehippie777]

Honestly, I don't think not shopping at a place is really fair when it's the other customers that made the experience unpleasant.

I know Wally World has a lot of questionable employment practices, but I figure those people need to make a living just like the rest of us.

And, yes, such people are literally everywhere.

[Phone Jockey]

I only shop at Wal-Mart for canned goods (really great discounts) & perhaps a few other small things. The discounts aren't always that great.

Also, I grew up (in North Cackalacky) with a loser named "Bubba." Yes, really.

[Evil Queen]

I hate shopping there (as I already stated) but it's the only grocery store open when I get off work (around midnight). So I stop in a pick up a couple little things on the way home.

I think this makes me a bad person.

[CancelMyService]

I mean, yeah every store has hygenically challenged customers or the occaisonal unkempt store that shouldn't be a representation of the chain in general, but every Wal-Mart I've been in has been consistentally horribly maintained. It's obvious that they don't have the correct number of employees needed to keep their megaopolis stores looking not as if a bomb just went off in the Women's Clothing departments.

Even if the political reasons to not shop there didn't exist, I still wouldn't set foot in a Wal-Mart just like I don't shop at the local K-Mart that hasn't been kept up since the mid 80s.

[Peppergirl]

Also, I grew up (in North Cackalacky) with a loser named "Bubba." Yes, really.

OT, but my 18 year old was a really fat baby. My ex-inlaws (hillbillies) decided to nickname him 'bubba' when he was an infant. I was less than amused.

Now that he's super thin and some of them STILL call him Bubba, HE's the one that's less-than-amused.

[calulu]

The Wal Marts around here remind me of downtown Tijuana on the weekend the workers get paid but not as amusing.

Speaking of nasty bizarre shopping with weirdos has anyone here ever shopped at "South of the Border" on the North/South Carolina border or at Virginia's Pottery Outlet near Williamsburg? They make Wal Mart look luxurious.

[BookstoreEscapee]

every Wal-Mart I've been in has been consistentally horribly maintained.

My experience as well. Even the one that opened in my town a few years ago, when it was brand new, I was not impressed. I practically live across the street from one now and I've been in there 3 times in the 6 months I've lived there. The first time just to see what it was like, and the other 2 for specific reasons. I'd rather drive ~15 minutes to Target any day (though, getting across the highway to the Walmart would probably take 10 minutes anyway...New Jersey loves its jughandles...plus I live in a pretty busy area with a lot of commuter traffic). I don't have any Super Targets near me, though. They have the basic grocery section - packaged stuff, cereal, milk, some refrigerated/frozen stuff, but no produce or anything like that. I get a lot of stuff there; the granola bars I like and cereal, especially, since they are consistently less expensive than the grocery store. I also get most of my bath and cleaning supplies there.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Speaking of nasty bizarre shopping with weirdos has anyone here ever shopped at "South of the Border" on the North/South Carolina border or at Virginia's Pottery Outlet near Williamsburg? They make Wal Mart look luxurious.

I used to stop there on my trips south. That's where I bought my Clint Eastwood hat. My wife rarely lets me wear it.

[anyanka2]

every Wal-Mart I've been in has been consistentally horribly maintained. It's obvious that they don't have the correct number of employees needed to keep their megaopolis stores looking not as if a bomb just went off in the Women's Clothing departments.

So far, that has been my experience in 3 out of 4 Wal-Marts I've been to. The biggest factor in each store's cleanliness is the management. Some managers try and keep the store looking presentable after the first couple months, but some don't give a shit. It's worse when the same management who ran a pigsty regular one get a super one to run and it's less time than 2/3 months before it starts look filthy again.

Based upon my experiences, when Wal-Mart has competition, especially a Meijer, there seems to be more effort put into keeping the store looking presentable.

I try to avoid them because of the chronic understaffing issue, especially at the front end. It's annoying when there's 25+ potential checkout lanes and 3/4 are only open when there are multiple people standing in line at each. I don't know if their cashiers are trained to avoid calling for extra backup or if management just doesn't schedule that many cashiers at a time.