Do You Shop At Walmart?

If you live nearby a Walmart, do you shop there? If so why? If not, why not?

• Yeah. I''m a senior & catfood is way cheaper there.

• Yes, sometimes, but not every week. I get some nutritional supplements there and cat food on occasion (although their selection of the type I buy, Fancy Feast, isn''t the best). I will also buy staples there when they are on sale. It''s a ways from me though, so I go only when there''s something I need on sale.%0D\ %0D\ In my area, a regional chain, Meijer, is just as cheap, if not more so.

• I shop there about once every year or two but I never buy much when I''m there. I do not support Walmart.

• I shop at Walmart about once a month. Walmart is a smart, fierce competitor and I think the country''s a better place for it.%0D\ %0D\ And, no, I''m not kidding.

• No, there are none in my area and I hope there will never be. \ \ It''s a truly disgusting corporation. The documentary should be required viewing to anyone who spends their hard earned money there.\ \ The People of Walmart website just about sums it up for me. ugh

• I was in Maine for awhile...the town refused to let the Walmart expand. It was a mess and to be honest there weren''t too many places for the locals to shop but seriously, Walmart will suck all the life out of a community.

• If you''d like to give money to fundie nuts, and make a considerable donation to the Republican Party, then by all means shop at Wal-Mart!

• I shop there about twice a year. The prices are great, but the store seems dirty and not well managed. The lines are always long. The lighting is bad. The other shoppers there look poor. Blah. I am always amazed at the prices though. If I were broke I would probably shop there more often.

• I''ve only shopped there once. I brought a Martha Stewart Xmas tree for half price. Was amazed at the fact that you can buy clothes and groceries in the same store.

  Mia

• Yes,when I feel like slumming!

  with oversized sunglasses

• I shop at walmart fairly regularly. I have to call on their stores with my job and I have always felt walmart gets a bad rap for the very same things that major department stores do, while the major department stores have considerably higher markups. It wasn''t walmart that invented part time (less than 40 hrs of work) as a means of avoiding benefits for workers. The big department stores were doing this in the 1950''s and no one said a word. walmart is the first major retailer to really cut prices as a company objective. Many people not given a chance at working in the fancy retail stores were given work and achieved success working for walmart. More walmart employees have become million dollar stock holders due to to walmarts stock option plans. \ \ That''s why I have no objection to shopping at walmart.

• Absolutely NOT! Only shop for DVD''s or computer gadgets that I need that are on sale. Otherwise, I don''t usually shop there.

• There is a Walmart close by and have never shopped or gone inside. \ An unscrupulous, greedy, underhanded "company." \ \ The Waltons will never get my money if I can help it.

  Some Capitalists should be thrown in jail on principle.

• LOL @R12...Absolutely NOT! But yes, I do shop there.

• Nope. Not even if it were the only store within 100 miles would I EVER put a dime in the pockets of the Walton family.

• No -- it''s way too depressing. The customers are all bag-people.

• Oh hell no. I haven''t shopped there in over 10 years and it''s not because I''m rich (far fucking from it). I don''t shop there b/c they''re evil. Watch the documentary "The High Cost of Low Prices" and if you can still shop there, you have no heart.

  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925#

• There''s a great, informative documentary called "Walmart - High Cost of Low Prices" about why you should avoid Walmart at all costs.

  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925#

• Walmart doesn''t support our gays, uh NO.

• Heard that Walmart has secretive tags to track you down. No thanks!

• Great minds, r17.

  r18

• nope, never have. I''ve even waited in line once or twice - marveled at the huge lines and walked out buying nothing.

• The cat food you''re buying is killing your cat. But it''s cool b/c think of the money you''ll save, what with the savings from Walmart AND the premature death of your cat. \ \ The documentary didn''t mention a lot of other reasons Walmart is destroying (yes, destroying) America like... They don''t advertise in newspapers so local papers die and there''s the negativity associated with that (no investigations of politicians or corrupt officials) \ \ Walmart often takes their land (by imminent domain) and places their stores in unincorporated areas of towns so they pay no taxes to the city. So they destroy the tax base when they murder the small businesses but don''t replenish it either. So towns suffer. They lose their police force, firefighters, schools, parks, lights basically everything so dumbasses like ya''ll can get 12 shitty pair of tube socks for $4.99.

  Can''t believe anyone with a brain or heart could shop there.

• I''m now taking care of my elderly mother. She went from shopping at Marshall Fields and Saks to discovering that Wal-Mart is the happiest place on earth for old people. It''s like elderly porn for them.\ \ If you''re every having a day when you don''t think you look too good, or if you''re having a bad hair day, head to Wal-Mart. You''ll feel like George Clooney or Angelina. And if you have all your teeth you''ll feel even better.

  Miss Daisy is driving me Craisy.

• I bought some aspirin at Walgreens once...are they related?

• No but I still shoplift there.

• [quote] by imminent domain\ \ Oh, dear.

• Yep! Im poor.

• And apparently undereducated, R28.

• Only if there''s nothing else open and there is something I absolutely must get. I think that''s happened maybe three times in the last 10 years.\ \ Wal-Mart is an unpleasant environment (like Target) to walk in. The product versions there are inferior. And, most importantly, they treat their people like dogshit. I don''t have illusions about my ability to stop them, but I sure as fuck don''t have to give them my money.

• I live in Boston; we don''t seem to have any around here. I was in one a few years ago in Maine and didn''t feel strongly one way or the other. \ They''re just another big box store. Target is not much better. I feel the same way about IKEA. They all sell cheap imported crap in huge stores often built way far from any public transport. THey all tend to kill any local businesses that might compete. \ \ Walmart is visibly and vocally more patriotic/rightwing so they are that much more loathesome.\ \ But all bigbox stores suck.

• Very rarely have I gone to Wal-Mart, and usually just the garden center but one observation - what is that horrid smell they all have? It smells like some kind of cheap, chemical smell.

• I''m poor but I don''t like to shop there. I hate the owners, they have always treated their workers like shit but what Corporation doesn''t? I buy second hand as often as possible.

• [quote]Very rarely have I gone to Wal-Mart, and usually just the garden center but one observation - what is that horrid smell they all have? It smells like some kind of cheap, chemical smell.\ \ Weedkiller and fertilizer. Same smell as you get at just about any garden center. I''m about as far as you can get from liking Wal-Mart, but that one''s not their fault. And if you''re any kind of gardener, you ought to know it.

  R30

• I don''t care how bad Walmart is supposed to be. I get all of my housewares items and cleaning products from WM and it does save money. If I''m cruising in the food section, if there is something that I like, I''ll get it, but I usually shop at Wegman''s or Harris Teeter for food.\ \ Listen, I am not going to be overly concerned about how WM treats its workers. My philosophy has always been, ''you should have studied in school and gone to college. Don''t cry now because you squandered your life and have to work in retail.''

• It''s not just about how Walmart treats their workers, R35.\ \ It''s about how they treat communities they come into, putting local people out of business who, in some cases, have been merchants there for several generations.\ \ It''s also about corporate greed, and the need to get ahead at any cost, which includes making their vendors outsource work to other countries who exploit their workers in ways Americans cannot even fathom.

• R30/34 - I wasn''t talking about the smell in the garden center, I was talking about the smell inside the store. BTW, the "if you''re any kind of gardener" comment was needlessly mean.

• The community has to protect its own. Don''t blame WM for putting Mom and Pop shops out of the business, blame the locals who stop going to the Mom and Pops when WM comes to town. Its a two way street.

• I live in a small town. A Walmart Supercenter moved to town 12 years ago. They low balled their prices until every other grocery and hardware store closed. Now they are the only game in town. Their prices are now higher than those at neighboring Walmarts. I travel out of town now to shop. I refuse to support them. Evil bastards.

• [quote]Walmart often takes their land (by imminent domain) \ \ Corporations do not have the power of eminent domain (yet). Only governments do (for now).\ \ [quote]They lose their police force, firefighters, schools, parks, lights basically everything so dumbasses like ya''ll can get 12 shitty pair of tube socks for $4.99.\ \ There''s a WalMart in my city, and we have a police force, firefighters, schools, parks, lights - basically everything. It did not destroy the city.

• I refuse to patronize Walmart. I once returned a gift that had been purchased at Walmart (yeah - no snarky comments about THAT gift!) and spent the money at a neighborhood shop.

• I dislike you R 35. Walmart shits on the commmunity it''s in, is horrible to its workers, sells a lot of crap, has annoying customers, disgusting politics, and isn''t all that cheap. You need to get a conscience.

• Yes, they have all the things I like at good prices: electronics, cat food, pop, frozen pizza/hot pockets and candy.

• [quote]It's about how they treat communities they come into, putting local people out of business who, in some cases, have been merchants there for several generations.%0D %0D I think it depends on where you live. The WalMart SuperCenter where I live is surrounded by tons of small businesses and ethnic restaurants that I now frequent. I doubt they would have as many patrons if the heart of all the traffic was taken out. Look at any place where Kmart used to be. The small businesses around them died with it. The business owners here, a lot of them are foreigners, have figured out how to take advantage of Walmart. It is Americans who are still complaining 20 years after big box stores started proliferating.%0D %0D r35, because you only know people who've studied in school and gone to college, I will tell you that I know two people who have worked their way from minimium wage to decades long careers with Walmart. They are doing quite well and don't come in contact with the great unwashed masses. %0D %0D I know I sound like a shill, but the tunnel vision America has for Walmart is very 90s. Corporate bullshit is EVERYWHERE now. Target doesnt even have a employee union and locks their employees in at night. But no one in America cares because we cant take our eyes off Walmart. We will pay for it though, as other corps hide behind Walmart and get away with murder.

• Gross.

• I love visiting the area Walmarts for cheap, frantic sex.

• I always find it hard to believe that intelligent people try to justify spending money at a Walmart.

• So everyone''s excuse for shopping in that world ruining place is "everyone else is doing it." I bet you consider yourself liberals too. Jesus. You''re all selfish freeper shits.

• Not shop much, mostly just beat off.

  William Tyler Black

• WalMart queens, what are your favorite GreatValue and Equate items? \ \ Mine are knock off purple Listerine and the huge jugs of reduced sugar apple juice!

• [quote] Corporate bullshit is EVERYWHERE now\ \ I''m well aware of that. I detest ALL corporations and wish they would all be run out of business.

• I eat old people''s excrement.

  R37

• [quote]Absolutely NOT! Only shop for DVD''s or computer gadgets that I need that are on sale.%0D\ %0D\ Moron.%0D\ %0D\ I shop there. I figure it''s the same Chinese crap you''d get anywhere else but you can save a few bucks. And, sorry, but it''s not like the people working there would be doctors and lawyers if not for that wonderful opportunity they decided to take at Walmart. They''d probably be unemployed and/or homeless. And, Walmart seems to be a hub now. They bring in so many shoppers that entire malls of little stores are built up around them.%0D\ %0D\ I don''t care what store you shop at, at the end of the line, the money is going to Repugs unless it''s a very tiny little company somewhere. So, I figure by shopping at Walmart and spending less there than at another equally Repugish store, I''m actually giving less money to Repugs. Also, a whole lot of those small business owners that you lament the demise of were Repugs through and through.

• I went into one once. It was depressing.

• [quote] Also, a whole lot of those small business owners that you lament the demise of were Repugs through and through.\ \ And those who are I do not patronize either.

• Boy, you people must REALLY like the Kool-Aid.

• R55, I don''t believe for one second that you confirm the political affiliation of every small business you patronize.

• What do you mean "you people"?

  Kirk Lazarus

• r53 says it perfectly. That is why I still shop at Target. Businesses and Business owners, all of them, are usually republicans and donate to republican causes. I''m not going to stop eating at Chick fil a because the owner is fundie.

• No. The Walmart in my town is far too out of the way, plus it''s ghetto as hell and resembles a 3rd world country.

• [quote] I don''t believe for one second that you confirm the political affiliation of every small business you patronize.\ \ I may not confirm upfront, however when I find out one of them is a republican, I will no longer patronize them.\ \ Case in point: a local bakery in my town recently hosted both Abel Maldonado and Meg Whitman. As soon as this happened I made the decision to no longer patronize them, and additionally spread the news at my workplace, as in the past this bakery was a favorite to get goods for various celebrations. Now those in charge of that will no longer buy goods from the bakery either.

  R55

• [quote] I''m not going to stop eating at Chick fil a because the owner is fundie.\ \ Then you are an idiot. The owner is not only a fundie, he contributes largely to the pray away the gay programs.\ \ Talk about shooting yourself in the head.

• I will not shop there. Terrible customer service...you really do get what you pay for.

• I used to buy birdseed there, the 14 lb bag of Kaytee Songbird food for $8.97 because it was the best price anywhere. Well, they dropped Kaytee and only carry Pennington now, which has a far inferior grade of songbird seed for $13.97 for 14 lbs.%0D\ %0D\ Disgusting.

• OP.... I''m on a tight budget and Walmart has the lowest prices in town on groceries and toiletries and other things, so what do you think?

• R59, I own my own small business (in Georgia!) and I''m a Democrat. Fuck, I''d vote Green if there were any candidates around here. I barely make a paycheck b/c my business is still growing but I wouldn''t shop at Walmart if it was free. \ \ Their business practices are deplorable and I think anyone who shops there is commiserating with evil. People like you, R59. Dumbasses who pat themselves on the back for not supporting the backbone of the economy (small businesses) so they can save $1.50 on toothpaste. Whoever said once Walmart destroys the competition they jack up there prices is right in spades. They ruin local economies and they''ll ruin the world''s too. But hey, enjoy your sugar free apple "juice."

• R64, I sell that songbird food for $8.99, check your local business. R65, see link for local deals that are far superior to anything at Walmart. Toiletries can be bought online or check for coupons in the Sunday paper.

• There really isn''t much choice around here. I could shop at Albertsons, which had right-wing Patricia Heaton as a spokesperson, or Target, which contributed to an anti-gay politician, or the farmers'' market, where most of the farmers are right-wing rednecks.

  Ya gotta eat

• I have a super wal-mart and super target and haven''t been in their in over a year. Their cloths maybe cheap initially but you have to buy the same shit every 6 months. So buy once at a better store and save in the long run. Not sure, but their food does not seem the same. I had tried their Kellogg cereal and the same brand at a Safeway. I swear they were different tasting yet the box was the same.

• You''re an idiot r69. They are the same. The exact same.

• 95% of you are full of SHIT.

• They are putting a Walmart here in D.C. not too far from my house. I absolutely will not shop there. I despise that company and I hate their stores.

• Walmart seldom has the best deals anymore. Target funds the right wing too. What can you do? Costco is the only big box store I know of that goes mostly blue, but they don''t have every product we need.\ \ We spend maybe 50 dollars a month at WM. 2 or 3 times that at Target and about 900 a month at Costco. That''s about the best we can do.

• [quote] We spend maybe 50 dollars a month at WM. 2 or 3 times that at Target and about 900 a month at Costco. That''s about the best we can do.\ \ Well, you could do what I do:\ \ Shop at Costco\ \ Shop at Kmart\ \ Buy sundries at the grocery store and drug store if necessary

• R67, where''s the link to local deals??

• our kmart is a disaster. Open boxes in the aisles, dirty, it''s a mess. We do go to the grocery store or drug store when possible, it''s not always possible. I don''t drive.

• Obama used that Hillary was a corporate lawyer on the board of Walmart -- AGAINST HER!

• Well in White Plains NY, they have employed almost every black person in the town, the rest of them just shop there

• [quote] We do go to the grocery store or drug store when possible, it''s not always possible. I don''t drive.\ \ Then try drugstore.com\ \ Shipped directly to you

• I go there a couple of times a year, when I can''t find something specific in any other store. Last time it was a certain type of electronic lamp timer. %0D\ %0D\ I also shop at Target for the same reason: they carry Boots brand skin care and I am NOT giving up my No. 7 serum for anything, bitches.

• I haven''t shopped in a walmart for over a decade. I agree with the earlier poster woh stated that they are third world. Rude customers, indifferent employees and large quantities of shitty Chinese products that unthinking Americans don''t really need, yet choose to waste their money on anyway.

• [quote] I also shop at Target for the same reason: they carry Boots brand skin care and I am NOT giving up my No. 7 serum for anything, bitches.\ \ Also available online from Drugstore.com (same price as Target) and other shops

  http://www.drugstore.com/Search/search_results.asp?Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&srchtree=1&Ntt=Boots&N=4294946515

• Walmart sells inferior products with the same name brand as others. That''s why if you walk into a Best Buy and demand that they match prices on the Sony stereo you saw for $30 less at Walmart, they''ll laugh at you. They look identical but the insides of the walmart one suck compared to the one at Best Buy. It''s why you hear of recalls of "baby seats by Graco, sold at Walmart" but not other places. It''s why the tomatoes you buy from Walmart rot faster, it"s level 3 produce. \ \ Here''s the link for locally grown foods right in your back yard, a lot cheaper than even farmer''s markets b/c you go right to the source.

  http://www.localharvest.org/

• Oh, but the people watching ...

  http://lh4.ggpht.com/_VsC-zJxklS4/S7trEEYYLZI/AAAAAAAAEig/ssCiP_ffUNE/people-of-walmart-31334-1258741009-28.jpg

• Sundries at grocery stores are WAY overpriced.\ \ So are items at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, etc unless they are on sale.\ \ OTOH, Dollar Stores always have good prices but very limited selection.\ \ Example -\ \ Mucinex DM... $25 at Rite Aid or $12 at Walmart.\ \ Uh, took my butt to WM and saved myself $13... on 1 item.\ \ I needed that savings because I had already spent money on the Dr (bronchitis) and prescriptions for a Z pack (antibiotic) and cough syrup. I sure the hell wasn''t in the mood to needlessly throw 13 bucks down the toilet.

• But r85, if you listen to r83, its some weird third world alternative Mucinex. Not to mention the alterna Kellogg''s corn flakes. %0D\ %0D\ In a tight economy every little bit helps. If it''s a choice between the moral highground and significant savings, I''m going for the significant savings. You would be an idiot not to.

• And, r82, I see they have Mucinex DM "on sale" for $23.\ \ That''s a fucking rip off. I can buy 4 gallons of gas with my savings from that 1 item.

  r85

• [quote]I wasn't talking about the smell in the garden center, I was talking about the smell inside the store. BTW, the "if you're any kind of gardener" comment was needlessly mean. I think I was okay to interpret it the way I did, given that you said you only went to Wal-Mart to shop in their garden center. And anyone who thinks the fertilizer/weed killer smell is unique to Wal-Mart's garden center hasn't been around a lot of garden centers. But if you smell it all over the store, that's a different issue. I'm trying to remember the last time I stopped at a Wal-Mart. Four or five years ago, maybe. I don't remember a chemical smell, but I do remember a place I didn't like. Of course, there are a lot of stores I don't like. Based purely on the, uh, ambiance, Wal-Mart's no better or no worse than anyone else, IMO. But the way they treat the workers is horseshit. To the person who wrote that their employees wouldn't be doctors or lawyers so who gives a fuck, my answer is that Costco pays nearly double what Wal-Mart does. So that's a place I give a heap of business to. Wal-Mart has thousands of employees on state medical welfare, i.e., Medicaid. Even if you think you're better than anyone who works there, be aware that you subsidize Wal-Mart in a major way through your taxes. It's obscene.

  R30

• [quote]WalMart queens, what are your favorite GreatValue and Equate items?\ \ My ex once brought home a tube of Equate lube (yes, really). It was large and cheap, just like Walmart customers.

• [quote]I detest ALL corporations and wish they would all be run out of business.\ \ Then there wouldn''t be an allowance for you, dear heart.

• [quote] R64], I sell that songbird food for $8.99\ \ You sell 14 lbs of Kaytee Ultimate Sobgbird food for $8.99? Trust me, NOBODY in NY-- where I live-- sells it for that price. Nor can I find it for that price on the Internet, even before shipping costs. \ \ It''s the food with sunflower, safflower and millet seed as well as peanuts, raisins and cherries. I''ve been all over the place and nobody sold it for less than a dollar a pound except Walmart.

• [quote] Sundries at grocery stores are WAY overpriced.\ \ The last few times I have purchased my brand of deodorant at my local supermarket it was cheaper than I had been able to get it for at Target the last few months that I shopped there ($2.99 vs $3.49).\ \ [quote] Mucinex DM... $25 at Rite Aid or $12 at Walmart.\ \ Buy Rite-Aid''s generic. It''s exactly the same as the "name" brand but half the price. And watch for sales and buy things then (stock up), along with coupons

• [quote] Mucinex DM... $25 at Rite Aid or $12 at Walmart.\ \ Walgreens sells the 14 count box for $14.99\ \ and you can get a 40 count box from Amazon for $9.15

  http://www.amazon.com/Mucinex-Expectorant-Suppressant-Extended-Release-Bi-Layer/dp/B000ALB4H2

• R50, this is the list of ingredients in that reduced sugar apple juice you love:\ \ [quote]Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Calcium Gluconate, Malic Acid, Calcium Lactate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sucralose, Vitamin D3.\ \ Sounds yummy. I''d like another glass of frankenfood, please.

• To add to R94, Walmart says its reduced sugar apple juice is one-half juice.\ \ This is apple juice concentrate that has been watered down even more liberally than other apple juices from concentrate.\ \ At that point it probably tastes far more like water than apple juice, so the factory adds "natural flavors" (god only knows) and some ascorbic acid to give it a bit more apple flavor, then they throw in that star of the frankenfood realm, Splenda, to sweeten it.

• [quote]Walmart sells inferior products with the same name brand as others.%0D\ %0D\ I''d heard that also.%0D\ I don''t buy electronics there for that reason. But I shop at WM regularly.

• I''ve been told all of the big box discount stores sell slightly inferior to downright defective electronics. Some of them are not well designed, while others have not passed quality control. \ \ The consumer is probably not going to be aware if the problem is minor and does not affect performance, but you could easily end up with a lemon. \ \ A friend returned three different television sets to Walmart because none of them worked properly. When a cop who happened to be nearby helped her take the third set into the store, the department manager explained why she was having so many problems with their TVs. They are defective products.

• [quote]Walmart shits on the commmunity it''s in,%0D\ %0D\ And that''s what the Mom & Pop stores did for decades. Horrendous mark-up because they knew we had to go out of town to get anything at a reasonable price. For years, I shopped twice a month in a nearby city (not at Walmart) just to get things at an affordable price compared to the scalping at most Mom & Pop stores.

• The idiot at R98 doesn''t understand that Mom & Pop stores don''t charge higher prices because they think they''ve got the rubes over a barrel.\ \ Mom & Pop stores are just that: a small retailer who cannot browbeat suppliers into making inferior products in huge numbers because they purchase 50 million units a year from said supplier. Mom & Pop stores cannot buy in quantities that the big box assholes can, so their wholesale costs are higher.\ \ Mom & Pop stores also do not get the HUGE tax incentives cities and counties hand to big box retailers to get them to open a store in their locale.

• I am a strong believer in letting the community decide. If the community prefers the Mom and Pop stores, they will continue to shop at the Mom and Pop stores.

• R100, this thread proves that even people who have a political stake in it will sell their souls for a fucking box of Mucinex. \ \ What chance do the Mom & Pops have when 98% of people just assume that Walmart has lower prices? \ \ I have my own Mom & Pop and people who hold me hostage for an hour while I politely listen to them tell me about their kid''s dance recital, their dog''s death and their latest trip to the Caribbean will usually check at Walmart to see if they can get it cheaper. There''s no loyalty. \ \ Except for me who other than occasional trips to Costco, keeps all my shopping to local businesses and farmer''s markets. Fuck all you Walmart shoppers. Soon they''ll be the only place to buy shit (as it is in most small towns now) except for ridiculously high end stores. \ \ Then you can wring your fucking hands at how people never dress up to fly anymore and how everyone just wears khakis and a blue chambray shirts to work. Say what happened to personal style anyway? Walmart ate it.

• R55/R61, just curious, was it Porto''s Bakery?

• As been noted, Walgreens and the like fucking rip you off.\ \ 14 pills (1 wk course) for $15 is outrageous. That''s 1.07 a pill....\ \ whereas at Walmart it''s 40 for $12 or 30 cents a pill for the same damn thing.

• How can anyone argue with those kinds of savings r103. That means a great deal to people on tight budgets.

• r101\ \ Are you an idiot. People can see with their own eyes that Walmart has the lowest prices on just about everything. There is no assuming involved.

• Well, I don''t know about your Wal-Marts but our has been selling a lot of dented cans and my friends in Florida say the same thing is happening there. I want to know if Wal-Mart is getting a deal on dented cans and making us pay full price.

• Enjoy your cut rate Mucinex!

  http://www.jasongooljar.com/2007/03/21/walmart-does-not-really-have-the-lowest-prices-always/

• Their milk and meat are the worst, too. Filled with chemicals.\ \ Is Trader Joe%E2%80%99s good to their workers?

• [quote]Their milk and meat are the worst, too. Filled with chemicals.\ \ More so than anyone else''s? Again, I''m no fan of them, but some of the things written about them are kind of foolish. When it comes to manufactured products, there''s little doubt that Wal-Mart versions are often worse. That much I remember from the few times I really had to get something there. \ \ But chemical-laden food? Prove it. From what I''ve read, Wal-Mart is getting bigger into organic produce all the time. Not that I really trust that, either.

  R30

• Yeah, I shop there on a regular basis. But, I live in a small town in Ky.--it is pretty much the only game in town--and while i really don''t enjoy going there that much (you should see it on the first of the month) you can''t argue (at least reasonably) that the prices are great. The only thing I don''t buy there is clothing--I am a homosexual after all!

• I hate having to defend Walmart, but they have to follow the same FDA guidelines as everyone else. Non organic meat is non organic meat. Walmart''s lower prices are due to aggressive negotiating and backroom dealing, not because their products are any different then anyone else''s.

• After reading this thread, I don''t feel so bad about still occasionally shopping at Target. I''ve cut down a lot since the boycott, and don''t go there very much any more, but felt guilty when I did. But if so many of you shop at Wal-Mart... I feel less remorse for my trips to Target.

• [quote] R55/61 just curious, was it Porto''s Bakery?\ \ Yes it was Porto''s.

• [quote]Walmart''s lower prices are due to aggressive negotiating and backroom dealing, not because their products are any different then anyone else''s.\ \ Keep telling yourself that. It''s simply untrue.\ \ I don''t know whether it''s true everywhere, but in the border state where I live, some if not all of their meat and produce comes from Mexico. If you know about Mexico''s lack of standards, nobody in his right mind would eat meat or produce from there.

• R114 if the meat meets FDA guidelines, then it doesn''t matter where the meat comes from. If it tastes funny, then don''t eat it, but they couldn''t sell it if it didn''t meet the USDA standards.\ \ [quote]Under authority of the Federal Meat, Poultry and Egg Products Inspection Acts, FSIS inspects and monitors all meat, poultry and egg products sold in interstate and foreign commerce to ensure compliance with mandatory U.S. food safety standards and inspection legislation

  http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/federal_inspection_programs/index.asp

• We''ve had a Walmart in my small town for about 10 years. We used to have two TruValue hardware stores and one of them closed. Other than that I can''t think of one business that went under.%0D\ %0D\ I suppose if it had been a super Walmart with groceries Safeway would have gone under.%0D\ %0D\ I shop at Walmart.

• You cocks can''t call yourself "Progressives" if you shop at Walmart. You don''t deserve the label. You sweatshop supporting dickweeds.

• I''ve recently noticed local Walmarts have greatly reduced their hardware departments and expanded their pet departments. I guess they were unable to close down Lowes and the Home Depot, so they''re trying to close down Petco and Pet Smart.

• [sound of collective gasp] [bold]Are New Yorkers Secretly Shopping At Wal-Mart?[/bold] New Yorkers say they don't want a Wal-Mart, but their money is talking behind their backs, and its saying something different. According to the NY Post, residents of the city spent $165MM at Wal-Mart last year%E2%80%94and that's not including online, they actually drove to the suburbs just to shop at the low-cost store (allegedly)! Interesting because it seems as though most city folk are rebelling against the company bringing a Wal-Mart to the five boroughs (or maybe it's just union members rebelling a non-unionized retail outlet). In May, our poll revealed that 71% of you were against the chain infiltrating the city. So with these numbers behind them, the chain is "launching an aggressive marketing campaign to open stores in the city," and has hired a consultant (also Mayor Bloomberg's former campaign manager)%E2%80%94Bradley Tusk%E2%80%94to help out. A spokesman for the company told the paper, "We're evaluating opportunities across the five boroughs. It's clear that New Yorkers want to shop our brand." Should Wal-Mart be welcome to the boroughs, or just like Cracker Barrel, is it somewhere that should only exist within driving distance from the city? Lines are being drawn right now, over at the lake of hellfire.

  http://gothamist.com/2010/11/12/wal-mart_2.php

• You are a whole lot more trusting than I am, R115.\ \ There have too many budget cuts that have seriously damaged the USDA''s ability to inspect domestic food products. To believe they''re doing anything but the briefest and most cursory inspections of incoming products seems a little like clapping for Tinkerbell to make her fly, but whatever.

  R114

• R115 seems to think that the inspection process/regulations will guarantee quality.\ \ Perhaps R115 doesn''t remember that there''s a meat recall just about every week these days due to ecoli contamination.

• Then if that''s the case r120, then it would be a problem with all meat, not just Walmart''s.

• Target''s a shitty store. Ever try to find a sales clerk who knows anything about the products, including where they''re located in the store?

  R30

• First time WM shopper today after seeing this thread. Now I know what you folks are talking about.%0D\ %0D\ People hauling out shopping wagons full of cheap, Chinese made plastic junk ripe for landfill in 1 year.%0D\ %0D\ Poor dears at check-out looked like zombies. Weary from the mis-treatment by customers.%0D\ %0D\ What an awful place. No really, a truly awful place to shop.

• R122, I don''t believe anybody is saying imported meat is only being sold at Walmart, but Walmart is by far the biggest seller of imported meat where I live. I don''t buy from other stores that sell imported meat either.\ \ I buy organic grass fed meat directly from the rancher (described by a friend who also owns a ranch as the most finicky cattle rancher she has ever met), but I don''t eat red meat more than once or twice a week.\ \ Since this thread is about Walmart, that''s the store I''m discussing here.\ \ If you wish to continue buying meat and produce at Walmart, have right at it. I know people are so concerned about saving money that they choose to buy low quality and tainted food. That''s not the choice I''m willing to make, but you''re welcome to it.

• I shopped at Walmart when I lived in a college town with few other choices. I bought a lot of ugly clothes and ate a lot of 600-calorie frozen chimichangas.

• Actually, I don''t even shop at Walmart, but the anti WM bias, while I''m sure is possibly deserved, is a little "much". I see a lot of myths and urban legends, but nothing backed up by facts. \ \ The typical WM shopper can''t afford grassfed organic meat from a local rancher. \ \ If you''re on a tight budget then WM is a good choice. I think you need to check your snobbery at the door.\ \ And Hillary Clinton was on the board of WM. I have full confidence that she wouldn''t sit on a board with shady practices and substandard meat.

• [quote]And Hillary Clinton was on the board of WM. I have full confidence that she wouldn''t sit on a board with shady practices and substandard meat\ \ You had me thinking you were serious until this. Good job!

• If you have one nearby, the Walmart is great for paper products, cleaning products, lightbulbs, garbage bags, and such. %0D\ %0D\ Clothing, furniture, electronics? Not so much. You don''t get what you don''t pay for with these items, and you''ll usually regret these purchases at Walmart.%0D\ %0D\ Target = Walmart = Kmart these days, so it really doesn''t matter which one you go to if you''re inclined to shop at a box store.

• [quote]And Hillary Clinton was on the board of WM. I have full confidence that she wouldn''t sit on a board with shady practices and substandard meat.\ \ You''ve started it now! I can hear the Hillary queens pecking at their keyboards!

• [quote]If you''re on a tight budget then WM is a good choice. I think you need to check your snobbery at the door.\ \ Snobbery aside, WM is never a good choice for meat and produce.

• I''m vegan and eat organic and use vegan, organic products as much as possible; thus, I must order many of my products online. Walmart is the only game in town, and I buy whatever I can there. Admittedly it''s not much.

• You are right, R129, all of those stores at the same. Target is a bit cleaner, Wal Mart is trying to make itself for aesthetically pleasing, and Kmart is a fucking disaster that looks like it hasn't been renovated since 1980. I shop at WM about once a month, or less, for a few things that are drastically cheaper there (cleaner for stainless steel, specifically). Here in Ohio, I usually hit Aldi (35% of groceries), Meijer - 50%, and Trader Joe's for the remainder. TJ has excellent prices on a lot of stuff - especially cheeses. We also have a local store - Marc's, which is can be surprisingly low priced sometimes. I very occasionally go to Kroger or Giant Eagle when I'm in desperate need, but their prices are through the roof. The main reason I dread going to WM is the customers and the line-ups at the registers. The customers there really are the bottom of the barrel and for many, it's fucking family outing and it's impossible to get through. And they never have enough cashiers on. I do agree about the quality of the produce - I worked in a produce department for 5 years and can attest that a good amount of the produce at WM is not Grade A standard. Either that or it's not properly cared for in the distribution chain.

• Never EVER venture into a Kmart restroom.

• I love it! Two weeks ago, I bought a new gun, a pregnancy test for Willow, eggs and milk, and a muzzle for Trig! Where else can you do that?!

  Sarah Palin

• [quote]Snobbery aside, WM is never a good choice for meat and produce.\ \ The meat is treated with gas to keep it looking fresh long past the time that regular meat would spoil.\ \ If you''re looking at meat packaged in an unnecessarily deep tray with plastic wrap stretched perfectly across the top, like a seal, it''s been treated with carbon monoxide. The practice has been banned by the European Union and most U.S. groceries don''t use it, but Walmart uses gas to keep everything from hamburger to steaks looking fresh, even when it''s weeks old.

• Where are some of you getting this fantasy bullshit?\ \ LMAO.\ \ I do believe it was Food Lion that was caught soaking rancid meat in bleach and then putting it back out for sale.

  WM sheets are programmed to kill you in your sleep

• I heard that babies disappear in Walmart.

• lol @ killing sheets r137

• I went into Walmart last Wednesday,rith the sole intention of getting my nephew a birthday present.%0D\ %0D\ Well child, I came out with 2 .cushions, Almay Foundation,Queen Helene Body Lotion and 2 boxes of pear soap

• There are no Walmarts (that I know of) in NYC but the one I''ve been to in PA seemed clean (and inexpensive and big!) I would have probably liked it more if I didnt know all the small print behind-the-scenes. Thus I try not to support them.%0D\ %0D\ Ive found KMarts to be dirty (and surprisingly overpriced compared to Walmart, Target, etc). Target is overrated.

• R40, They most certainly do use eminent domain. Walmart uses the Kelo decision to use a town's politician to take the land. Walmart nearly always places their ugly monstrosities on unincorporated areas that don't pay taxes to cities. I'm glad your city is still in good shape but my small town (which in 1988 was voted one of Time Magazine's best) is now down to a skeleton crew in most services (fire, police and parks and rec.) is decimated. The only businesses that survived were the liquor store and the taverns. But sure, all of the points here made against Walmart are myths. They don't let employees work the maximum hours allowed before paying for benefits, they don't fire the employees just weeks before their hire anniversaries that entitle to them to benefits. Walmart doesn't instruct their workers within days of hiring how to apply for such government programs as food stamps or WIC. Walmart never decided that it was just cheaper to dump toxic crap at town landfills and pay a few fines than to dispose of that shit properly. They don't lock their workers in at night and Walmart parking lots aren't the highest crime areas in most precincts. Walmart didn't start the race to the bottom, you selfish assholes who shop there did.

• What does Walmart have to do with your town''s gov''t services (police, fire, etc.) being cut?\ \ I don''t think that anyone on here has said that WM is good and pure, but their business practices are no better or worse than anyone other large corporation''s.

• [quote] What does Walmart have to do with your town''s gov''t services (police, fire, etc.) being cut?\ \ Perhaps you missed the part about Walmarts usually building in unincorporated areas where taxes do not go to cities they serve?\ No taxes = cut in city services.

• [quote]The meat is treated with gas to keep it looking fresh long past the time that regular meat would spoil.\ \ You find that all over now, not just at WalMart.

• Now I''m most likely tripping, but I seem to recall a story a few years ago about a Walmart opening in a small town, driving out almost all of the mom and pop businesses in the little downtown, and then eventually closing. Left the little town high and dry.\ \ Does anyone recall this?

• I avoid it as much as possible. My local Walmart is pretty scuzzy. I call it Skidmart.

• Not exactly what R146 was talking about, but: [bold] As Union Nears Win, Wal-Mart Closes Store [/bold] NEW YORK - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it will close one of its Canadian stores, just as some 200 workers at the location are near winning the first-ever union contract from the world's largest retailer. Wal-Mart said it was shuttering the store in Jonquiere, Quebec, in response to unreasonable demands from union negotiators that would make it impossible for the store to sustain itself. "We were hoping it wouldn't come to this," Andrew Pelletier, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Canada, said Wednesday. "Despite nine days of meetings over three months, we've been unable to reach an agreement with the union that in our view will allow the store to operate efficiently and profitably." Pelletier said the store will close in May. The retailer had first discussed closing the Jonquiere store last October, saying the store was losing money. The United Food & Commercial Workers Canada asked Quebec labor officials to appoint a mediator last week, saying negotiations with Wal-Mart had reached an impasse. Union leaders dismissed Wal-Mart's reasons for closing the store and promised to fight the move. "Wal-Mart has fired these workers not because the store was losing money but because the workers exercised their right to join a union," Michael J. Fraser, national director of UFCW Canada, said in a written statement. "Once again, Wal-Mart has decided it is above the law and that the only rules that count are their rules." Wal-Mart's decision to close the store reflects the retailer's deeply rooted aversion to unions, and its worries that organized labor had nearly established a beachhead, said Burt Flickinger III of Strategic Resource Group, a consulting firm specializing in retailing and consumer goods. But he said the move could backfire for Wal-Mart, which has worked hard to counter a wave of bad publicity and portray itself as a generous employer. "The store closing may potentially catalyze the combination of the government (officials in Canada), organized labor and consumers working together against Wal-Mart," Flickinger said. Claudia Tremblay, a cashier at the store, said many employees burst into tears when managers told them the news Wednesday morning. "Many people cried, including myself," Tremblay said. "I'm a mother of two children and I'm separated from my husband. It's very difficult." Tremblay said she abstained from the unionization vote. She said she was upset her noncommittal stance won't save her job. The store in Jonquiere, about 240 miles northeast of Montreal, became the first unionized Wal-Mart store in North America last September, after the bargaining unit was certified by provincial labor officials. Since then, workers at a second Quebec store have also been granted union status. Neither has reached a contract. The union efforts at both stores are part of a larger chess game labor organizers are waging with Wal-Mart at stores across Canada. The campaign, financed by UFCW money from both Canada and the United States, is also geared toward capturing workers' attention in Wal-Mart's home country. [bold] The closest a U.S. union has ever come to winning a battle with Bentonville, Ark.-based company occurred in 2000 at a store in Jacksonville, Texas, where 11 workers in the store's meatpacking department voted to join and be represented by the UFCW. That effort failed when Wal-Mart eliminated the job of meatcutter companywide, and shifted from in-store meatcutting to stocking only pre-wrapped meat. [/bold]

  http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0210-13.htm

  So fuck the employees. It''s ALL about the bottom line, and busting the union

• So that''s Walmart''s fault r144? Is no one else paying taxes in your town? And how can Walmart build somewhere that isn''t zoned for business?

• Only assholes shop at Walmart.%0D\ %0D\ Only true assholes try to justify why they shop at Walmart.

• [quote] So that''s Walmart''s fault [R144]? Is no one else paying taxes in your town? And how can Walmart build somewhere that isn''t zoned for business?\ \ Not my town, we won''t allow them here. \ \ [quote] And how can Walmart build somewhere that isn''t zoned for business?\ \ Just because an area is zoned for business doesn''t mean the sales taxes it charges goes to the city it serves.\ \ If it is outside city limits sales tax will not go to that city, will it? And if the Walmart drives other businesses IN the city out of business, where are the tax dollars coming from?

  R144

• Is this what you're referring to R146? [bold] Wal-Mart Destroyed My Town and Then Left [/bold] In 1980, Wal-Mart opened a store in the small community of Livingston, Alabama. Residents initially welcomed the new store because with 40% of the town living below the poverty line, job creation and inexpensive goods were seen as a lifeline for the community. However, as the years went by, more and more local stores went out of business as Wal-Mart solidified its power in the area. People began to wonder if Wal-Mart was really changing their town for the better. In 2006, Wal-Mart made the decision to close the Livingston store in order to funnel traffic to a new supercenter in Demopolis, which happens to be 30 miles away. This move would change the town forever%E2%80%A6 Below you will find some comments from a Livingston resident (and Wal-Mart Watch blog reader) on what Wal-Mart did to the town. %E2%80%9CWal-Mart destroyed my small town of Livingston, Alabama, and then left. My town is part of Sumter County - one of the poorest counties in the nation. Surrounded by other extremely poor counties in the heart of the Deep South, retail options are very limited. Wal-Mart closed its local store in 2006 and left without any media coverage at all. I wrote emails and letters and made phone calls to all major newspapers and television stations in the area without any serious response or support. Sumter County is 75% black and about 60% of the people here live below the poverty line. Surely, those facts alone should be good enough to generate some kind of negative feedback. Wal-Mart came to our town, eliminated the downtown competition, created abandoned buildings throughout the town, and then just left for questionable reasons. They closed down shop...when do you hear of a Wal-Mart shutting down because they were building a supercenter 30 miles away? I feel it is a textbook case of Wal-Mart%E2%80%99s practices crippling a small town. It seems to me that what they did to such an impoverished area would generate some kind of humanitarian response.%E2%80%9D

  http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/wal_mart_destroyed_my_town_and_then_left/

• How many of you have an empty Walmart building in your town? We have 4 of those fugly things. Walmart clear cuts an area, builds one of the ugliest buildings ever on top of a sprawling RV infested parking lot and then after about 7-10 years decides to do it again in another area of town. They leave these things behind to rot. No, you can''t turn it into another store or an indoor craft market or a government building or Soviet style apartments or even a fucking ice skating rink b/c Walmart won''t let you. \ \ But hey, they all do it, you have no control over what they do. If only there were some way to punish this giant retail ogre. What could possibly be done to make a shitty store like Walmart change their deplorable business practices? I''ll have to think about it but first I need to go to Walmart. Sweatpants are 5 for 10 dollars!

  Vote with your wallets or live in shit, your choice.

• Damn, you are pathetic, r153.\ \ For an exhilarating change, try taking on the bogeyman under your bed.

• While I don''t shop at Walmart, I find a lot urban legend based mythology about the store posted here. It is based on nothing more than snobbery. You don''t like Walmart''s politics or the people who shop there, so believe any claim against them. Walmart, like all corporations, typically don''t have the best interests of the people its serves at heart. But to single out Walmart for things that all corporations do in one form or another is nothing more than snobbery.

• No particular ideological reason for not shopping at Walmart, but the place itself always makes me feel unclean.

• Walmart has a lot of minority shoppers. Of course DL hates that company.

• WalMart has also provided jobs to thousands of people who would likely be unable to find work elsewhere. Yes, they are low-paying jobs, but at least these people have work and are bringing home a paycheck.\ \ But DataLoungers would prefer to have them on welfare, I guess.

• R158 You REALLY don''t get it. Yes, they work at Walmart, yes they also get public assistance. Food stamps, section 8 etc. They need both because the wages are so low and the hour so short.

• r154, What part of "My hometown is now dead b/c of Walmart''s business practices" don''t you understand? I''m passionate about the subject for a reason. What gets you going? Start a thread. R155, these aren''t "urban legends" Walmart is almost comic book villain level evil but nobody has to make shit up about it. Why the hell are you whiteknighting Walmart on the internet anyway?

• [quote]They need both because the wages are so low and the hour so short.\ \ And this is different from other minimum wage jobs because they work at Walmart?

• I don''t see anyone whiteknighting Walmart. I just don''t understand how Walmart destroyed your town. Doesn''t anyone else pay taxes?

• r160\ \ Up your meds. And, even then, it''s pointless for us to try to argue with the mentally ill.

• How is Walmart different than Target? Does Target pay more? How is it more human and better? Also, what about Kmart? %0D\ %0D\ Why is Walmart the focus of the hate and not other big box stores?

• R164, I don''t shop at any big box stores besides Costco. The title of the thread is "Do You Shop at Walmart" it seems like a good place to discuss reasons why we don''t shop at Walmart. \ \ R163, I''m not sure why you''re accusing me of being mentally ill, it rates about as high as "cheeto fingered typing from Mom''s basement" as far as usefulness and originality but you shop at Walmart, so I can''t expect a lot creativity from you.

• It''s snobbery r164 pure and simple snobbery. \ \ Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Pet Smart, and Best Buy, they all get passes because poor people don''t shop in those big box stores.

• R166, poor people, or [italic]black[/italic] people?

• [quote]Target, Lowes, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Pet Smart, and Best Buy%0D\ %0D\ You might also add almost every fast food franchise, other major retailers, and supermarkets - JC Penney, Marshall''s, Old Navy, Safeway, Albertsons, and on and on. Really, retail is generally shitty work (treatment wise) at low wage.%0D\ %0D\ Unless you''re shopping at food coops and buying your clothes from made-in-America American Apparel, you''re no more moral than anyone else.%0D\ %0D\ Oh, Costco is importing FOOD from China now. Think they''re so much better than Walmart? Think again.

• No r167, poor people.

• I like those Paula Deen desserts. I''m eating some rum pecan pie right now.

• Thanks r152. I think that''s the town I was thinking of. Apparently that''s not the only town they''ve raped.

• In the past: People fought for labor rights, the right to vote, and civil rights, never dreaming of aiding and abetting those who were working to oppose them.\ \ Today: "Fuck you! I save $1.50 on hot pink sweatpants by buying them at WalMart [italic]and[/italic] they still fit me after a meal at Chik Fil A. What do you expect me to do?"

• [quote] You might also add almost every fast food franchise, other major retailers, and supermarkets - JC Penney, Marshall''s, Old Navy, Safeway, Albertsons, and on and on.\ \ I don''t know where you live, but the supermarkets in my state are all union jobs. \ \ So, no. They are NOT the same as minimum wage retail clerks.

• [quote]I don''t know where you live, but the supermarkets in my state are all union jobs.\ \ [quote]So, no. They are NOT the same as minimum wage retail clerks.\ \ Great. Food prices are inflated so the union members can make enough money to pay their union dues to their fat-cat union bosses.\ \ Labor unions are so 19th century. Union membership had been steadily declining since 1983 both in the US and in many other industrialized nations.

• r172, you''re just proving the point about snobbery. In your world, Wally World shoppers are only in it for the cheap sweat pants, before going out for greasy junk food. There''s no mention of the elderly disabled who have to ride along with someone to pick up their necessities, who can''t pay $25 for Zantac. They should just call a cab or go online, right? %0D\ %0D\ I agree with those who have said a lot of the WalMart hate is overblown. I shop there a few times a year, not for groceries, because Kroger is more competitive.

• i really try to avoid shopping there. i travel a lot on business and have had to shop there a few times for things i''ve run out of late at night that i absolutley need. if it''s during the day, i''ll look for another store even if i have to go 20 miles out my way to avoid walmart.

• I make $30,000 a year. I''m not a snob. I actually own a few pair of sweats. I just have morals about spending what little money I have in places that deserve it.

• WALMART SELLS CHEAP CHINESSE ELCTRONICS... THANK YOU WAL MART FOR FUCKING ME ONE MORE TIME!!!!!

• I am currently out of work and on the verge of being dead broke if I don't find work soon. I shop at Walmart for the time being because I truly cannot justify, from a personal financial standpoint, paying a single cent more for anything I need. That being said, I absolutely despise Walmart as a corporation and I feel icky whenever I have to go there. It was a moral dilemma that I did think hard about, and the truth is, I just legitimately cannot afford to put my principles before my pocketbook right now (well, on this one issue at least). I hope more than anything that this all changes very soon. And yes, I'm aware that if it wasn't for all the disgustingly piggish corporate greed that gets a pass in this country and is perpetuated by companies like Walmart, it's likely that a lot of people like me wouldn't be having such a hard fucking time finding work. Believe me, I know it and the quandary makes me sick. To (sort of) answer R164 - This has nothing to do with the ethics of either company, but at least from my perspective, the ambiance at Target is - how shall I put this? - less unpleasant. I know it's not a huge compliment to say that something is merely less objectionable than its most notable counterpart, but there's something about each and every Walmart store that just feels "off." The whole vibe is weird and depressing, like stepping into an alternate universe that sucks people's souls out. All big box stores feel that way to me to an extent, but Walmart really has it down in its own freakish way. I also really fucking hate that their generic store brand stuff is labeled "Great Value!" It's like they're rubbing it in my face that I'm too broke to buy any other brand. I'm sure this is just me being a tad bit overly dramatic, but I always rip the "Great Value" brand labels off of everything whenever I can. I don't need little reminders around the house that I have to shop at fucking Walmart and buy their shitty brand.

• I've never been to a Walmart before. I live in NY so perhaps that's why. It doesn't seem like I'm missing out on much based on the stories I've heard. I still would like to go one day just to see what the big deal is about. Walmart seems to be more of a suburban and rural fixture. With the exception of McDonalds, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Duane Reade, Macys, and a handful of other stores, national chains/dept stores (Walmart, Target, 7/11,) are generally really unpopular in the city.

  Anonymous

• Oh heavens no. I mean what if one of those, shall we be charitable and say, minorities, was working there and eating junk food on company time? I mean God knows what those people do to the items. Give me Nordstrom and Whole Foods any day.

• I have to agree Whole Foods is great. They are costly but you get what you pay for. I mean would you rather eat one Godiva Chocolate or ten pounds of that white crusted Walmart chocolate?

• Yes. I live three blocks from one, so I walk over about once a week to shop. I don't buy meat there or shop in their bakery. But I buy a lot of canned goods, produce and gardening supplies there.

• No. I was in a Walmart on three ocassions. Two times I was with other people. Did not buy anything - thought it was very depressing, though. One time I actually went by myself and bought towels. When you put them in the wash with other clothes, little bits come off and stick to the other clothes. They still do this, a year later.

• NEVER. Shopping at Walmart only contributes to the demise of the USA.

• I'm watching Undercover Boss right now with the CEO at Modell's. They pay minimum wage to people who are breaking their backs at their distribution center (the CEO said he was surprised by employees' low pay). The featured employee takes home $230/week working full time. My neighbor works at Macy's for $8/hour and no commission. She's on food stamps. K-Mart employees are equally low paid. So, as much as I hate Wal-Mart, I know they are the tip of the iceberg. I only wonder why other stores are not called out on their horrible practices.

• No. Wal-Mart is evil.

• r187, is W-M more evil than these other stores? If so, precisely how?

• R180 - I live in Seattle, without a car, so it's kind of similar for me. No Wal-Marts nearby, although I do go with my mom in Florida. We have two Targets here, although the one downtown is kind of, well, downmarket even though it's quite new. The "nicer" one is a long-ish bus ride away. We don't have many (non fast food) chain restaurants, aside from Red Robin; the Olive Garden (near the nicer Target) folded years ago.