I don't shop at fucking Walmart!!!

[motely36]

I am so sick of people saying things like

"Ohhh...did you get that at Wal-Mart"
or
"Wal-Mart has really good prices on such and such"

And then when I tell people why I don't shop at Wal-Mart they look at me like I'm crazy. Or they make excuses about how convenient it is.

I will never shop at Wal-Mart!

Argggh...it makes me mad. :mad:

[grace0418]

1. Oh I know! My husband's extended family is really conservative so I

usually keep my mouth shut about politics when I'm around them. They don't bring up politics much themselves so it's usually fine BUT they always go on and on about Walmart and/or Sam's Club and how awesome they are.

On Sunday we were at my in-laws house celebrating Easter and talk turned to the new CostCo being built in the suburb where most of my husband's family lives. My brother-in-law, my husband and I (who thankfully do NOT live in that suburb) started talking about how much we love CostCo. Then my husband's cousin asked "How much is the membership? I heard it was $5 or $10 more than Sam's Club." and I had to bite my tongue because I really wanted to say something about how evil the Walmart empire was and how it was totally worth it to spend more for a CostCo membership. I kept it together, though. There are some people it's not worth trying to convince.

[OhioBlue]

7. I usually try to drop subtle reasons

for not shopping at Wal-Mart with Conservatives -

such as well, I don't support them b/c they use the taxpayers to subsidize their business - for instance, in Ohio they have the largest number of employees of all corporations that are on medicare/medicaid. Other corporations provide full-time employment and health care so that taxpayers aren't picking up the cost of health insurance for their employees. Wal Mart uses the taxpayer provided health care to gain an advantage in the market.....

Or, I simply point out that the stuff you buy at Wal-Mart is usually junk - I would rather invest in something of quality than waste my money on their products..

Also - if you need a few grocery items and go to a small, local grocer, you usually buy those items and leave, when you go to Wal Mart, you usually end up buying extra that you don't need and spend an extra $40 - $50.

[grace0418]

18. I do that if asked but it's generally not wise to tryto engage that side

of the family in any meaningful debate, subtle or otherwise. If someone asks me point blank, "why don't you buy that at Walmart?" I will say "Because I refuse to shop at Walmart." If they ask more questions I tell them why. Otherwise I've realized it's a lost cause trying to convert these people.

[NewJeffCT]

49. That's a good tactic

It's the same in Connecticut - the state spends millions providing health care for Wal-Mart employees.

[smtpgirl]

50. Yeah like that infamous $20 DVD player that Sam's/Wal-mart

was selling at Christmas. I'll BET that DVD player is still going strong today. NOT

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. Our Costco membership is 5 dollars cheaper than our Sam's Club

membership. :hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Gotta get my mind outta the gutter...

I read your topic as "I don't stop fucking at Walmart!!!

I don't shop there either. And when somebody tells me about this great deal or that wonderful item they bought there, I tell them I don't shop there because of their atrocious business practices which, in the end, cost us more money than we save in "bargains".

[graywarrior]

3. I despise WalMart

I bought a pair of their Faded Glory pants at Goodwill, tho. Did I mention that I hate Goodwill?

[windy252]

4. I've always been too embarassed to say anything

when I hear things like "Oh, you could get that at Wal-mart."

[Deja Q]

5. Not always.

It's the same slop everyone else has, but sometimes at lower prices; I've compred a few everyday items as as cupholders, spice racks, paper towel holders, etc. I nitpick and shop accordingly. Many don't and end up paying the same amount for things anyway. They just assume that because walmart is lower on one thing means they're lower on everything. They aren't.

[grace0418]

9. Oh that's totally their m.o.

They talk about their low prices, but once they've driven away all the competition, they jack them back up. Or, in the case of the Walmarts in the Chicago area (where it wouldn't be possible to drive away all the competition), they keep people hooked with insanely low prices on a few items and slowly increase other stuff. They make their billions, one way or another.

[hatredisnotavalue]

6. Be very careful about getting what you do buy at Walmart

I am in a dilemma in that if I need a package of copier paper or a printer cartridge, I can either drive 30 miles roundtrip to Walmart or 100 miles to the nearest city to another store.

So I have to go with Walmart to save gas. And if I am there I buy my groceries.

Three trips ago, I neglected to get the bag with the printer cartridge in it and had to drive back. Which is okay. But on the very next time, I got home and found that I didn't get the bag with a CD I had bought. And had to drive back down. This last time, I put my stuff in the cart, and asked the clerk if I had all of the bags.

Oopps!!! I didn't get the bag with the a memory stick in it. Maybe it's me, but I find this really odd.

[XemaSab]

8. Walmart is the great Satan

They're building a new store in Clovis just because the Fresno store was making noises about a union. The new store is about 3 miles from the old store, and the old store is an "anchor" for a shopping center.

Honestly, does it get much more horrible than that? Unionbusting by building a whole new store? I really don't think it does.

:puke:

[grace0418]

10. And then they'll close the Fresno store and completely bankrupt the

entire shopping center with it. Yep, sounds like Walmart. Evil to the core.

[XemaSab]

27. Yup

And did I mention that the location of the new store is currently in ag? :shrug:

[Initech]

11. I wholeheartedly endorse this statement

Wal-Mart is the devil. And this proves it.

[Orrex]

12. Do you condemn the wholesalers who supply Wal*Mart, as well?

Or is it just the consumers, many of whom have no option other than Wal*Mart, due to reasons of finance or geography.

Just curious.

[Crazy Dave]

14. Don't you just love people who say:

"I hate Wal-Mart and I never shop there except for prescriptions and school supplies". They remind me of the same type of people with the 5000 sq. ft. "green homes" and pull up to the environmental rallies in their "Hummers" saying: "Well, I only drive one because I need to with my two kids".

I never shop there because I hate the place period.

[grace0418]

16. Well a lot of wholesalers would actually prefer not to supply Walmart but

feel they have no choice either. It's either supply Walmart and make next to no profit at all or don't supply Walmart and go out of business. I remember reading an interview with a guy from (I believe) Rubbermaid who said they were forced to streamline their operations in a way they weren't happy about in order to supply Walmart or be forced out of business by Walmart. Walmart dominates the market in so many areas that many manufacturers can't survive if they don't play Walmart's game by Walmart's rules.

[Orrex]

21. True, but

If we accept this sort of self-preservation from wholesalers, we must accept it from consumers, as well.

A lot of consumers may prefer to buy from the Mom&Pop store, but Mom and Pop don't stock Item X or else charge 150% of Wal*Mart's price for it. It's either buy from Wal*Mart or pay a lot more for the same item elsewhere (or do without). And if it's a necessary item (like baby formula) this isn't much of a choice.

Some here on DU (not you, grace0418, but in general) are eager to criticize Wal*Mart's customers, as though those customers have a wide range of options and are shopping at Wal*Mart expressly to further the agenda of an evil uber-corporation. Is it possible that, in many cases, people shop at Wal*Mart because their circumstances (level of income, etc.) demand it?

Wal*Mart's horrid business policies are not the fault of the consumer, very few of whom contribute more than one-thousandth of a percent to Wal*Mart's bottom line (and by whom a Wal*Mart boycott, therefore, would be utterly pointless).

Instead, Wal*Mart's influence upon government--local, state, and federal--should be sharply curtailed, and all special treatment of Wal*Mart by governmental agencies should be terminated immediately. If Wal*Mart were held to the same standards as any other business, I suspect that their abusive practices would diminish fairly rapidly.

[grace0418]

28. I know what you're saying Orrex and I agree.

I know you didn't mean me specifically. :hi:

I don't blame customers who shop at Walmart out of necessity. However I also recognize that many people do have other options and decide not to take them. Even those of us who aren't surrounded by malls can make purchases online as long as we have computers and internet access. Obviously that doesn't work so well for last minute items or for the growing number of people below the poverty line, but I find I can stock up on most essentials with little difficulty. That's where the difference lies, IMHO. You or I might end up paying a dollar more but we can choose to purchase things from other places, online or in-person. Many suppliers simply cannot survive if they don't supply to Walmart.

It's a bit of a chicken/egg argument anyway I suppose. Ultimately I still blame the Walmart corporation first and foremost for their predatory and unfair business practices.

[Orrex]

30. "I still blame the Walmart corporation first and foremost "

That's a much better summation of my intended point than I was able to come up with--thanks!

Great sig-rebus, by the way!

[grace0418]

34. Thanks.

Sig-rebus. That's a funny word. It sounds like something Homer Simpson would say. :)

[Bridget Burke]

31. I haven't seen anyone condemning WalMart customers....

Just WalMart.

[grace0418]

33. Oh I've seen DUers jump on anyone who posts that they shop at Walmart.

Some DUers just get a little overzealous in their condemnation. I understand the reasoning, but I don't think it's entirely fair. Especially in cases where people have no other options.

[Bridget Burke]

36. I was referring to THIS thread.

That's why my answer was in this thread.

[grace0418]

43. That's fine, but I think Orrex was referring to the

attitude in general. So I think it was an honest mistake. Sorry.

[Orrex]

35. Really?

I've seen a number of threads over the months wherein DU'ers have written quite harshly against those who shop at Wal*Mart. It's not necessarily other DU'ers who receive the ire, but the average consumer.

I'll cast about to find an example thread if you'd like.

[Bridget Burke]

37. As I just stated above....

Since I am in this thread, I'm referring to messages I have not seen in this thread.

The "average consumer" doesn't need to go to WalMart unless they live in the back of the beyond. Perhaps some people need to go for financial reasons--but reports vary about WalMart's cheapness on all items.

I live in a big city with many shopping options. And lots of WalMart customers I know are NOT needy at all. Of course, I don't avoid WalMart because of moral superiority. I walked right out of the first one I ever entered because it was a depressing dump--long before I had the background.

[Orrex]

38. Well, DU's a big place

If we confine conversations only to the posts already in a given thread, then we wouldn't be able to discuss much of anything, would we?



My wife enjoys knitting. To acquire yarn, we can either drive 45 minutes in each direction to the nearest fabric store, or we can go to Wal*Mart, about 15 minutes round trip.

We're not "needy," per se, but it simply makes no sense to drive an hour and a half to get something that's only a fraction of that distance away.

To acquire a car seat for my toddler, I can buy one at KMart for $49.99, or I can get the same model at Wal*Mart for $34.99.

Wal*Mart may not be the cheapest source of all items, but it is the cheapest source of some items.

And as far as the "depressing dump" bit goes, well, that may be a valid concern, and I can sympathize with your vibe. I went into a "Party City" store that instantly bummed me out. I don't know if it was the half-power fluorescent lighting or the sad, wilting paper decorations, but it was enough to convince me never to go back.

[Bridget Burke]

44. Yet another reason that I'm glad I'm not....

A hick from the sticks!

[NewWaveChick1981]

13. I boycott Wal Mart too.

It used to be (many years ago) that Sam Walton started a "made in the USA" campaign and sold as many made in USA goods as possible, but that fell by the wayside when he died. I've never been a Wal Mart shopper, but I won't even entertain the idea of shopping there now. They are almost singlehandedly responsible for the increased demand for cheap overseas crap and the resulting economic damage inflicted on the US.

I've never had anyone ask me if something I was wearing or had in my house was gotten at Wal Mart. I'd consider it a major insult if they did.

[Road Scholar]

15. Ditto for the regular Wal Mart too!! nt LOL

:rofl:

[caty]

17. They are going to build

a new WalMart just a few blocks from where I live. I will have to put up with the mess while they destroy the shopping center that is there now. And the mess while they build it. Then I will have to put up with the extra traffic it will generate when it is opened. And, I will NEVER shop there.:banghead:

[CanuckAmok]

19. My mom always does that to me.

But she gets all passive/aggressive about it, in her typical way:

mom: "where did you get that cat-food?"

me: "Save-On."

mom: "It's much cheaper at Wal*Mart. Oh, but you won't shop there, that's right."

me: "No."

mom: "Well maybe you should."

me: "Okay."

[GirlinContempt]

41. Stop pretending my Mum is your Mom

It's getting creepy

[MANative]

20. Wal-Mart sucks on many levels...

I have never shopped in a Wal-Mart and never will. Aside from their horrific political alliances, their predatory business practices significantly contributed to the demise of a company (regional discount chain store) that I worked for - and LOVED working for - for many years. My career has suffered since then. My mother shops there once in a while - she says she ONLY buys yarn - and always hides the bags when I visit. I can't seem to convince her that yarn can be bought elsewhere.:grr:

[jukes]

22. i despise walmart

and wdnt spend a dime on their crap.

[AngryAmish]

23. WalMart has very good prices on golf balls

[Squatch]

24. I do. There's one not 2 miles from my house.

[LynneSin]

25. There are 9 fricking Wal-marts within 30 miles of my home

and they're looking to build 2 more.

I'd rather spend a night boinking Karl Rove than to shop at a Wal-mart

[davsand]

26. My kid said this on her homework earlier this year.

Well, she left off the "fucking" part. That might have presented an issue.



My 8 year old had a homework assignment with an essay question that asked "If you had $100 and went to Walmart, what would you buy?"

My kid looked at that question, looked up at us and said, "We don't SHOP at Walmart!"

She went on to answer the question that we don't shop at Walmart, but that if she could go to Target with that $100 she'd buy...



I had to tell everyone we know about that one.



Laura

[sbj405]

29. That was a homework assignment?

Strange. :crazy:

[davsand]

39. It was a writing exercise.

This particular teacher has mentioned Wallyworld a couple of other times. Makes me flinch, but it has not been enough yet to send me in there to "discuss" the issue.

You'd THINK that as member of the teachers' union that lady would be more aware...



Laura

[1gobluedem]

32. I loathe Wal Mart

In fact I hiss whenever I pass one or one of their trucks. The thought of Wal Mart makes me almost physically ill and always has. I use the taxpayer subsidies on my few friends who shop there too which has made two of them stop shopping there.

[mitchum]

40. Never have, never will

[frankenforpres]

42. i dont like wal mart

but i dont see how target/sears etc are really any better

wal mart is a dump, but i guess they have low prices, i dont really know. seriously, where are we "allowed" to shop? which retailers pay well? i guess what im saying is, sure, i dont shop at wal mart, but i dont feel like im saving the world by not shopping there, and i dont begrudge those that are trying to save a buck.

i just think health care of the employees is the issue, but i think the fix is national health care, not picketing wal mart.

[windlight]

45. my fav way of replying

after i tell someone i don't shop at walmart and they say what you said is: If you do a 'little tiny bit' of shopping you will find better prices just about everywhere. these people are too F$@#%ng lazy thats all...

[swimboy]

47. Me fucking neither!!!

Good on you! :applause:

[proud2BlibKansan]

48. Last time I was in WalMart

I don't remember what I was buying, but every once in awhile, I go in there when I can't find something I want in any other store. Anyway, I was standing in line and the guy behind me had a toilet seat in his hand that he was buying. He smiled at me and told me that he was so happy this toilet seat was a lot less than the one he almost bought at a hardware store down the street. So I said "Well that hardware store probably pays their employees a living wage and provides health insurance for them". He looked at me and said "Wow I never thought of it that way."

When I got to the register to pay, the cashier said "Thank you so much for what you said. People don't realize how bad they treat us here."