The Long Road

08/04/2003 Archived Entry: "Wal-Mart"

I hate Wal-Mart. Not only is it The Big American Corporation trying to muscle in on every possible retail market there is, but the atmosphere in the store is horrible! The low prices seem to attract all kinds of unsavory people to shop there. I feel like total white trash shopping next to 10 year old girls wearing almost nothing, large tattoo’d men, and mothers yelling at one of their 6 kids. I’m much more of a The Bay kinda guy but when shopping at Wal-Mart, it helps to dress the part; I was there today in my 9 year old tank top and 8$ Wal-Mart shorts. The worst is that the Wal-Mart is always so crowded - it’s a zoo.

Funny thing too, a couple of really young girls were running around buying candy in Wal-Mart when I was there. We left and went to Chapters and when we came out, those same girls were in front of Future Shop peddling what they had just bought from Wal-Mart AND they had removed a layer of clothing from their already underdressed selves.

Yes, Wal-Mart is owned by people who are richer than I will ever be, has the biggest consumer database on the planet as well as one of the best inventory systems in existance, the stores still feel like white trash.

Richard says that it all depends on which Wal-Mart you go to. And yes, the South Keys one is particularly bad but I’ve never been inside a Wal-Mart and thought that the place was nice.

Anyways, to recap: Wal-Mart – I don’t like it.

Replies: 11 comments

I've been once on the south keys wal mart and i've got to admit i didn't like it. A lot less than the one i go to in Repentigny, which is rather nice compared to it.

Your whole post was pretty snobbish, tho! I read it like you were saying:
"I don't like Wal-Mart, they have cheap prices and the people who go there aren't good enough for me. I'd rather go to The Bay, where everything is so more costly and there aren't as many people".

Dry Martini with your 45$ t-shirt, sir?

Posted by Étienne @ 08/05/2003 10:18 AM EST

Have to agree with Etienne...the post does linger on the snobbish side...not all of us are as fortunate...

Thai...you can never really "be" white trash...:P!!!...so stop feeling it...;)

Posted by dAN @ 08/05/2003 12:14 PM EST

ya I know, I can be quite the snob sometimes. Of course I'm not saying that everyone who shops at Wal-Mart is white trash, after all I shop there (me = not white). Sorry if I offended anyone =)

Posted by Rayne @ 08/05/2003 03:15 PM EST

I find department stores in general are aimed at not me. They're aimed at younger kids and families. I feel just as out of place in The Bay as I do in Zellers or Wal-Mart. I'll still go to any of those three places if they have something I need, I just feel like I'm intruding and my visit is lived in fear of being discovered as an infiltrator.

Posted by Romer @ 08/07/2003 03:39 AM EST

i feel the same way. maybe it's cause i go in, intending not to purchase anything. but then i do that with most stores, not just department stores.

i think a grocery store is the only place i'd go to with the explicit purpose of buying something every time. you don't go and browse around grocery stores :)

Posted by shawnathan @ 08/07/2003 09:34 AM EST

I shop at our WalMart all the time for the prices. Look, when you have three kids, a mortgage, a car payment or two, and all the bills that go with everyday life (when you are an adult not living in Mommy and Daddy's house) you need all the savings you can get.

The REAL problem with WalMart, and stores like it, is just how bad they are when it comes to driving out local, small business who compete in the same areas as WalMart, which is now EVERYTHING. WalMart has cheaper everything, and small guy can't compete. Thus loss of small business, good quality service, and a sense of community.

The "White Trash" remarks are indeed snobbish, but I have felt the same many times in WalMart myself.

Tim

Posted by Tim Robertson @ 08/07/2003 01:17 PM EST

What I also find troublesome is that the larger groceries store are now trying to become a one-stop shop by expanding into low-cost clothing, furniture, housewares, etc. The little guys now suddenly have a lot more competition.

Tim, out of curiosity, how did you find your way to rayne.woot.net?

Posted by Rayne @ 08/07/2003 06:02 PM EST

The idea is not new. Remind yourself of 19th century's general store.

This is quite the same, on a very huge scale.

Posted by Étienne @ 08/07/2003 06:50 PM EST

yea...Wal-Mart is basically a huge convenience store but with ROCK BOTTOM PRICES (!!!).

Posted by Rayne @ 08/19/2003 02:08 AM EST

I used to work at Wal*Mart. Now I'm working at Sears, which is considered a "higher end" store. However, the way the management treats their employees at Sears is so much worse than Wal*Mart. Everyone seems to have a stick up their a$$ and there is no positive encouragement at all. I thought that maybe it was just my store, but one of my friends worked at another Sears location and she quit due to the unprofessional management. We both fully support Wal*Mart (as ex-employees!) and though things may have been rough working there with the loads of customers shopping, at least there was positive reinforcement by most of the management. Sorry Sears, your "high-end" stores will NEVER be as successful as WAL*MART!!! :)

Posted by Pro Wal*Mart! @ 12/14/2003 11:11 PM EST

yeah, I worked at The Bay for a while and everything was so strict. All of the supervisors, department heards had no sense of humour at all. And as someone with a ...abrasive sense of humour I didn't come off too well with them. haha, ah the memories.

Posted by Rayne @ 12/19/2003 04:37 AM EST