I hate Wal-mart. The stores are usually dirty unless they are brand new, the people are not polite most of the time, and I hate how they run out the small business owner. However, I don't have a lot of extra money, so I feel like I "have to" shop there. Plus it's less than a block from my house so it saves gas and I can go grocery shopping there too, most of the products are cheaper than Publix, where I used to shop.

I hate Walmart sooo much (sorry, just had to say that). The lines are so long and the place is so crowded. :furious:

:tay: When I go to Walmart I will usually check out in other areas besides the main cash registers like in the jewlery department or the garden center. It goes faster that way.

Yep, WalMart. It's the cheapest place to get the toothpaste and deodorant that dh and I use (beats the health food store prices by a mile) and they are carrying more organics now (some of which are cheaper than the health food store sales, some are not).

I really dislike going to grocery stores I don't normally visit for just the specials. If the clerks don't know you and see that you are just buying the special items I get that 'look'. Has anyone else experienced this? Or am I just being paranoid? :screwy:

Walmart - Oh, my goodness - The prices are great in our area because of competition. But, in the area down south where Walmart has run off all the local competition the prices have gone way up! Such a change in prices can not be coincidental.
- Then the crying children with parents who just don't hear their kids pleas for the bathroom, or food, or whatever and those parents who are pinching, yelling or hitting their children! Makes me just sick thinking about it!

Walmart in my area is fine. its only 2 years old, so its clean, always friendly. And they never have enough at the tills. I try to go during less bust times, our prices are great.lowest around. But if they ever put Zellers out of buisnesss, just next door, I bet the prices will go up too. I heard lots of bad stories about certain areas in states people trying to keep them out, and they have for years.

Where to start...

I loath walmart. I know this is going to sound horrible and hateful, but the walmart nearest my home is ghetto. The people that shop there are rude. Instead of being friendly, most of the check out people just complain about their jobs to me. It is poorly stocked, and usually a mess. But...to save a few cents I go there for toiletries, cat supplies, diapers, cleaning stuff, and the few convenience foods that I buy are still cheaper there than anywhere else I have found in town.

I only go to Kroger when they have good sales. At my local Kroger they understaff and I usually end up bagging my own groceries. I wouldn't mind doing this if their prices were more reasonable. If I'm gonna pay good money I want better service.

Fiesta has good sales, especially on meat and produce. Their cuts of meat are sometimes a bit odd, but the overal quality isn't too bad. (I got chicken for 17cents/lb last week). I just don't like going there because most of the employees don't speech english and I feel like I crossed the border.

Food Town. has good prices on meat, produce, and canned food. They always bag my groceries and usually take it to the van. The store is just dirty looking.

If I want to travel a bit I go tothe other side of town to HEB (or a cleaner walmart). The store is pretty clean has good sales and a very friendly staff. They also have gourment food sections, that are frivolous, but fun to try occasionally. I just hate driving that far.

Sorry I got a bit long winded. I guess I just realized that I absolutely hate shopping anymore. I used to enjoy it. I would take my time going down the aisles and it would be kinda relaxing. It doesn't help that I can never go without my 2 yr old and he is at a totally rotten stage.

What I don't like is I usually go to 2-3 stores each week to take advantage of the loss leaders. This really helps me save money, but I get tired of doing it. But I just can't justify paying double for something that is on sale across the street, I would rather just stop there on my way home.

Jennifer

I'm lucky with the Walmart I have. When I first moved to this side of town I hated it, and would drive back to the newer and much larger one closer to where I used to live because their selection was much better. However, I soon saw the error of my ways. It was always packed -- parking lot, aisles, check out. The smaller, older store (but still a "super Walmart" with groceries) is now my choice. It is only a few blocks from me, and working evenings, I can go during the day when it is never crowded; I can usually park close to the door, and check out quickly. This used to be the upscale edge of town, but that's shifted toward the new store, leaving us in, relatively speaking, a quiet backwater. Now when I'm on the other side of town I sometimes think I'll run in the newer one for something, but I take one look at the parking lot and just keep driving. I almost never, ever want to buy anthing that badly.

The older one is reasonably clean, and the Walmart staff is just Walmart staff, some lovely people, some pretty surly. But I suspect many of the surly ones are struggling with such high stress lives that it would probably make me surly too, just from anxiety and exhaustion. And plenty of the customers are surly to them, which I'm sure doesn't sweeten their temper. On the whole, it's not a really "fun" place, like Joann fabrics or Petsmart, but it's functional and has much of what I need, and there's no denying the prices are better. It may be driving out the little people here, but the other chains, grocery and others, seems to be holding their own well enough.

I've hated Wal-mart since they closed K-mart in our town. Its been so much more crowded since. The staff isn't rude there, its the other customers. Park their cart in the middle of the aisle and don't care that you're trying to get by, screaming kids, etc. But I can't beat the prices for paper goods, cleaning supplies, personal care stuff like shampoo, deodorant, etc. I try to shop at off-peak times, then it isn't so bad but I still just get what I need and get out. But I NEVER shop there between Thanksgiving and Christmas because that store is a madhouse then. Oh and the staff may not be rude, but you can never find someone when you need help. I talked with someone I know who used to work there (and she actually worked, lol) and she said alot of the floor clerks hide, and if they can't hide and they have to walk the floors and they are asked for help they say that its not their department even if it is. (same thing happens at Home Depot here). We're getting a Walgreens sometime this year, maybe that will ease things a bit at Walmart.

I despise Walmart. I haven't gone in a long time, as it is a little out of the way. Will go to discount food places, Aldi..etc instead. They are out of the way too, though. The closest and most convenient to my house is Kroger and I despise them too, though not as much as Walmart.

There isn't any place that I hate shopping. I'm not fond of SuperWalmart, but I don't hate it. I dislike the crowds and the aisles filled with boxes on pallets. I dislike that the selection is often poor, but I can't say that I hate it. Thankfully, I have a Walmart Neighborhood Market very nearby, and it is always clean, well-stocked, and rarely crowded, so I don't usually have to go to SuperWalmart.

I live very close to the next town over (as in, less than one mile). Some of the shops in the next town are actually closer to me than the ones in my town. The other town has a Petsmart that is nearby, but it's much smaller than my town's Petsmart, and it isn't as well stocked. I prefer my town's Petsmart (not to mention that part of the sales tax in my town goes to the library!), but I usually shop at the Petsmart in the next town. The other town's Petsmart often sends me coupons for $3-$5 off my purchases. That's a really good savings, IMO, especially considering my cats' brand of food never seems to have coupons anymore.

Do the walmarts where you live check your receipts everytime you leave the store? The yucky walmart I mentioned in my other post has their greeter mark your receipt when you leave the store. I asked why and they said it prevents theft. I don't see how, they don't actually check the bags, they just run a highlighter through the total. I have never had this done at any other walmart (and I've been to a tons of them). It can really be a pain in the rear. I almost always use my debit card and put my receipt in my wallet so I don't loose it or forget to write it in my checkbook. So I either end up digging it out at the last minute. Or when I'm leaving the store and there is a line of people by the greeter (because they are actually checking someones bag) I don't want to wait in line with them. I want out of the store, a person shouldn't have to wait to get out of the store. There have even been times that I didn't see the greeter, but then I'm halfway out the door and they come running after me. At times it is beyond ridiculous.

I dislike Walmart for many of the same reasons listed above. I live in a medium sized city...about 200,00 people. We currently have 4 Walmarts, one within a 10 minute drive of my house. Walmart came in and said they wanted to build 2 more stores...one in a pretty economically depressed area (southside)that actually needed some retail, and one about 4 blocks from my neighborhood (northside). There were all kinds of protests from neighbors and small business owners since we already have one close by. Walmart told the city - "fine...you don't let us build the one on the northside, then we won't build the one on the southside." Walmart pulls this kind of crap all the time in cities and I dispise it! I will gladly pay a few dollars more at another store than shop there!

I don't hate any store but I don't care for our local Wal-Mart (ghetto, dirty, poorly stocked) and I don't like shopping at Meijer (too big, too many "bait and switch", too hard to find things I need). I just got back from Meijer this afternoon, swearing never to shop there again. ;)

I dislike Walmart for various reasons ( alway crowed and long lines at the few checkouts) but being as I live in a town that has one teeny and very expensive grocery store, I drive 30 minutes to the next town over and use Wal -mart. It's either that or drive all over to get both toiletries and groceries while I'm there. Plus Walmart is cheaper which is the biggest reason I make myself go there.

It's like Christmas or something at that Walmart all the time. In fact, there are other Wal-marts if I wanted to drive at least an hour away in several directions, but they are just as crowded. Is there such a thing as a Wal-mart that isn't crowded all the time? lol

Forgot to add, when I come back from Wal-mart, I am literally worn out.I wonder if anyone else feels tired after grocery shopping? :-)

I have been shopping alot at Homeland, since they started doubling up to $1.00 coupons. Sometimes I feel like they think I am "stealing or cheating the store", because I usually have a coupon for everything in my cart. They never seem very happy to check out my order. I usually save anywhere from 70-95%, so I keep coming back.

Ditto on my walmart too. Its ghetto, dirty and crowded. I travel down to Logan, OH and I'm ASTOUNDED at how friendly and helpful everyone is. And the store is clean and well stocked!

I won't set foot in a Walmart. Ours locally is dirty, workers are rude. The workers are often treated poorly by management. Everything they sell is made in China which is not good for American factory workers. Walmart runs moms and pops out of towns. Walmart pays the workers poorly and doesn't provide adequate/affordable health care for many of their workers. There is a great movie/documentary which chronicles how awful Walmart is. I think you can learn about it on WWW.Bravenewfilms.com

Here we have a Zellers. I hate it. The people are fine, but the place is old and very dirty. :S

I won't set foot in a Walmart. Ours locally is dirty, workers are rude. The workers are often treated poorly by management. Everything they sell is made in China which is not good for American factory workers. Walmart runs moms and pops out of towns. Walmart pays the workers poorly and doesn't provide adequate/affordable health care for many of their workers. There is a great movie/documentary which chronicles how awful Walmart is. I think you can learn about it on WWW.Bravenewfilms.com

Wal-mart is 'government-subsidized business'. Many of the employees are part-time workers, therefore not eligible for benefits. In most places they pay lower than average wage for the area, so workers cannot afford to buy their own health coverage. So they end up on state sponsored health care, especially if they have children, WIC, etc. Wal-mart employees end up still partly or mostly subsidized by the gov't.

I do not like Kmart in fact I haven't been there since last summer, when we went there to get a tent that was on sale and stood for 20 minutes for someone to help us and that was only when my dh went in the back to get someone and the guy told him to get out, he would be with him shortly. I'm not a big person but I was so upset I just yanked that box with the tent right of the shelf and put it on the cart. It had to weigh at least 80lbs or more, ( its a huge outdoor tent for parties or etc.) Then I went up front and I let them know how horrible their service was. My dh has degentive disc disease, so he couldn't begin to lift it.
I like Walmart, they have alot of good deals, we have one on the south end and one on the north end. I will not go to the one on the north end, the people are rude over there.

We rarely go to Walmart, I probably haven't been there in at least 6 months. I also make sure to NEVER go the first few days of the month, ugh, they are absolutely over run then with TONS of people whow just got their SS/welfare/unemployment checks etc, loud dirty kids, non english speaking families fighting, etc, etc. I also am extremely disgusted that they have signs in both english and spanish, I'm in OHIO, geez, nearly the Canadian border, we speak ENGLISH HERE!!

I shop at Aldis, Goodwill and Rural King (farm store) oh, and my twice monthly run to the feed mill, now the feed mill is my FUN shopping, the guys are my buddies, catch up on farm community gossip and they always load the truck for me, just can't get them to come home with me to unload, lol.

Walmart also REALLY hurt our town about 12 years ago, Rubbermaid was origionally located here, when rubbermaid went to put in a discount store Walmart told them if they did that they would pull Rubbermaid products from ALL WALMART STORES. Now that was nasty!

kj

For me it's the grocery store Tops only a few blocks away (walking distance). I only shop the loss leaders that we use, but I hate the store. The staff is rude. They are always out of advertised items. They give me a hard time about coupons sometimes. Their prices scan wrong. I just hate them. Yesterday I took a trip to Aldi's and the staff was super pleasant and I found almost everything I was looking for. Obviously, the variety is smaller and it's farther away, but it's my preference for sure. I only go to Tops if there is something I absolutely feel we need to buy (ie cheapest we'll get it).

We rarely go to Walmart, I probably haven't been there in at least 6 months. I also make sure to NEVER go the first few days of the month, ugh, they are absolutely over run then with TONS of people whow just got their SS/welfare/unemployment checks etc, loud dirty kids, non english speaking families fighting, etc, etc. I also am extremely disgusted that they have signs in both english and spanish, I'm in OHIO, geez, nearly the Canadian border, we speak ENGLISH HERE!!

kj

is it really such an inconvienience for you to have a sign in Spanish? There's English signs to, you can read them.

I refuse to shop at Walmart. Yes, I saw that documentary and it sickened me. I will pay a little more somewhere else.

miss thrifty & naderbug - have you noticed that the new locations and newly renovated Zellers are starting to look more and more like Target?

Im not afraid to admit that I cross border shop. I like to compare and dammit when my drug store body lotion is almost $14 here in Canada and I see it at reg price for only $6 in the US you can count on me buying it, heck even two! With the exchange rate and tax if they make you pay its STILL cheaper!

Normally I go across to shop at Target and pick up items that we dont have here in Canada and prob wont see them for another few months. I also like seeing how things are marketed there and presented along with prices and compare to how it is back at home.

Im contemplating getting a TOPS shopper card to get the member listed price - which is what groceries should be to begin with. I mean who in their right mind pays $5.99/12 pk for Coke? Card holder price is $3.99. And thats in USD! But then the more I keep reading about grocery shopping from y'all down across the border, I think Im going to hit the DOLLAR GENERAL and ALDI'S first to compare then debate on going to TOPS or WEGMANS.

is it really such an inconvienience for you to have a sign in Spanish? There's English signs to, you can read them.

Maybe I'm just sensitive and sick and tired. Farmers are getting the short end of the stick left and right recently, higher fuel prices, milk checks dropping from $15.00 per hundred weight to $10.00 per hundred weight, just getting overwhelmed.

To top it off my brother who is handicapped lost his job to illegal immigrants that yep, you guessed it, speak spanish.

If I moved to a foriegn country I would expect to learn their language, not make the country cater to me.

Not trying to sound snippy, just a cranky tired blue collar American wife thats is tired of being stepped on.:cowwave:

kj

I shop at two well known stores around here for frugality's sake. I try to kill the rudeness with kindness. I don't like to be treated rudely and sometimes I have to bite my tongue and think maybe they are just having a bad day. If I get a cashier that is rude more than once I refuse to use them again. I never forget a face it seems.

Don't like the Walmart. I just feel so rushed and unhappy when I am in there.

Kellie

I hate Aldis but love the prices. It is dirty and takes forever to check out.

yes i choose where i shop based on frugality rather than how i like the store. Unfortunately that means i will shop in a walmart. With gas prices the way they are I can't afford to drive elsewhere and their overall prices are the lowest. Poor Sam Wlaton is probably turning over in his grave. I seem to remember in the 80's wal-mart bragged about its made in the usa stuff. Where did all that go????

I shop Aldis and Walmart I would really prefer not to go to Walmart but like most of you say it is the lowest prices

First off, I have worked for both Kmart and WalMart... I am a little biased... I do have shares in Wal Mart stock... PLEASE don't throw rotten tomatoes at me.. While I worked there, I earned the right to get WalMart shares, and I did it.. Yes WalMart ran Kmart out of our town (both of them), but there are two Targets, two Shopkos, Big Lots, Kohls, Ross, TJ Maxx, Bi Mart (NW area only), several Fred Meyers, Rite Aids and now we have two or three new Wal Greens, not to mention IGA, Rays,Winco, Safeway, Albertsons, and PC Food of choice. They are opening a Goodwill store in the same complex as one WalMart, and have a St. Vincents next door to the other one... I have not heard of many if not any small shops closing because of WalMart-I know they are out there, I just don't recall any of them from my area.... Our WalMarts employ several hundred where just two years ago, our unemployment rate was higher than the national average. Yes most employees start out as part time, but I know several that are now full time associates with options to get into management all the way up to having their own stores. WalMart helps any pharmacy accosiate get their tech license, give out scholarships to not only thier employees, but to local high school students, and they donate several thousands each year back into the community.. Yes WalMart can be the mean big bully on the play ground. But not ALL things about WalMart is bad. Yes some of the associates may have attitude, but from experience some customers come in and think we (the employee) are so below them, and we should treat them differently...Not meaning any one here, because I do not know you, but these kinds of customers exist... Things are bad at some WalMarts, but there are a lot of good and I just think that for our community, WalMart has done well for our community.. This is just my opinion, please don't take any offense to it...

We have Publix and Winn Dixie...no discount grocery stores. There is a Super Walmart about 20 minutes away. We used to go there once a month to stock up on non-food items, and a few grocery items that they carry. The last few times we were there, there were several "mistakes" between what the shelf signs listed and the price we were charged...always in Walmart's favor.

The final straw: Walmart stopped donating their excess deli and bakery food to homeless shelters and canned goods to food pantries. Their reason? A lot of the food wasn't healthy for them. Yeah, right. Better to be hungry than have an imperfectly balanced meal :skept: The real reason? They're now reselling that stuff to dollar store type wholesalers to try increase profits.

That was the last straw. You cheat me, you lie to me, and I am not going to line your pockets. I haven't stepped foot in Walmart since. Doubt I ever will.

We now do the monthly stock up at Target, and it's costing less than it did at Walmart. I was surprised by that. It's also only half the distance, and in the next plaza down from the grocery, so it's a combined trip.

I live in a very small town so I have to drive 15 miles to get to town to go shopping for anything. I don't shop at Wal-mart that much, it's too busy there. I can't tell the difference in their prices from Target/Mejier prices. I usually go to the store that's not too busy. I didn't really look at prices before, but next time when I go shopping I will start keeping track of store prices, so I know which one is cheapest.

And for Frugal sake, I will shop at stores I don't like to saves a few bucks :)