anybody else not shop at walmart?

i've seen a lot of references to walmart here, and i recognize that they are cheap and all, but my little socially-aware conscience refuses to shop there. am i the only one? please tell me there are more of you out there...

I Boycott Wal-Mart.  I haven't stepped foot inside a Wal-Mart or Sam's in a year and a half.

aasil, I'm not sure what you mean by "socially-aware?" ARe you referring to how they underpay their workers, and feel like you can't support that type of corporation?


I can honestly say, I buy things such as cleaning products, feminine products, and small things because they are a lot cheaper than say a Target or grocery store.

i try reeeeally hard not to shop at walmart (especially because, as a canadian, i've seen its impact on our local and national retailers).  occasionally, though, i cave.  i mean, my favourite moisturizer is $13.50 at walmart, $17 everywhere else.

No.....I shop at Target instead, only because of the type of people that work and shop there.....ewwwww.  I don't even know where they find those people.  Maybe in a cave somewhere.

what type of people is that?

italian princess - you got it.  their labor policies suck.  the environmental policies leave a lot to be desired.  and corporate chain stores are just shitty for small business economy (which i'm a big fan of).

kellywood - rock on!

pgeorgian - $3.50 canadian is a cheap price for your conscience  ;-)

I'm a total heathen; I'll go to Wal-mart. I just got a hell of a deal on school supplies there. If there is a hell and that's what I go there for, well there could be worse offenses.

I don't shop there. I've had horrible experiences there. They are too crowded and everyone seemed to be so rude (customers and employees). I go to Target.

aasil, i'll buy my conscience back when i get out of school, okay?

this msnbc article was an enlightening read as well:

Thousands of adolescents work as unpaid baggers in Wal-Mart’s Mexican stores. The retail giant isn’t breaking any laws—but that doesn’t mean the government is happy with the practice.

 

We try not to shop at any big box stores.

pgeorgian - sounds like a plan, but i'm gonna hold you to it!

heather - yeah, walmart might be the worst, but big box stores all together are pretty bad.  i like mom 'n pop

I hate Wal-mart.  I even have a personal reason to hate that corporation.  I could easily have been one more lawsuit on their plate years ago if I had a mind to.  Anyway, I really don't have a choice to shop there a lot of the time.  These days they're the only thing near me these days.  Mom & Pop isn't really an option here at all btw.   Often enough I got stuck having to food shop around Midnight too & even if I went to another town it'd still be the only thing open.  I used to avoid them but for now I don't have the luxury of making a statement.  My husband and I both hate wal-mart, but unfortunately we are no longer in a position to protest.  I do walk around the store going "I hate this store!!!" a lot though.  lol  Often enough I do it plenty out loud too.  lol

I don't shop there and am vocal against it with friends and family!

So many reasons:
-their refusal to prescribe the morning-after pill
-their (undisclosed) censorship of music and movies
-their labour conditions
-their expansion strategy (there's a reason the mom-and-pops are disappearing!)
-their response to the formation of the first ever Wal-Mart employees' union, in Jonquiere, Quebec (immediately closing the store and reopening in a nearby town with all new employees).

On the other hand I am unwilling to condemn people who may not have any choice but to shop there, financially. I just wish that there were a way to make the "real" costs of their products get included in their prices.

I try to buy "canadian made"

Then "USA" if possible.

But  I really try to avoid "made in china"

I think 99% of walmarts product is made in china

Wait, no morning after pill??

so, where do you canucks shop?  one of my favourite places is mountain equipment co-op (which tells you something about my fashion sense, no?).

I don't buy things i don't need.  So I don't really shop.  'Canadian Tire' also sells garbage made in china, but I go there when i need something.

I buy things from walmart about 2 or 3 times a year, usually stuff my husband wants.  I refuse to shop at Sams Club, period.

It's twofold for me:  One, I sincerely dislike walmart business practices.  Two, I sincerely dislike any walmart shopping experiences, which is part of the snob in me.  It's a different world in there compared to Target, or any other chain or locally owned store.  I dislike the way the store is set up, how cluttered it is.  I dislike how the employees behave.  I dislike the way my fellow shoppers push through the aisles, their attitudes, their children.  Yes, I am a snob like that, I admit it.  But if I am going to spend money I expect to enjoy the shopping experience, and there is nothing enjoyable about stepping foot in a walmart to me. 

And something about the idea of buying food from a super walmart has just always grossed me out.  I have read a lot of stuff recently too, about the very inferior quality of their so-called organic products, which of course makes me like them even less.