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...

yes, whole foods ("whole paycheck") is better. certainly not perfect, but MUCH better.

i shop there! its great...so much cheaper than my other groccery store.

walmart sells life.

at low cost.

I personally hate Wal-Mart. My friend's mom has worked in the same store for more than 10 years. Their's is a smaller store, and a few years back underwent renovations (putting the wood floors down in the clothing sections). They did not get opinions from the workers to do the renovations, and that year did not pay the employees their Christmas bonuses to cover the renovation costs. Those employees had become dependant on their yearly Christmas bonuses and got cheated out of them.

eh i shop at walmart from time to time because some things i find a bit cheaper. Never buy any food their though seen way to many things that make me gag about the produce and meat sections. As for boycotting stores because they kill the smaller chains its always some store thats gonna kill another. Someday walmart will be getting killed by another store and so on. Its walmart thats a heavy hitter right now but in the future its going to be others thats the tough competitions. Tons of stores lose buisness due to store hours some ppl have to work late when they get off work the stores are already closed so where do they head? To the ever faithful walmart because they are always opened. Sometimes small buisness does it to themselves by not being available when the working crowd really needs them and who wants to pay double the money for the same product just because you bought it from a local store. I dont always want to pay out the ass for a purchase and I will buy at walmart if its a substantial savings.

Bartar,

I have a little bit of an issue with people becoming "dependent" on bonuses, whether you're talking about Wal-Mart, or any employer.  Bonuses are just that - bonuses.  A little bit extra, a windfall, that  the employer is under no obligation to pay out in the first place.  I get a bonus every year, but the amount varies depending on how business went that year, or what how the stock price of our parent company is faring.  If it's good, they share, if not, not as big of a bonus (2% instead of 4% for example).  I don't whine when it happens because it is not part of the salary to which my employer has agreed to pay me, which is what I really base my budget on.

Now, if Wal-Mart had deducted money from their actual salaries to pay for the renovations, then that's a problem.  It's everyone's choice, of course, but it's not a good idea to "plan" on bonuses to make up a personal budget.

I read a few posts that say something to the effect (ie. post #6) saving $3.50 is a cheap price for your conscience.

I desagree on that.  If YOU on the other hand makes loads of money and can afford to pay the higher prices then good for you.  After so many Items bought $3.50 can REALLY add up.  If there's a store offering it to consumers cheaper prices for something, then I'll buy it.  If I can save a couple of thousand dollars a year.... Hell, I'll pay my tuition with it.  That's a couple of thousand dollars I don't HAVE to come up with OR wonder what I'm going to do about my books for school.

I shop at wal-mart!!!  Unless I have enough money to spare.... which I don't, I wil continue to be smart and save money by shopping there.  ;)

re: post #6...

a) i was just giving pgeorgian a hard time...she's my buddy, so i do that from time to time.  i definitely wouldn't have said those same words to someone who i didn't "know."

b) she said that she tries hard not to shop there, because of it's impact on local/canadian retailers.  it wasn't like she said she had seen the impact, but didn't care. 

i totally understand why people do shop at walmart (it's cheap)...i certainly don't have cash to spare, but i would rather spend more and spend it at places where i see it staying in the community (i.e. independent stores).

i read a quote the other day, and i really wish i could remember where i read it, about how much money spent at big box stores stays in the community, and how much leaves the community.

I too, do not shop at Walmart.  If I could, I would frequent little mom and pop stores, but there seems to be so few of them around now because of the larger chains.

Ouch, blackthorne.   Now, really, do you really know where the couch and television set came from?  No, I don't know either, but either could just as easily been gifts or hand me downs.

I'm just sayin.....

Nope, I don't know... but I know people are are VERY broke... and they can't afford pets, or televisions, or couches... they don't have people helping them or taking care of them...

But they STILL care what happens to small businesses and people without higher paying skills...

And those that don't care don't make excuses. They simply say they do not care how Wal*Mart affects others and their community, that they will buy what they want. It's a matter of intellectual honesty. :-)

I agree that Walmart drives away small business....but they also provide ALOT more jobs than the mom and pop stores.

The small town I grew up in had one grocery store (a chain) and it was VERY high priced...then that chain built a bigger store...still high priced.

Then Walmart came in a few years ago....many, many people I knew were lined up at the doors with job applications.  You may not like their business practices (I don't either), but they provide low skill jobs that are needed.  And, they CAN provide their employees with less money and bonuses b/c they are LOW SKILL jobs...in definition means less money and benefits.

There is a larger volume of people needing low skill jobs then there are jobs available....hence, walmart can pick and choose.

yes, thanks to their strong arm tactics to wring out every penny from their suppliers, US manufacturing is all but extinct, so yes, there are fewer jobs here, because walmart has helped facilitate the movement of jobs to china and other developing countries where there are no labor standards

So double yay for walmart!

They're getting more cheaply made products AND at the same time guaranteeing an ample labor supply of desperate people to work in their stores in the US.

*buys walmart stock - it can't lose*

I must say, blackthorne wins this one. :)

the jobs they provide do not offset the jobs lost in manufacturing companies that have moved their product lines offshore to meet Walmart's cost requirements...

the reason they can offer such low prices on items is that they require their vendors to meet their costs or refuse to sell in their stores...often referred to as the Walmartization of the supply chain...

manufacturers lower their costs, often by outsourcing fabrication to offshore contract manufacturers..

the folks that lose those manufacturing jobs in this country are then forced to line up at WalMart both to buy and work...

just sayin'...

....manufacturing jobs, that although not highly skilled would have at least provided something closer to a living wage, not to mention real benefits and cheap healthcare...which, by the way, is nearly impossible to purchase independantly as there is a lot more underwriting...

Well, if it's a matter intellectual honesty, one could not make assumptions on someone's financial situation based on a random picture from a profile.  ;-)

what if she wasnt at home?  Maybe thats not her couch or tv..??

what if she wasnt at home?  Maybe thats not her couch or tv..??

Then we'd better call the police and report a B & E, because if she's broke, it isn't in her neighborhood.

The point I am making is : people have their priorities. If they don't care what happens to society and others, then they should simply say so, instead of crying "broke."

so, just because she has nice things, you dont believe that she needs to cut costs like some of us? She may not be flat broke and have to eat Ramen noodles every night, but being "broke" to you, may be different than her definition.

I live in a nice house, and have nice things... but I also have a child, with no help from the father and my priorities ARE different now.   I shop at Walmart from time to time to save that little extra that I need.

Then we'd better call the police and report a B & E, because if she's broke, it isn't in her neighborhood. What's with the attitude?  What's that rule...no personal attacks?  But as a moderator, I'm sure you know the rules.

Don't shop at wal-mart...that's your perogative.  You obviously have your ideals....good for you, stick to them.  But I very seriously doubt you know what's going on in someone's life based on a picture, and even if you do it doesn't give you the right to make any judgements.

I know exactly what walmart does to their suppliers....I used to work for one of them. Walmart was our most hated customer. 

But it's called capitalism....simple as that.  There are parts that suck, but essentially it's what keeps the doctor from being paid the same as the check-out girl.