Correia brings up a point.
When out the other day with mom we counted 4 "former" Walmart Locations. I recall a couple of doctor buddies whom when investing in property advised to NOT invest in property where WM was "or might be" interested in.
Streets, turn lanes, infastructure gets done to kiss up to WM, play games with "We dunno if we'll renew this lease" municipalites suck up and give in and WM renews a short term. Nothing wrong with one making money, nothing wrong with taking any breaks, I don't appreciate from the planning stage manipulating people. These 4 "former" WM locations have gone downhill. The Mom&Pop stores have really struggled, or have had to close. They sit vacant, for a long time, sometimes somebody finally moves in. Until then, crime and stuff is common.
Plus , its too darn big. The reality is we have and aging society. I forget the mean age, but it is a fact we have more of the older bunch out there. Mom and many others find it's too difficult to hike across a parking lot, take a day hike in store, just to get a few odds and ends. Forget having groceries carried out to car.
You teach people how to treat you. So people drive way accross town , and if no baskets, hey the customers will get their own from the parking lot. They will buy this product in this quanity because we said so, our poop don't stink. Prices...Bwahahaha.
I buy deodorant for .20 less at the grocery store than WM. Mom now has a hang tag, she can park close,if not a front door to a number of "dollar" type stores, Fred's for example. Run in/out and she has noticed prices are often less. Less time to be a victim, and she wants a 4 roll of toliet tissue and single roll of paper towels...she can. Not be stuck with a 12 pak of one or a 6 pk of the other.
Forget perscriptions,she never did, but friends did and the prices were not good, forget med education and conflicts. Mom gets her meds at a fair price with service from an older Druggist. And when it gets dark early like now, and she really doen'st need to be out, they deliver-free, though she will tip.
Her meds are cheaper than friends at WM. From a safety point of view with an aging society, big is not better. Think about that when your aging parents need meds and it gets dark early, and holiday traffic.
Nope we've run the gamut of WM, big complex warehouse stores, and malls. The free standing easy to park,or small stripcenters ( 3/4 merchants) better suit most of our needs, and safety of elders-IMO.