Wal-Mart out of control

[cosmonick]

On Topic:

I have been carded for very little at Wal-Mart. As a matter of fact, I haven't been asked for ID, even for ammo, in quite a while.

Off Topic:

For the most part I avoid Wal-Mart as well as most big box retail stores. I try to buy as much as I can from local businesses. The only reason that stores like Wal-Mart exists is (obviously) because they get business. I would rather give my $ to people that live in my town. Do I spend more on many items? Sure. Do I still make some purchases at Wal-Mart ..... a very few, but yes.

I am a Land Surveyor who used to work for a Civil Engineering firm that catered to Wal-Mart (and other big box retailers). I have gone into a small town to survey for a new Wal-Mart. Then we would return several years later to survey for an addition. It was easy to spot the small stores that were no longer in business. In all fairness, Wal-Mart is not content in driving only small businesses out. Many of Wal-Marts that we did were right next door to or across the street from a K-Mart or Meijer. Though I never saw a Meijer close, I saw several K-Marts close shortly (within a couple years) after the Wal-Mart opened. This proved to be a nationwide trend. They are doing the same thing to Meijer, trying to build Wal-Mart Supercenters as near as possible to every Meijer in Michigan. They are trying to stop Meijers spread across the country by slowing their business in their home state. Now, I do understand the whole competetive business thing, I just think some people would be surprised to know just how agressively Wal-Mart goes after it's competition.

Look, we're only about 10 years out from Wal-Mart selling you your new car with a trunk load of groceries, while your wife gives birth to your child in birthing aisle #5 and your other two kids wait with your sister at your Wal-Mart built house in your Wal-Mart built subdivision Did I mention that the car was made by Wal-Mart?

I, for one, hate to see how difficult it has become in this country to have a small business and it is only getting more so. Big box retail has done a lot to hurt the small business and little/nothing to help it.

Mo

 

[No4Mk1]

 

[c_yeager]

It would help if you had a cart full of frozen and perishable items. I was told by a walmart manager in person that if anything frozen or perishable item gets as far as the front counter and then is not purchased, by law it must be thrown away!

#1 they dont have to throw anything away unless it reaches above a certain temperature. And trust me, if it isnt dripping out the side of the cart its going back.

#2 Even if it got tossed guess who gets to pay for it. It isnt Walmart. All damaged goods are sent back to the distributer for a credit, this includes frozen food that has been thawed. It is the poor company that provided the frozen goods in the first place, that pays the price for this gag. With frozen food this is almost always an American company that you are screwing out of their profit, just something to bear in mind before you go overboard with your little trick to "stick it to Walmart". You are actually sticking it to one of the few American manufactures that sells goods via Walmart.

 

[ocabj]

My main problem with Walmart is the fact that they place quantity over quality. They're goal is to make a profit, but Walmart would rather make $10 by selling a volume of a cheaper version of a product than by selling one of a quality version of that same product. IE: If they could make $10 by selling one name brand DVD player for $100 or make $10 selling 20 brand X DVD players for $30, then they would chose to sell the brand X DVD players and not carry the name brand DVD player. While this may not sound so bad, it does drive Walmart's poor attitude towards American manufacturers.

From what I read, this happened to Schrade knives. Schrade signed a deal to make Walmart the exclusive dealer of Schrade knives. Later Walmart wanted to sell the product cheaper, but Schrade couldn't provide Walmart the knives at a low enough price, so Walmart dumped Schrade and went with some Chinese made knock offs that look like Schrade's product line. There were similar stories with Huffy and other manufacturers were Walmart strong armed the manufacturers into producing cheaper products (cutting costs during manufacturing) so Walmart would have low cost items to sell in their stores. If the manufacturers refused, they lost Walmart as an outlet.

This is why I try to avoid Walmart as much as possible. But this is a free country and you can shop where you want.

 

[50 Freak]

I avoid Walmart like the plague. I shop there maybe once a year if that. I hate the way they treat their employees. "made in american" my arse, yeah if you mean stamping the price tag on something makes it "made in america". No thank you. I'll pay a little extra to get american products.

 

[Matthew748]

Walmart has some weird policies, but I have never been hassled to the point of asking for the manager.

I buy stuff at Walmart once in a while. The biggest purchase I ever made there was a Marlin 45-70 guide gun for $420.00 plus tax. I did not feel bad bypassing the independent shop I usually go to that one time. In the past I have purchased quite a few expensive items from my local shop (DSA FAL, Springfield M1A, and numerous handguns), and did feel like paying them an extra $60.00 for an inoffensive, plain-jane lever action rifle.

 

[lwsimon]

I worked at Walmart the summer after my senior year. I was an unloader, my job was to pull boxes out fo the back of a semi and load them onto pallets, then to pull the pallets on the floor for the stockers. It is against company policy to wear steel-toe boots - can't figure that one out. I questioned this policy, and was told I would be fired if I came to work in steel-toe shoes. About a month or so after I started there, I was ordered to lift a 350# box of cheap furniture. I told them I could not do it alone, and again I was ordered to do it. I attempted it, and ended up dropping the box and crushing my big toe. I had to have my toe reset, and the toenail removed. I couldn't walk for about two weeks, and it is still painful to put pressure on my toe to this day. I went to file a medical claim thru Walmart's workman's comp once I could leave the house again, and was met at the back of the store by security. I was led out of the store, was not allowed to file my paperwork for the comp claim, and was told I had been fired. I called Walmart, got it "straightened out", and was told to go back in and file my paperwork. I got there, and I was told I had "waited too long", as that was the 31st day, and you only have 30 days to file a claim after an injury.

In other words, I was fired for no real reason to avoid a compensation claim, I have a termination on my employment history, and I got stuck with $2,000 in medical bills. What a wonderful way to start adulthood.

 

[hksw]

[Personally, I'm quite happy with Wal*Mart.]


I can't seem to understand some of the anti-WM folks here. Much 'talk' is said that they hate WM so much that they avoid WM......but still go there on rare occassions or it is still on there list of destinations. Yet this isn't considered hypocracy. What's up with that?

 

[Rob62]

Something that my local Wal Mart apparently just started doing is making all customers who purchase ammunition show their drivers license.

I bought 3 boxes of 12ga slugs earlier this morning and the counter person asked to see my drivers license. Something that has never happened before. When I questioned him about this, he said that management told him he had to do it for ALL ammunition sales and that (incorrectly) it was the law.

I don't like it but at $5.97 per box of 15 slugs I'll put up with the hassle. And yeah I love those bulk 550rd boxes of .22RF at less than $9.

Regards,

Rob

 

[jsalcedo]

I shop at Walmart because my money is valuable to me.

I support the local gunshop by taking my guns to get repaired BUT I do not buy their $9 (small) bottle of Hoppes or their $18 box of PMC 32acp

The fact that the little guys can't compete is not my problem.

What about the little Habib marts where first generation immigrants sacrifice everything and start a shop with competative prices and end up with a whole chain of gas stations within 3 years?

I'm thinking that we as Americans are getting sloppy, defeatist and lacking of ambition, originality, and discipline it takes to make it as entreprenuers.

I make it a point to support the little guys that show me they are worth
doing business with and shop at the mega-marts for everything else.

 

[TallPine]

The 2 Mall-warts in Billings are like different planets ...

The older King Ave store seems friendly and almost like a small town store though it is huge. When buying ammo and the handgun/rifle thing pops up on the register, the clerks usually just rolls hers eyes and goes on without asking me. Though I am obviously over 21

The newer "Heights" store is impossible. The "associates" there act like anyone who comes in to shop is just in their way and "would you please stop buying things because now we have to restock the shelves"

I'm convinced that the difference is management. Your workers will pretty much treat customers the way that you treat your workers.

The same way with independent stores: some just make you feel welcome and valued and others make you feel like you are walking into a DV situation


Oh BTW, I've noticed that smaller stores located around the fringe of a Walmart seem to do pretty well. The Walmart draws traffic to the area and all the merchants benefit.

I basically don't buy any gun stuff at Walmart except the bulk pack 22 LR ammo.

 

[fjolnirsson]

I'll just stay on topic with this one. I won't post about the evils of wal-mart, and capitalism and a free market in particular. Wal-mart is evil, eh, komrades!?

Anyway, I've been to seven Walmarts in two states and have never been carded for any of my purchases.

 

[LiquidTension]

I've only been carded for ammo and alochol at WM.

I avoid that place as much as I can. It has nothing to do with their business practices (I am a POOR college student - I go wherever has the best price and still live below the poverty line). It has everything to do with the rest of the customers and the number of them. Have you BEEN to a WM recently? There are some SCARY people in there. And LOTS of them. If I must go, it's usually during the day on a weekday so I can avoid the freaky freakies.

 

[LiquidTension]

Oh yeah, and as far as hurting local gun shops by buying at WM - if they wouldn't gouge the customer, I would shop there. I know exactly what dealer cost is on ammo and other items. If they wouldn't mark stuff up by 50-70%, I'd consider buying from them. Competition is the basis for capitalism, and shops that try to charge $15 for a box of .45 reloads are just not bothering to compete. I can order better stuff for much less off the internet, there's NOTHING stopping small shops from doing the same and offering a better price. I'd pay more to be able to go into a shop and buy ammo on the spot instead of ordering it, but I'm not paying double - that's just stupid.

 

[Otherguy Overby]

Walmart convenience

I travel a lot, mostly via an RV and pull a trailer. Most Walmarts have a big enough parking lot and easy access for a loooong vehicle to get in and out. You can usually overnight in one if needed, too.

Most all Walmarts also take my checks. Ironically, the most trouble I ever had with a check in a Walmart was in one about 8 blocks from my SoCal house on a local to them bank.

Sure I don't agree with some of their actions, but they are more gun friendly than Kmart, based I dunno where, or Target, based in Minneapolis, another lair for liberals... I've not seen any Walmarts postsed against CCW, though I hear there are a few.

 

[motoman]

Walmart vs. Target

Why I shop at Walmart:

1) No Ammo at Target
2) No cleaning supplies at Target
3) No Gun magazines at Target (Guns and Ammo, Shotgun News)
4) Target has a pathetic automotive section
5) Although I have never bought a gun at Walmart, they do sell them
6) Walmart sells all the same household items as Target (Toilet Paper, Shampoo, Soap, Toothpaste etc...) for a better price!
7) My Walmart is open 24/7, Target closes at 10pm.
8) 1 stop shopping for me, my local gun store (not so local) doesn't sell all the stuff I need on a weekly basis. Not to mention "local gun store" needs a serious reality check on their prices.


What do Target or Kmart have to offer us gun owners?

 

[DarkKnight01]

Well IMO Wal-Mart isnt the worst place you can shop at, I know first hand that their customer service is good if you raise enough hell theyll let you return anything. I worked at one for a while. Ive seen people return things that we didnt even carry,(they bought it at Target and they wouldnt let them return it there, the tag was torn off on one particular item, and it wasnt wal-marts tag color there was a bit left from the glue) but after they complained long enough to management they give them what they want. See their service policy is that its better to lose a few dollars on an item or 2 than to lose the 5 grand or so that customer spends at their store every year.

I go there for odds and ends, and of course WWB.

 

[pax]

Moderator Note

Gun-related whining about WalMart is on topic.

So if your rant, opinion, defense, complaint, explanation, diatribe, or jeremiad about WalMart also just happens to be gun-related, go ahead and post it here.

If your rant, opinion, defense, complaint, explanation, diatribe, or jeremiad about WalMart is not gun-related, it does not belong on this thread or in this forum. Please don't post it here, or we'll have to close the thread for too little gun-related content.

Thanks,

pax

 

[stevekl]

Wait, you're not yet eighteen years old and you're married?

So I guess this means Massachusettes is part of the south now.

 

[308win]

[on topic] I have never been asked for an ID when buying ammunition at WalMart because I have NEVER been in/bought anything at WalMart. [/on topic]

[off topic] I will do without before I spend a thin dime with that Taliban garbage outfit![/off topic]

 

[Bill2k1]

I've never had a problem at wal-mart with buying ammo, they ask for ID because state law limits purchases to 21+ of ammo. I've have had trouble telling the person which box to get mainly due to the fact that they don't know what I am talking about, but that is the same anywhere you go.

 

[jdseven1]

Sorry I caused all this over a $1.49 cleaning mop also me and my wife are way over 18 so the state of Massachusettes is still part of the North.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

If we had an Academy Sports and Outdoors.....

Then I wouldn't be a Walmart Winchester junkie and I could shoot more !!!!

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

A friend of mine works in the gun section of the local Wal-Mart. He gave me a heads up on the California Wal-Marts moving their guns out due to some FFL paperwork irregularities. He said California Wal-Marts don't sell guns now. (¿Can anyone confirm this?) Florida got a shipment and I got a Charles Daly 20ga pump for $100 and a Winchester 1300 for $130. I missed by 15 minutes getting two Weatherby rifles and a Remington 1100 at half price.

I shop where the service is good and the prices are right.

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

And yeah I love those bulk 550rd boxes of .22RF at less than $9.

You say that like it's a good price. I do better waiting for sales at Big 5 and at gun shows. In fact, I find that if I shop around a little, I can almost always get a better price than at Walmart.