More on the walmart debate...

[jumper03 0]

I decided, screw it, I don't mind paying a little more for stuff. I'm not going to Wal-mart anymore.

So heading home last night, I had to pick up some stuff to fix a chain link fence and some grill accessories for a friend.

I can get all that at Home Depot!!

So I get it, and as I'm driving out of the parking lot I think "wait a minute - Home Depot is a big chain...where was this stuff made?"

So I dig through the bag -
Grill brush - made in China.
Metal skewers - made in China.
fence ties - made in China
Aluminum caps for fence posts - made in Vietnam.

shit - what isn't made in Asia now-a-days???

I'm gonna go to the local hardware store and see where the same stuff they have for sale is made....

Scars remind us that the past is real

[Gravitymaster 0]

Don't forget, Walmart is open till midnight.

[justinb138 0]

Nearly everything at retail stores is made in China/somewhere else in Asia/etc...

Wal-Mart, because they are the biggest retailer, is getting bitched at because of it.

[narcimund 0]

You'll be lucky if you find a local hardware store. Everyone's been shopping at walmart and home depot so long they've all gone broke.

The previous owners of those fantastic little hardware stores are now box boys at home depot making $8/hour.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Gravitymaster 0]

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You'll be lucky if you find a local hardware store. Everyone's been shopping at walmart and home depot so long they've all gone broke.

The previous owners of those fantastic little hardware stores are now box boys at home depot making $8/hour.

Really?? Can you provide some stats to back up this claim?

[justinb138 0]

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You'll be lucky if you find a local hardware store. Everyone's been shopping at walmart and home depot so long they've all gone broke.

It's called capitalism. Local stores probably can't beat them with prices, so they have to make up for that by providing better service than the competition (Wal-Mart/etc... which isn't hard to do). Most just don't.

[markd_nscr986 0]

As long as people continue to use "low price" as their only criteria,the demand for low price Asian manufactured goods will continue..........

All the chains exploit that,Wal-Mart just seems to be the worst one of the bunch in my book.......for numerous reasons

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[narcimund 0]

No, I don't have the time or resources to do a statistically significant nationwide survey. I have less important but still pertinant anecdotal evidence, cultural 'common knowledge', and common sense.

My city used to be full of small hardware stores, small interesting restaurants and food shops, and simple small retail businesses. Now it's walmart, and home depot.

Look at the "Hello my name is..." pin on anyone older than 50 in home depot. It will say "I have XX years of experience" or something like that. Do you think he's spent 25 years putting light bulbs on the shelf at home depot? Whenever I've asked they always keep a good stiff upper lip and a "home depot smile(TM)" but the story is always a sad one.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[jumpjunkie2004 0]

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You'll be lucky if you find a local hardware store.

When I bought my house, it backed up to 100 acres of grass. In a little nearby strip mall, there was a hardware store, a children's boutique, a specialty toy store, and a few other very cool quirky little stores.

Thirteen years later...

All of the small retailers are gone. We now have Office Depot, Petco, and DSW shoe warehouse. In addition, there's a Home Depot, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc. about two miles from my home.

We continue to patronize small business as we find them, but it seems like sustaining a small business in the Washington, DC metro area is becoming increasingly more difficult.

Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat...

[Gravitymaster 0]

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As long as people continue to use "low price" as their only criteria,the demand for low price Asian manufactured goods will continue..........

All the chains exploit that,Wal-Mart just seems to be the worst one of the bunch in my book.......for numerous reasons

I agree. I read something recently which reinforces this mentality. People were asked to evaluate the purchase of 2 refrigerators. The first one cost $700. and had an operating cost of about $300 per year. The second one cost $1100 and had an operating cost of about $165 per year. When asked which one was the better value, most chose the first one.

[narcimund 0]

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Local stores probably can't beat them with prices, so they have to make up for that by providing better service than the competition (Wal-Mart/etc... which isn't hard to do). Most just don't.

I'm sure some don't, and others do. But the forces of the free market are proving that "Low prices + marketing" is more successful economically than good service. I've known many truly excellent stores with astounding service shut down because better service wasn't enough to keep the loyalty of the customers.

Personally I'm sad about that.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Gravitymaster 0]

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No, I don't have the time or resources to do a statistically significant nationwide survey. I have less important but still pertinant anecdotal evidence, cultural 'common knowledge', and common sense.

My city used to be full of small hardware stores, small interesting restaurants and food shops, and simple small retail businesses. Now it's walmart, and home depot.

Look at the "Hello my name is..." pin on anyone older than 50 in home depot. It will say "I have XX years of experience" or something like that. Do you think he's spent 25 years putting light bulbs on the shelf at home depot? Whenever I've asked they always keep a good stiff upper lip and a "home depot smile(TM)" but the story is always a sad one.

You said there were people who used to own hardware stores who are now working for Walmart as boxboys for $8.00 per hour. Apparently, you got this information from a credible source or you wouldn't have made such a precise statement, right? Surely if you can remember the statistic, you have some idea where you read this? Can you just provide one instance of this happening?

[justinb138 0]

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My city used to be full of small hardware stores, small interesting restaurants and food shops, and simple small retail businesses. Now it's walmart, and home depot.

Don't blame the store, blame the people.

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Do you think he's spent 25 years putting light bulbs on the shelf at home depot?

Possibly. It's ignorant to just assume that he didn't. I've known people that have worked in retail for longer than that at the same place, it's not too uncommon.

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Whenever I've asked they always keep a good stiff upper lip and a "home depot smile(TM)" but the story is always a sad one.

Lots of people have sad stories. Why is walmart evil because of it?

[justinb138 0]

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Personally I'm sad about that.

I am too. There are many stores in surrounding towns that I was fond of that closed. It's unfortunate, but I don't blame Wal-mart for it.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Look at the "Hello my name is..." pin on anyone older than 50 in home depot. It will say "I have XX years of experience" or something like that. Do you think he's spent 25 years putting light bulbs on the shelf at home depot? Whenever I've asked they always keep a good stiff upper lip and a "home depot smile(TM)" but the story is always a sad one.

Thats only your perception of that person. How do you know he/she isn't a retired contractor who is bored with retirement and is looking for something to do part time that gets them out interacting with people? I think you are jumping to a huge unsubstantial conclusion.

[jumpjunkie2004 0]

I don't blame Wal-mart. As consumers, we choose where to shop.

I went to my Wal-Mart looking for a dart board. I asked three different employees and none of them spoke English well enough to help me. They came up with a dry erase board, a magna doodle, and a cork board. OMG...it was extremely frustrating. I finally drew a picture of a dart board and they STILL couldn't help me.

I asked to speak to a manager. I waited for 23 minutes and no manager came.

I no longer shop at Wal-Mart because I think their customer service is crappy.

By the way, I live in Maryland. You'd think that people working in a Wal-mart in suburban Maryland would have a little better grasp on the English language.

Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat...

[marv0723 0]

I, too, have intitiated my own boycott of WalMart. It's not the merchandise from China that bothers me so much as the impact it has on the community and other businesses in the area. I still like to go to a Mom and Pop store where they know your name.

Marvin Walden
Move Shoot, Inc.-Tactical Training Consultants
Visit http://www.moveshoot.com

[jumper03 0]

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I still like to go to a Mom and Pop store where they know your name.

I've started my search to find these places now.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[PhreeZone 20]

You can have the best customer service in the world, but if you are priced too high there is no choice but to close unless you have enough of a loyal customer base that they will continue to pay the higher prices. In order to compete against a large chain store you either need to match them on price or beat them, very rarely will customer service alone win you new customers. With the ever expanding products that the large stores sell it is harder to get people to go else where since at "Big chain store" they can do one stop shopping and then it saves them time in addition to getting goods at a cheap price.

It is hard for me to some times justify driving 10 minutes extra to go to 2 different shops to buy something that will cost me at leasst $2-3 more then if I went to walmart and got everything at the same time.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jumpjunkie2004 0]

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It is hard for me to some times justify driving 10 minutes extra to go to 2 different shops to buy something that will cost me at leasst $2-3 more then if I went to walmart and got everything at the same time

What if you personally know the people running the "Mom & Pop" store?

Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat...

[kelpdiver 2]

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So I get it, and as I'm driving out of the parking lot I think "wait a minute - Home Depot is a big chain...where was this stuff made?"

There is functionally no difference between the two of them. I do find it harder to shop at Home Depot though - for all their floor space, they have one or two of anything I might want, and often not the one I do want. It's the shallowest airport sized shopping realm I've ever seen.

So I go to the local tiny shop where they magically seem to have everything I need, despite being the size of a 7-11. Of course, as a renter my needs are less frequent and more unusual, and the price premium to save time is well worth it.

[narcimund 0]

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Thats only your perception of that person. How do you know ....

How do I know? If you'd read the rest of my post I explained how I know. I've asked and gotten the story. And I also explained that my information is anecdotal, so don't think you're breaking new ground with your reflexive response of, "Where are the statistics????"

You know, it's very cute that you and drunkmonkey and Ron follow me around nitpicking and challenging everything I post. I really find the attention kind of amusing.

I'm finding that having an organized opposition is nearly as invigorating as a cheering section.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[waltappel 1]

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You'll be lucky if you find a local hardware store. Everyone's been shopping at walmart and home depot so long they've all gone broke.

The previous owners of those fantastic little hardware stores are now box boys at home depot making $8/hour.

...especially if he is white, his name is Bob White, and he worships a white man's God?

Walt

[justinb138 0]

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How do I know? If you'd read the rest of my post I explained how I know. I've asked and gotten the story. And I also explained that my information is anecdotal, so don't think you're breaking new ground with your reflexive response of, "Where are the statistics????

You claim you know it as a fact based on talking to a few people at one store?

You don't know, you just think you do.

[narcimund 0]

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Don't blame the store, blame the people.

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Lots of people have sad stories. Why is walmart evil because of it?

You're using me as a straw man for an argument I'm not advancing. I said (factually) that small stores are failing in the shadow of big stores and that I'm sad about that.

It's quite a different thing that you're accusing me of saying. I haven't assigned any blame or called anyone evil.

I'm used to being misrepresented around here though. There's a lot of that going on. Maybe that should be added to the "What will happen when you post here" post.

First Class Citizen Twice Over