# Despite the negative views about Walmart, it's still a good place to shop **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285 "2019-06-10T07:06:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sta3535](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@sta3535](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sta3535)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/1 "2019-06-10T07:06:35Z")
It’s the best place to shop IMO due to the prices. Now, Aldi is still good, but 99% of their store only contains food, while Walmart sells everything. Furthermore, Giant Eagle (a northeastern retail chain) has slightly higher prices, but customers can still use their advantage card: > **[Giant Eagle | Loyalty program](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Eagle#Loyalty_program)** > > In 1991, Giant Eagle introduced the "Advantage Card", an electronic loyalty card discount system (already popular in many chains), as a sophisticated version of the obsolete stamp programs. The card was later modified to double as a video rental card for Iggle Video. More recently the company has started the Fuelperks! program to entice customers. This program allows customers the opportunity to earn 10 cents off each gallon of gas (20 cents in select markets) with fifty dollars' worth of authori... I also understand that working for Walmart isn’t the best experience, from what I heard, but where else can I buy a wide range food, clothing, and electronics without breaking the bank? Maybe Target, Kmart, or even Costco? On an extra note, my family & I shop Giant Eagle, Walmart, & Aldi. We choose where to shop every week. We only shop at Target or the mall if we feel like buying something nice. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/2 "2019-06-10T07:09:07Z")
Some places it’s the ‘only’ place to shop. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/3 "2019-06-10T07:16:39Z")
90% of everything we buy is at Walmart including such things as tires. Asian food markets account for most of the rest. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/4 "2019-06-10T10:21:02Z")
There’s a new Walmart just a few blocks from our home. We live on the outskirts of a large Ultra-Orthodox community, many of whom shop there, where there’s an entire large aisle of kosher food. The only problem I have is the parking and long checkout lines. Early Sunday morning is good. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/5 "2019-06-10T10:42:35Z")
The only time I go to Wal\*Mart is when I am in a small town out west and it is the only department store I see because I know they will have a big selection of everything. I don’t go to my local one because that one has loud ads that blare everywhere, even in the register. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/6 "2019-06-10T10:55:57Z")
Walmart has it’s place in our shopping routine, so does Amazon and a lot of other stores. It is a good ‘all purpose place’ in terms of selection, however there are other factors to consider, so I will say It depends. The Walmart near one of our places in a suburban area is run down and sort of has that white trash ‘k-mart’ feel to it (when K-mart was in trouble), and one feels like they should shower after shopping there. It will do in a pinch, but we would rather shop at other places. OTOH by our vacation home is 2 very nice Walmarts, about equal distance away (about 20 minutes) which are a pleasure to shop at. Often we will buy stuff there and bring it to the other place. We tend not to buy food there as we have at both places great supermarkets which do pretty good at pricing and food items, particularly meats and produce seem higher quality and cut better (Walmart has irregular cuts and sometimes bone ‘splinters’ as well as sometimes some off tasting steaks, not off tasting as in bad, but perhaps tenderizer was used on them - though they are cheap, It appears like many of Walmarts meats have not a insignificant amount of added water.) The employees at the vacation home area seem happier too, which I’m sure has something to do with the Walmart experience difference, and it is a lot less pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/7 "2019-06-10T11:58:00Z")
> [@sta3535](#): > > We only shop at Target or the mall if we feel like buying something nice. The stuff at Target is nice? It seems to me that it’s the same stuff that’s sold at Walmart or Meijer. I love the clean Walmarts in Mexico with excellent customer service. The Walmarts with which I am familiar in the USA, however, make me want to kill myself. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/8 "2019-06-10T12:12:34Z")
When I do go to Wal\*mart I like to dress appropriately but I have not yet been featured on any if the “People of” websites. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/9 "2019-06-10T12:39:21Z")
I’ve never shopped at a Walmart voluntarily. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/10 "2019-06-10T13:13:51Z")
I had not been a frequent Walmart shopper before we married and moved overseas. So I didn’t quite get it that whenever American women would get together and the topic of shopping came up, Walmart would be mentioned and most of the women would sigh "Waaalllmaaaarrt"as if it were paradise. Within 5 months of moving back to the mainland to a town where Walmart was the only major store, the sigh was “Oh, crap. We have to go to Walmart.” Given the choice between Walmart and Amazon, I’ll choose Walmart. Given the choice between Walmart and Meijer, we choose Meijer. Unfortunately, even though we would rather go elsewhere, Walmart has better prices and more selection. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/11 "2019-06-10T13:30:55Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > The stuff at Target is nice? It seems to me that it’s the same stuff that’s sold at Walmart or Meijer. Depends on the stuff. An ACME Model ABC1001 coffee maker is the same no matter where you go. Stuff like clothing or store-brand housewares, I prefer Target over Walmart for style and quality. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/12 "2019-06-10T14:20:09Z")
Target definitely aims to have more stylish stuff than Walmart. And I usually shop at Target, but they also have more stores in my area than Walmart does. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/13 "2019-06-10T14:38:36Z")
If one wants (or needs) to be particularly price-conscious when you’re shopping, Walmart, and that’s your primary (or only) concern, Walmart may be a sensible choice. And, as Beckdawrek notes, in many, more rural areas of the U.S., Walmart may be among your only choices for a brick-and-mortar retailer. That said, I’ve worked for several companies which supply products to Walmart, and had several more of such companies as clients. Walmart is, to be polite, an exceptionally challenging business partner for their suppliers – they use strongarm tactics to force their suppliers to lower their prices to Walmart, relying on the fact that they are, by far, the biggest retailer in the U.S. In many categories, if your products aren’t available at Walmart, you’ve instantly lost 40% or more of your U.S. sales. Similarly, Walmart [has regularly been criticized](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Walmart#Employee_and_labor_relations) for its labor practices (which, again, seem to mostly be carried out in the name of cutting costs). ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/14 "2019-06-10T14:47:29Z")
There’s a Wal-Mart less than a quarter mile from my house, so I go there often. I don’t bother with their food, but I get clothing and non-prescription pharmacy items there (since the nearest drugstore is three times as far). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/15 "2019-06-10T14:51:02Z")
It’s from 2003, but [this article](https://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know) from Fast Company describes some of Walmart’s strongarm tactics. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/16 "2019-06-10T15:05:59Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ve never shopped at a Walmart voluntarily. When I need something, I find it on Amazon and place my order. If I need something ASAP I’ll hang my head and go to a WalMart. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/17 "2019-06-10T15:12:44Z")
Boy howdy would I love to not shop at Walmart. I could, of course, do my (food) shopping at the nearest [farmer’s market](http://www.soulardmarket.com/), wherein I could get locally-sourced, organic, cruelty-free goods, but it’s 100 miles away. OR, I could shop at the nearest mom & pop grocery and pay a solid 50 percent more than what I pay at Walmart, but they let their employees smoke on the job and that disgusts me beyond all reason and sanity, especially at a fucking grocery store. So Walmart it is. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/18 "2019-06-10T15:14:21Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I need something, I find it on Amazon and place my order. If I need something ASAP I’ll hang my head and go to a WalMart. Wal-Mart has online shopping similar to Amazon. They have two day delivery on most items and free shipping over $35. I just placed a large order with them and got everything in my order within 5 days. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/19 "2019-06-10T15:36:54Z")
The Portland metro area only has a couple of “real” Walmart stores, because the masses have been successful at keeping them out. But we do have their “neighborhood markets” - grocery stores with the Walmart name. There’s one within a mile of my house. We went there for a while, a couple of years back, during a stretch of money being tight. We were quite happy when our situation improved and we didn’t have to go there anymore. I guess it’s okay if you are buying a name brand that can also be found in other places. I’ll still pop in there from time to time to get Tillamook sharp shredded cheddar, as they sell it in bulk for a good price (and unfortunately, Costco doesn’t). But some of their crap is just that. Their produce and bakery stuff is poor quality. On more than one occasion, we bought canned food (“Great Value”) that had gone bad in the can. How does that even happen? I’ll stick with paying a bit more at Fred Meyer or Safeway, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2019, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285/20 "2019-06-10T15:51:38Z")
I’m not so sure it’s that great. Of all the stores I’ve shopped it, it was the only one where I actively worried that people sitting in their cars and looking around the parking lot were actively looking for cars to steal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/despite-the-negative-views-about-walmart-its-still-a-good-place-to-shop/835285.md?page=2)