Those are all valid considerations and I fully agree. But my objective here wasn’t to save money. These were small-ticket items on which I’m not particularly price-sensitive. But sometimes you just want to pick up a commodity item at the most convenient location. My lament is that while the Walmart location is convenient, the store experience is anything but. It was a genuinely frustrating experience navigating this disorganized maze of low-tier merchandising.
Well, I bit the bullet and, at my ripe old age, finally darkened the doorstep of a Walmart.
(I’ve always hated how when they move into a small town, it’s a matter of months before the stores that have been there for decades are hurting for business… and often it affects the whole downtown.)
But I needed a car part right away, and couldn’t find it anywhere else, so I walked in and… what the hell? Can they not afford decent lighting? And maybe some brighter paint?
The whole place was slightly dark and more than slightly depressing.
I got out of there as soon as I found what I needed (could’ve used some help with that, like signage or a map or an employee…). Haven’t been back since. I’m gladly paying a few bucks more anywhere else.
I hate going to Walmart too. I used to, years ago in another town, but the one near me now is dingy, grey, messy, randomly laid out (that “clever” tactic of making you walk around to drive impulse buys) and there’s always a massive lineup for check out …which is all self-check out. I will not wait for 50+ people ahead of me to check myself out (seriously, there’s a zig zag cordon that doubles on itself a couple times and it’s not long enough for the line). I’m generally sensitive to my environment and I’m feeling anxious just thinking about it.
I’ve gone in perhaps three times in the past decade and every time abandoned my purchase and fucked right out of there. I’ll go to literally anywhere else than that particular store.
Perhaps they aren’t all as bad as this one, but I’m disinclined to test others.
I absolutely recognize my privilege in being able to spend more money just to avoid that place.
Did it prove to be the most convenient overall? I wasn’t there, and you’re the relevant judge of this not me, but my bet is “no, it was not most convenient when everything that matters is taken into account”.
As the folks between you and I have pointed out is their POV as well.
Well, to put specifics on it, the nearest Bay upscale department store is in a large mall about a half hour away, while the nearest Walmart is just minutes away. And the “large mall” aspect has its own inconveniences with parking and such. It’s one of those places where you have to make a conscious effort to remember exactly where you parked or you could spend the rest of your life searching for your car.
I live in a rural area where any kind of shopping other than the ubiquitous dollar stores is at least a half hour or more distant.
So Walmart it is.
I hate it so much I sometimes have to role play my way out there.
Last week I pretended I was a soldier who had to gather provisions for a war ravaged community.
Yes I actually do this.
Whatever I need to do to get the task done.
Walmart is very strategic in where they locate their stores. It’s really quite impressive. It’s obviously not necessarily rural, although they do have stores in many rural locations that are all enormously successful. But they also have stores in urban locations (typically suburbia, though, not downtown) which also do very well. They’ve also been extraordinarily successful in navigating the Canadian retail landscape – compare that, say, to Target, which ventured into Canada a few years ago and then ventured the hell right out again with their corporate tail between their legs, trailing a loss of some $5 billion, IIRC.
Walmart obviously has appeal for millions. It’s just not for me. I’m not trying to be elitist here, it’s just that I value my time and I’m sensitive to hostile retail environments like disorganized merchandise and shrieking children. At least my local Walmart is new and located in a relatively upscale suburban neighbourhood. I was in one years ago in a more urban area and in addition to all its other problems, it featured customers who, judging from the aroma, were unfamiliar with the concept of bathing.
Hey, I once almost accepted a job in Bumfuque (Corsicana). Could’ve had my daily fill of fruitcakes.
In semi-related news, it looks like the end is drawing closer for an iconic temple of unhealthy eating, the Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants. In additiion to Cincinnati-area closures, at least a dozen Frisch’s outlets in Kentucky are shutting down this week because of nonpayment of rent.
Where will I go for breakfast buffet?
And the Kittanning Walmart, no less. I know a guy who runs a group home for mentally challenged adults. Going to Kittanning Walmart is one of their favorite outings.
I, another one of those poor sad tortured folks that really enjoy fruitcake, have ordered the sampler box, and I’m looking forward to it! Thank you!
I was going to say, I know Big Boy restaurants but I never heard of Frisch’s, and wondered if they were the same. Kind of; it’s a regional version of Big Boy in Indiana and Kentucky, as well as most of Ohio and Tennessee.
I’ve never been to a Big Boy in my life, but I do buy their salad dressings in the grocery store. They make a killer Roquefort dressing, and I also dig their ranch.
Good to see that these problems seem to be just a subset of that business. I assume my salad dressing isn’t going anywhere. Heck, they even have a Facebook page.
Did I mention how intensely I loathe the incompetents who run the cable company that purports to provide both my internet and home phone? When I moved here, they were the only option for both as there was no Bell service at the time.
The latest: I got a frustrated email from someone who had been trying to reach me asking why the hell I don’t have voicemail any more. I checked and, sure enough, my voicemail had been completely reset, as if it was a new service, and it was impossible to leave a message. And I don’t even have any way of knowing how long it had been out of commission.
These are the same incompetents that were in the news a couple of years ago when a major infrastructure failure brought down their entire cellular network and internet service and home phone service for more than 24 hours – I think it may have been several days, getting them a great deal of unwanted attention from regulators.
Frisch’s tartar sauce is just about the only one I like. I hope it doesn’t go away. We had Big Boy restaurants here in NE Indiana, the last one closed several years ago.
I don’t remember if I’ve seen it in stores but now I’ll keep an eye out to try it. Their other products are really good (though the Thousand Island isn’t anything special in my opinion) so I’d take a chance on it.
In honesty, when I want tartar sauce I just make it myself. It’s not all that many ingredients and then it tastes exactly how I want it. But if I find a jar of something exceptional then I’ll use it.
I don’t think we have that here in Canada. I tend to dislike most commercial brands of tartar sauce, but the premium store brand President’s Choice is a good one. And if you like a bit of extra kick, the Legal Sea Foods chipotle tartar sauce is quite good, too. My standard fish & chips dinner is beer-battered haddock with one or the other.
A beloved manager at my company passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. I think most people were notified by their managers, but the VP called a meeting this morning to officially break the news, answer questions, and provide a space for employees to share stories about the deceased manager. One employee felt the need to turn it into an altar call, even going so far as to cast doubt on the deceased’s relationship with Jesus Christ. >.<
I love this! And it just so happens that the largest bulletin board in the building is in a spot not covered by cameras…
Oh no. I had wondered what to expect out of them; they acquired our gas company from Dominion earlier this year.
I love it when this shit happens. My High School Baccalaureate featured the daughter of a famous preacher, whom I know you’ve heard of. She was the mother of one of my classmates. I learned that the entire senior class was going to face hellfire and brimstone because we did not worship Jesus like she did.
I think that was the last Baccalaureate my High School had.
When my Great-aunt died a couple of years ago, she had left specific instructions that she was to have a silent Quaker service, which her son promptly ignored. Cue the sermon from the evangelical preacher. His sister and my father were livid with him.
I had to look this one up - Baccalaureate service. In my more than half-century on this planet I had never heard of such a thing. Needless to say my HS did not have one in 1980’s CA 
.
I was going to say my HS didn’t either (Class of '95) but then I suddenly had a memory of one. We totally had one. That was almost 30 years ago of course but I’d completely forgotten about it until now.
I always whip up my own using mayo, sweet pickle relish and onion powder. I like it better than the premade stuff. It literally takes less than a minute for a meal’s worth….if I get takeout that comes with tartar sauce I still make my own.