<p>I can vouch for how Target treats it’s employees–terribly.</p>
<p>Target used to be my go-to store until my daughter got a job with them. I was shocked by how poorly she was treated, especially about how they lied about her work hours and requests for time off. She didn’t work there for long due to mistreatment and unfounded accusations that she didn’t show up for work when she was supposed to.</p>
<p>As a result, I rarely shop there.</p>
<p>I’m very torn about Walmart. It is hard for me not to go there to stock up on specific items which cost 50% less there (Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar, for example).</p>
<p>Aqua, I think MOWC asked a good question. The topics you bring up are interesting and no one is forced to participate, but something feels, well, fishy. Phishing? Perhaps that is the concern.</p>
<p>Booklady–I just googled too. I live in North Jersey, and there are none anywhere convenient to where i live, which is fine. Lots of better, and closer, alternatives.</p>
<p>^^^Free enterprise at work? Ummmm – I don’t think so.</p>
<p>People hate Walmart for the same reason that free enterprise (aka capitalism) really works: Walmart can sell at the lowest possible price but still make a profit because they sell so darn much. </p>
<p>I love Walmart. I often leave with five or six items and spend less than $12. How is that possible?!</p>
<p>I am intrigued by Aqua’s statistic that 8 cents of every dollar spent in the US is spent at Walmart. I assume that means 8 cents of ever dollar spent in a store – not 8% of all consumption, which would include things like heating oil and dentistry.</p>
<p>I appreciate the opportunity to weigh in on my shopping or personal hygiene habits. :D</p>
<p>Sometimes I go to Walmart for entertainment. We rarely go there to shop because it is not terribly convenient. HOWEVER, they are building a brand spanking new Walmart in our town, and when it is finished… if I am not working there… we will probably stop by once a month or so.</p>
<p>My sentiments exactly. I have never been in a Walmart that wasn’t dark, dingy, messy, and poorly run. This includes this the brand new store nearby. Give me Target or Costco any day.</p>
<p>I shop there a couple of times a year for one particular item I can’t find anywhere else. They only thing that I find appealing about Wal-mart is their pricing. One of things that bothers me the most is that most of the employees seem to be miserable and acrimonious. Good luck finding a cashier who will even have a conversation with you. Many of the employees can be heard grousing about this or that. Another thing that irks me is that I don’t like to overhear parents screaming at their kids or hitting them which is a frequent occurrence in our local store.</p>
<p>I do shop at Target regularly. It’s like night and day compared to Wal-mart. Cheerful and helpful employees, more upscale clientele, clean stores, and very reasonable prices.</p>
<p>I do realize that there can be a great variation in the quality of Wal-marts and their employees depending on the area of the country where it’s located. Many years ago, I shopped at a fabulous one in Hilton Head.</p>
<p>Honestly, I couldn’t imagine living in a rural area of the country where Wal-mart would be one of my only shopping choices.</p>
U.S. GDP last year is estimated at $15,700 billion.</p>
<p>Walmart’s sales last year were $443 billion, of which $125 billion is international. The remaining $318 billion is therefore about 2.0% of this total, rather than 8%. Still a huge number for one company.</p>
<p>No have never shopped in a Walmart although there is one now in the area but it’s more than 15 minutes so I’m in that 10% that don’t live within 15 minutes of a Walmart.</p>
<p>WHY would I want to converse with the cashier? I want him/her to greet me briefly and then efficiently and quietly carry on the transaction.</p>
<p>I can’t stand when they make a remark about a product. Or ask “did you find everything?” - what if I say no? Will she stop the giant line and go help me look for the item I missed? I just hate the fakeness.</p>
<p>My neighborhood grocery store has a stupid rule that the cashiers must thank you by name. I dread the 3 seconds where the cashier stares at the receipt trying to figure out how to pronounce my name. Why do people want fake familiarity - I don’t get it.</p>
<p>Actually, I love numbers and wish that I had pursued a career as a statistician. </p>
<p>AllThisIsNewToMe –</p>
<p>I enjoy conversing with cashiers when I go shopping. But I can understand that someone may view the cashier as a “machine” who is processing their purchase, not a real person who may want to be acknowledged. That is what self-checkout is for! No need for human interaction.</p>
<p>I do pretty much all my shopping at Wegman’s now. I really like their store brand items - bathroom tissue, contact lens solution, laundry detergent, etc. better than the premium brands so I don’t feel like it’s worth my time to make a trip to another store. My time is money.</p>
<p>AllThis–Did you find everything? I answer. and every so often the cashier actually knows what I’m talking about and/or makes an effort to note it. Guess I live in a friendly place.</p>
<p>Most of our Walmarts are upgrading to compete with Target I think.</p>
<p>We now have a Wegmans near us. I absolutely love it! I can appreciate why they are one of the best companies to work for in the US according to Forbes. It’s a gorgeous store and the prices are very reasonable. Love to get food from the one of the many food bars and eat it upstairs in the cafe overlooking the store. It is now my primary place to shop although I still go to Target, Costco, and Trader Joes.</p>
<p>Costco is able to pay a living wage, and benefits.</p>
<p>Target is able to have a bright, cheerful, clean store.</p>
<p>My local family owned hardware store is walking distance from my house, employs people who know what they are talking about and also local teens, and carries everything I have ever gone there to find.</p>
<p>My local gift/garden center has wonderful, one of a kind, hand made items that will NEVER be found at a Walmart.</p>
<p>Walmart can win on prices, but the lighting is awful, the employees are nonexistent when you need help, the stores are cluttered and dirty, and the shoppers are unhappy looking. Nobody other than the elderly greeters has a smile to offer.</p>
<p>However, Walmart is a great place to go to see horrible parenting in action. I’ve seen more kids smacked and yelled at in Walmarts than anywhere else.</p>