Lately I've been seeing more and more disparaging remarks and snide references concerning an old friend of mine.
I like to think of myself as a pretty loyal person. If I am friends with someone, I may have a little light-hearted fun at their expense. But for the most part I don't like mean things being said about someone I care about.
And lately it seems that all I hear about this old friend is negative.
I am more than aware of the shortcomings involved here but it really burns me that you never hear of the good.
This good old friend of mine does have a name.
A name that all of you know. I even suspect that a few of you may agree with me more than disagree.
I am talking about my good, longtime friend, Wal-mart.
Yes that's right.
Wal-mart.
I love Wal-mart.
I'm a real stickler when it comes to lower prices. I don't have a problem paying a higher price for something that is of a higher quality.
But.
If you've seen one can of Campbell's Tomato soup, if you need a box of band-aids, if you're after a bottle of Tide, in other words if the quality of the item is already established,
Then why not buy it wherever it's sold for the lowest price?
Ten times out of eleven that place would have to be Wal-mart.
Lately it seems that the biggest slander of all are the people shouting about Target being so much better than Wal-mart.
Now I also love Target.
Therefore I will not denigrate it at all seeing as how it is another old friend. Target has a calm, well arranged, almost soothing, feeling to it. Their prices are also kept pretty low. I like Target and I will always shop there.
I just don't understand why with so many people you have to pick either to support team Wal-mart or team Target.
WHY?
It reminds me of the people who many years ago used to feel that if you liked the "Beatles" then you couldn't also like the "Stones".
Isn't that one of the most ridiculous things.
Well I like Wal-mart and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
Granted, I'm not a fan of going there every day, sometimes even a couple of times a day.
(That would be Shawn's agenda.)
There really are very few things that I wouldn't buy at Wal-mart.
The critics, like to say, that Wal-mart's clothing is atrocious. I don't agree.
If you are a plus sized or an extra large type girl as I happen to be, you'll find that Wal-mart's section of clothing is quite vast.
And as much as I like Target, they don't seem to offer anything more than the most basic items for the Larger woman. Lately their maternity section has been squeezing out their plus sizes.
So I buy quite a few of my wardrobe pieces at Wal-mart. That leaves me with a lot more money to spend at Macy's or J C Penney's (I have known people who have the audacity to look down their noses at Penney's as well. Which is funny because they carry a few of the same lines that Macy's does.)
Anyway, Wal-mart has made it possible for me to drop eighty bucks on a jacket from Macy's since the top to go with it cost only fourteen at Wally's World.
One of my favorite bargains in the Men's clothing section of Wal-mart would have to be their own brand of Men's jeans that sell for eight dollars a pop. Shawn loves them.
He's secure enough to not care if they don't have a Levi's or Abercrombie tag on them.
In fact, I kind of think, that it takes a certain amount of self esteem to shop at Wal-mart.
People who claim to hate it, I think that at least a little of that, is being afraid of looking like losers who admit to shopping at Wal-mart.
Well, I am NOT a loser. And I have a healthy enough sense of self to gladly admit to liking Wal-mart.
Now I'm the first to agree that the people who work there aren't always the brightest or best trained. But I have never been treated rudely or badly by them. Instead I find them as helpful as they can be. And as pleasant as they can be.
Many of them wouldn't know how to speak one sentence without butchering the English language. Quite a few may have missing teeth or outdated hairstyles, but you know what? That is only skin deep.
In my experience they are good, kind, helpful, people who are just happy to have a job.
I have only been treated poorly one or two times. And I have been shopping there for more than twenty years.
I realize that other parts of the country may have Wal-marts closer to the image that they are usually portrayed as.
With mean and surly employees. Where the stores are filthy and the shelves are a disordered mess. Dirty walls and floors and a bathroom in worse condition than the one down the street at the local Gas Station.
The Wal-marts we have here in the Tri-Cities however are quite clean. With nice, high, well lit, ceilings. Wide aisles. Clean floors. Well organized racks. I certainly don't feel like I need to shower after leaving the store.
And yes, the customers can be, very much, the underbelly of society.
But even those people can be thoughtful and kind.
So the next time you read or hear of the "Lowly Wal-mart" please don't be so quick to agree.
Wal-mart started out as one, smallish, local, backwater little store. The fact that it has grown to be a retail giant proves that it must be doing something right.
I know that in this country it's, for some reason, become popular to hate those small businesses that have found success. Isn't that anyone's goal when starting out?
I say stop punishing those companies that have found success. Be glad for them.
After all, isn't that the "Real" American Way?
One Happy Bunch
5 years ago
15 comments:
I agree about the pricing - Walmart almost always beats Target.
But man, do I hate shopping in Walmart...
Now since it's your friend, notice that I didn't say I hate WalMart, just that I hate SHOPPING in Walmart. There. We can get along now!
I hate shopping at WalMart on the weekends, but I hate shopping anywhere on the weekends. I tell as many people as I can that I have noticed a huge increase in the number of American made products there too. WalMart shoppers UNITE!!
I have a love/hate relationship with them. To many facets to list, and I'm just to mentally tired from listening to kids screaming, fighting,yelling, and crying ALL FREAKING DAY!!! P.S. The kids mentioned AREN'T my kids, but the ones I'm watching.
I like walmart but now that Target is across the street and Walmart is ten miles away. And since the county where Walmart is has 10%sales tax. I save more money just couponing and going across the street to Target. But if I am out and see walmart I do stock up. As you say band aid's are band aid's.
Walmart works for me. Close and a variety of merchandise is what I love.
Here, here!
My mom has worked at Walmart for about 20 years. She started out running cash register and now works in the cash office counting money and making sure everything adds up right. My mom has a degree in elementary education and 20 years ago when she quit teaching to work at Walmart, she made more money at Walmart not to mention the stock she gets! Like a lot of jobs if you stick with it you can make a decent wage. They complain they only pay $6/hour or what ever to start. Well how much is it worth! Why does everyone think they deserve $20/hour for anything they do. Walmart has given a lot of elderly something to get out of the house for. Whether its to watch people or to work as a greeter.
I don't buy their meat. Chicken yes but beef or pork no. Unless it's the frozen hamburger patties. But I live in an area where I can buy fresh local beef and pork straight from the butcher. Heck, I could buy a whole cow or pig and have custom cut up if I have the freezer space!
Target's plus size clothing sucks, sorry but there's no other word! Plus a size 16 there is a bit smaller than a size 16 other places and who wants to buy a size bigger than they think they are!!!???
My husband wears the cheap $8 jeans to work. He gets filthy and we are not spending $30 to be covered in grease and metal shavings.
Some of the people Walmart hires wouldn't be able to work any where else.
Oh, there's a woman (nothings wrong with her) who works at our WMT who wears shorts or capris with different argyle socks everyday. But Andora is my favorite check out girl! Do you have a favorite person who's line you try to go through? Some of those people must have never bought groceries in their life let alone bagged them!! A 2 liter of soda and a bag of bread in one bag????
Am not American, but I have been to a Wallmart store before while on holiday and found it good. It was so big I could of got lost in there!
With being on holiday I missed Shawn's birthday. I'm sorry!
I hope he had a great day!!
Love,
Amanda x
Wal-mart has been my shopping place of choice lately. They just seem to have everything that I need...all in one place. I definately like Target better....but they don't have all the groceries....which means that Walmart gets more of my business.
Question: Have you really been shopping at Walmart 20 years? I didn't think it was that wide spread 20 years ago. In fact, we didn't get one in SoCal where I lived until the mid-90's. When did it open here in the Tri-Cities?
I love Wal*Mart with all my heart.
Actually Lisa, the Hermiston Wal-mart opened about that long ago. And as soon as it did Don and I started going there. I think it was there for almost two years before we got the original Tri-Cities one. I remember it being that long ago because I remember going there with Courtney when she was really young. Shawn was at the Developmental Center and after that Kindergarten and Courtney came with me where ever I came. So it might be a little short of twenty years, possibly, but Courtney is 21 now so it's petty close.
I totally agree...the whole Target/Wal-mart thing...we are on the same page. I just had a great experience at Wal-mart, I think i just may have to do a post about it...yes, I think I will. :)
i hate the walmart here. it is waaaayyy too crowded with people and merchandise. but i like the kennewick one, is muuuuuch more open than mine here.
by the way, don't you have lisa to thank for approving construction of your local walmart
hey, suz...
walmart, as far as variety, prices, customer service, and quality, is across the board as good as or better than any other of its kind.
however, ours is just too big for me, personally; so, i usually opt for walgreens and the grocery to fulfill my "walmart" needs.
much love,
dani xxx
This was a great post, and I couldn't agree more. I'm on team "where ever I can find the best deal," and usually that is Wal-Mart. No judgement here! ;)
Have a great weekend!
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