We're getting a super Walmart in the next county sometime in the spring and I'm so glad. I don't like some of their stuff (clothes and housewares) but when their regular prices on food is better than what we consider a good sale it will be worth the drive.
We have a Pamida right next to where the Walmart is going up and some toys that are $5-$6 at Walmart are $8-$9 there and that will be nice.
In the town I normally stop at we have an ALCO and half the time you can't get through the aisles becasue for some reason they stock in the middle of the day and leave their boxes all over. Why they do this when they close at 8pm is beyond me, I can see restocking stuff that's out but major rearrangements. We're happy about Walmart coming in because we hate going to this store.

I guess I must be in the minority. I don't mind Wal-Mart that much. I do find it very chaotic and I don't shop there that often, but I think it serves a good purpose and I don't think it's evil. I didn't work at Wal-Mart but I did work at Sam's club and for me it was a good experience. I liked the people I worked with and I don't imagine it's that different from Wal-Mart. These are just my thoughts.

LOL!! I love this!!

WalMart is good for one thing: CHEAP DUNCAN HINES!!! Other than that, I don't go there, I'm a professed Target and Kroger shopper!!

One thing I hate about Wal Mart; why do they only have 5 lanes open and they have 500 people waiting in line to be checked out??? This drives me nuts!!!! I try to do the self checkout, but you have 200 people waiting in line for that!!!

At Target, if they see a lot of people waiting in line, they IMMEDIATELY call everybody to the front so the customers don't have to wait!!!

becakelly, uummm?

I did not ever work in a wal mart but I do understand the basic concepts of economics and microeconomics having taken more than a few lower and upper level classes on both subjects. As well as behaviors in orgs, biz management, and too many accounting classes to name. It is pretty much common knowledge that when a comapny losses part of it's customer base, said company downsizes, the first to get the ax are the ones making the most money, like management. Like I said...basic knowledge. Further more do you truly think the powers that be give a rats patooty what some small gaggle of folks have to say about their stores on some cake decorating site? People are just giving their opinons not personally bashing you. "Keep those types of opinions to yourself" I will be sure to clear any and all of my opinions with those who have thin skin in the future.

Well, all I am gonna say now is that I guess I am below you because I did work there. I guess I don't know anything either....thank goodness I had my second baby and my husband is fortunate enough to have a good job so I could quit mine and stay at home with the kids! Geez...I didn't know so many ppl were so ignorant. I'm out.

I believe it's ok to share our different opinions but I think we step out of line and do offend others when our opinions become to personal and blunt. We just should be more careful about what we say and how we say it. All of us here definitely have one thing in common and that is we love CAKE! When we stray off and start giving objective opinions we are definitely going to run into offending someone here. Here we have people from all walks of life......from store clerks to attorneys......from black people to white people.......from lower class to upper class. So, just think before we speak.....because we are not sitting on our living room couches talking to folks that are just like us but we are talking to a range of different people that just share one thing in common and that is cake.
Much love to u all,
Cynita

I believe it's ok to share our different opinions but I think we step out of line and do offend others when our opinions become to personal and blunt. We just should be more careful about what we say and how we say it. All of us here definitely have one thing in common and that is we love CAKE! When we stray off and start giving objective opinions we are definitely going to run into offending someone here. Here we have people from all walks of life......from store clerks to attorneys......from black people to white people.......from lower class to upper class. So, just think before we speak.....because we are not sitting on our living room couches talking to folks that are just like us but we are talking to a range of different people that just share one thing in common and that is cake.
Much love to u all,
Cynita

Ok well I can see that some people take things a little too seriously and a little too hard...

No where did anyone say people that worked at walmart were ignorant and nowhere did anyone pin point jenbenjr out and say they were ignorant.

We were all just talking about why we dislike WalMart's way of organizing their stores and why some of us hate having to go in there, why some don't go at all, and why some are waiting for a better alternative like the target they are currently building right across the road practically from my house....

No one was bashing anyone or anything like that and if you worked at WalMart that doesn't make you any less then anyone here that didn't work there. I have family members that have worked there and they are no less of a person because of it. If you are being said to be less then someone else it's because you're acting childish about all this. But no one said you were less then any other person here.

I think this got taken out of hand and went into the wrong direction. But I do think you need to stop being so childish and see what is really being said in this thread. You are acting like Sam Walton's wife or something... defending WalMart till the end even though you no longer work there... and it must not have been the best damn job in the world - so to speak - or you would've gone back after your baby was born.

All I'm saying is we've had WalMart in our town for 12-15 years now and one in a neighboring town for almost as long. I've shopped at both of these for many many years now and still do now, although I dread it because of how packed it is and sometimes because yes it is hard to find things because of the way they have their stores organized. BUT! The one thing I can say I've noticed over the years.... there isn't a single person working there that was there when the store opened. Not one single person. Management, and everyone under them, has changed so often it should say something for either the company or the store. Since managers are even leaving and people incharge of the store itself are leaving... I'd have to say it has something to do with the way company is being run.

Which store did I work for to gather my info? None. It's basic public knowledge when you go to a store once a week weather you like to or not. You see people come and go so often that it makes you wonder what is going on that they can't keep anyone and that they are hiring every single day for the last 4 years. And no that's not just "we're currently accepting applications to keep on file" type thing it's interviewing every single day hiring new people every single day because people keep leaving type thing... There has to be something going on there.

But anyway yeah no one was making a direct hit to you jenben and I do think you over reacted a bit. But that's just my opinion.

Edited to add: Yes although we are all here mainly for Cake Talk, this is the General forum threads and can be off topic from cakes. If Jackie and Heath didn't want us to be able to talk about anything OTHER then cakes they wouldn't have put it here. You can't control how people think or feel and you can't really control peoples opinions. The only thing I see is this thread getting locked in the near future if people take things to heart too much. No one is directly basing anyone or anything like that we're all venting our frustrations with the way stores (not just walmart if you read all the posts) stock their merchandise.

you always know what to say ohmygoodies. i hope i didn't offend anyone, but it sounds like i did. i didn't say ALL people who shop at walmart smell. (my sister goes there because thats the only place to go in her small town). just that the ratio seems higher there than at other stores. LOL. and that there are many other things about it that i don't like. i don't complain and still shop there anyway, i express my dislike for that store by, as i said, going elsewhere.

I used to work at Acme Markets and you would not believe the way people would come to the store... dirty stankin and just plain out nasty lol. And they'd sit there and get all close to me and stuff while I was bagging their items and I just wanted to be as rude as them and tell them to back off cause they stink but I didn't I just tried not to breath and continued lol.

And no I wasn't implying everyone in the world stinks because they shop at Acme Markets... just a few inparticular that I came into contact with working there lol...

HEHE.....I do have a stance on the "MART" topic but not gonna take it here...however would like to say since our main common ground here IS cake...why dont some folks take some of the time they are spending here spreading ill will between them and go comment some of the lovely cakes here that are going unnoticed or getting like ONE whole comment? We could spend a few minutes making someone feel good about themselves and their hard work or welcoming a newcomer. I'm not telling anyone what they "have" to do ...just seems far more productive. Just an opinion.

I hear ya spongemomsweatpants ( i LOVE your name BTW, I TRULY laugh EVERY time I see it) I have been off a couple of days and have insomnia and I have sat for about 2 hours b4 bed lately just commenting....there is some awesome stuff thats getting barely noticed since CC has gotten so big.

Oooh just wait until marketing finds out some of you have memorized the store - They are gonna totally change it around on you - It's a conspiracy I tell you - Am I paranoid? I think not
Some one stop the ride, I wanna get off!!!

This is, one of the reasons, why you can charge more for your cakes and your customers are willing to pay the price. They don't have to deal with shopping in a, less than desirable atmosphere. I live in a small town, I love going to the local hardware store and grocery store. You walk in...tell them what you want and they run and get it for you. The few pennies more I may or may not pay for it are well spent and it keeps the family owned business going. I love the homey friendly feeling. I know you must have cake customers who also love dealing with you personally.

Please, please, please...no more Wal-Mart bashing!! They are my bread and butter!! I work for an engineering firm (in the real world) and Wal-Mart is one of our biggest client! Before you ask, I do structural work and have no control over merchandise arrangement!!!

But I do know what you mean, big grocery stores seem to take so much longer to check out and I do tend to pick up things that I had no idea I needed until I went into the store!!

[/quote]

For some ODD reason they are over with the condoms and pregnancy tests.... I mean really #1 if I needed a pregnancy test I obviously forgot the condoms lol #2 if I need the pregnancy test I damn sure don't need the tampons and visaversa lol[/quote]


Oh my gosh...that's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

I am one that loves/hates Wal-Mart too! When it comes to saving money for my family...I love paying the lower prices. I, too, cannot stand paying $2.39 for Duncan Hines at Schnucks when I know I can buy it for $.93 at Wal-Mart.

But I hate mustering up the energy it takes to do my shopping there!

My two pet peeves about Wal-Mart are the people who do their shopping in fluffy slippers and flannel pajama pants and ME having to load my own groceries!!

I couldn't believe it when they first started that idea....I thought "are you kidding me??" I am spending almost $300, standing in line forEVER just to unload my groceries on the ever shrinking counter and now you expect me to load up my own cart?? I work up a sweat just going through the check-out line!!!!

ldydesignr.....You are right..WalMart does have its place in our life. They do offer jobs to people who may, for whatever reason, not be able to get hired elsewhere. They work until they are able to move on to other options. They offer many items at a very affordable price. Their return policies are awesome. You can go there in the middle of a project and not worry about cleaning up first. Parking a long ways from the front door is uaually relatively simple and gives you your daily exercise. We just need to accept that the shopping trip is to get what we want for the price we want to pay....not to enjoy the experience. I don't see a problem with voicing our displeasure though...let's you know you aren't the only one who noticed all of these things.

I'll admit since my walmart doesn't offer meats or anything more then milk and butter in the cold food section and hot pockets and ice cream and some frozen types of meat like hamburger patties and chicken patties... I will only buy my bread and eggs and canned goods at WM and will end up having the hassle of having to drive all the way to other side of town (past my home which falls in the middle of the two) and get meats. Sometimes not being able to because we are amoung those other people out there in the world who are on a very very TIGHT budget for food because the household bills skyrocketed above what we were able to afford. So yeah we struggle to find bargins and deals on all types of food and even though WalMart is the cheapest... even if it wasn't... on bread I'd get it there anyway because it's the freshest in town! Some things I can find cheaper elsewhere but bread and canned veggies are cheapest there lol.

So I'm not gonna bash walmart, or stop going there, but I have limited my trips there because as some have stated it's just rediculous trying to even check out. We have 26 check out lanes in ours that are run by cashiers on the busiest days, the weekends, they have only 5-7 registers open. Then they have 4 self check outs that on a daily basis 2 are always broken lol. It's hard to get customer service to help you with anything, and when they can help you they are limited on their help. I've only found 2 people in the entire store that will actually walk with me and start a conversation with me while taking me directly to what I'm looking for and then putting it in my cart for me! without asking for any additional help. The only reason they do it... because one of them is my old social worker and one of them fell in love with my daughter when she was a baby and has been there for the past maybe 4 years.. that we've been going in there and she's very nice.... not too many like that in there.

Now that I think about it there is 1 person that's been there since opening... he's an older man and is being slowly pushed out the door due to age or whatever... he started as head of security and is now down to cart pusher.

But yeah no more bashing walmart for whatever reasons.... just add in why your local store is weird about stocking

The other night I had my husband run to the grocery store (closest to the house) for an emergency tampon run lmfao he ran in and paid for $5.00 worth of "products" and used a $100.00 bill. The guy laughed so hard at him and said I'd hate to see what you do when you need change for a $50.00 is that when you buy a pack of 25 cent gum or one $2.00 box of rubbers. I thought you rude jerk! He said it in a really harsh tone and you could tell he was annoyed. He said normally when I need to break a larger bill because the next place I'm going won't have change... I buy what's needed and this is what's needed. The manager, a great friend of hubby's came over and started raggin on him for buyin tampons lol. Said he'd never be caught dead buyin them things lol. Gotta love him!

OK, I haven't read all of the responses yet, hope I'm not repeating anyone!

Yeah, Wally World irritates the crap out of me, but I put up with it for the lower prices. With soon to be 5 kids, if I shopped at a regular grocery store, I'd be up the creek and HUNGRY!

My biggest camplaint is all those dang registers they have in the stores!! But they only have like 3 or 4 open every time I go! And believe me I'm the person you hate to be behind! I ALWAYS have two carts full, I can't help that!

Another is wrong pricing! Alot of times things don't ring up correctly, but just try to get that $3 off that is posted as THEIR policy that is displayed on every register.........It's like trying to get a passport!

I too have a love/hate relationship with Walmart, but would if they went away!

Funny thread.

I do my whining about Wallyworld usually around the holidays. In.San.I.Ty. During that time, I go late at night since I'm a night owl and it's better because fewer people are there but the line situation still sucks.

Some are so dang dirty and unkept.

But do I still go? Yes. Their prices can't be beat on many things, especially toiletries and some cake supplies. I also get my oil changed there every now and then if I'll be there for awhile.

The placement of products doesn't make sense but I also have noticed it's the same silly logic for other stores. The canned tomatoes remains an unsolved mystery.

However, I've been having a steamy, hot love affair with Target for years now. Don't tell Wally. Target can whisper sweet nothings in my ear about anything and I'm putty in his hand. Their dollar section rules the land.

<~~Sucka