In my case Kmart and Wal-mart are practically across the street from one another. I avoid Wall-Mart like the plague.
Thomas, I think it is also about Walmart
taking over sleepy little rural towns....This is about to happen to where I live.....There are at least 3 Walmarts within a 15 mile driving distance of my town...... but that doesn't seem to matter.....
Just found this thread and haven't read it all yet, so forgive any repetition. Wal-Mart Supercenters have driven many small retailers out of business in Mississippi. I shop there only as a last resort. The one here even has a nail salon and a photo studio (where they offer passport photos...though why anyone would need to leave the Wal-Mart City borders is beyond me).
I'm awaiting the day the first Wal-Mart becomes incorporated as an independent town.
Lessee--what do they lack? In addition to the general retail/grocery/pharmacy/gasoline/ auto-service monopoly, they already have a town "library" (albeit heavily stacked toward Modern Romances), a police force (security), a Welcome Center (greeters), day-care (the toy aisles and the game arcade), executive and legislative branches (management: who needs voters in a monarchy?), a judiciary system (the Returns area), a self-sustaining oil source (ever looked at the huge puddles of oil from old cars--that asphalt is sucking it up, and you can bet somebody in Benton, Arkansas, is figuring a way to recycle and sell it). . .what am I overlooking?
I prefer Morrison's to Wal-Mart
Morrison's cafeteria, TT? If so, an apt addition to Wal-Mart City, Incorporated. The deli sections in WM's could use the bland additional selections.
Some other Morrison's?? Well, it'll probably be suject to annexation in the next Stockholder's meeting. Oooops, I ARE a stockholder (don't tell my momma, who hates WM even more than I do), but I've never been asked for my vote. . . .
Anyone here who is concerned about the elephantine WalMart should go see the new documentary "The Corporation" Comprehensive and chilling -- WalMart is addressed more than once as well as KMart.
I'm going to Walmart at lunchtime to get snack-bags, and a new lunch pail for my son. I will also look around at the movies, camping stuff, toys, clothes, shoes, tools, pillows and linens, food stuff, and bakery to see if there is anything I need. Later I will take the other car in for an oil change.
You must have a two hour lunch.
Nope. just a normal time like everyone else, speaking of which, I gotta run. While i am at Walmart, I will be thinking of you.
Life must be wonderful, with all those fun things to do at WalMart. It sounds almost spiritual.
One can imagine the greeting at the entrance:
"Welcome pilgrim. Your search has ended."
Thinking of me the lunch counter, McG? Make sure you visit the antacids in the drug department first. You're familiar with the drug department, right?
Sounds almost like Disneyland, doesn't it, D'artagnan? Maybe he'll find a valuable fossil, one of the deceased members of the WalMart family interned in the corner aisle behind the cheaply made electronics.
The Walmart here ate all of the local drugstores and general stores that I used to be able to walk to and now I need a car to get there so it's probably actually more expensive if you factor in gas, and I liked the local stores better.
I just thought I'd add.
MichaelAllen
MichaelAllen wrote: "WalMart is symbolistic of Americana because in it are the principles that built America."
I think you left out at least one Americana symbolism. Exploitation of workers, including child labor and slave labor. Its a sad history we have in that respect.
BBB
Walmart was a freakin zoo yesterday, and they didn't have what I wanted.
I kept my wallet in my pocket.
As far as the traditional main street, a local main street with its little shops still exist in Orange County despite discount stores. This is a totally different demographic than, say, a Midwestern small city. The main streets that come to mind are Garden Grove (with a Costco adjacent across a main artery right at the end of the street!), or the Orange "circle" filled will small shops and art galleries with no large discount store within walking distance, and Laguna Beach with no discount stores to be seen at all (the city would never allow it). There are also charming little restaurants and even book stores. There's a small independent bookstore in the Lido Village where my gallery was located on the marina which still survives as the owner actually know about books! The owner is a retired liberal school teacher.
WalMart has seldom had what I wanted so I gave up long ago. It would go in and look at a small appliance, for instance, and examine it closely armed with info from Consumer Reports, epinion and other ammunition. I would not buy from them after looking examining the shoddy workmanship and materials in the product. I avoid both stores that are near my house for the very reason that the parking is terrible, although one of them is next door to a Lowe's where parking is never a problem. Obviously, Lowe's has given Home Depot a run for their money and HD has just recently been bought out. The corporation is like an octopus with tenticles reaching out to grab and consume whatever their little collective brain deems beneficial for their nourishment.
Well, I got what I needed and had a fine time while I was there. The underpaid employees were happy and helpful as always, the lines were all busy, as always, and everything I purchased was cheaper than at P&C.
LW, maybe you should just shop at Sharper Image. I here they have good quality stuff there. Or maybe Craftsman makes a blender you can use...
I already have a blender and barely use it as I use the Cuisanart for nearly anything I used to use the blender for -- I bought that from Chefs.com and WalMart does not have Cuisanart. Did you ask the employees if they were happy with their jobs and were paid well? Are you psychic? Do you expect them to frown at you? How do you suppose they are trained to react to the public? Trained as a monkey is trained in a circus, maybe? Or a robot?
