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I grew up shopping at Walmart. Never had an issue with it. But as I got older and my financial situation got increasingly better, I shy away from that experience. My wife and I avoid Walmart like the plague. We often laugh at ourselves to what we have "become", then we kinda feel bad about it. Target is her favorite store though.
I grew up shopping at Walmart. Never had an issue with it. But as I got older and my financial situation got increasingly better, I shy away from that experience. My wife and I avoid Walmart like the plague. We often laugh at ourselves to what we have "become", then we kinda feel bad about it. Target is her favorite store though.
Is it me or Walmart seems to have gotten worse? It used to be a friendly place to shop with full shelves. The clientele seemed less trashy. Now you go in, they don't play music on the speakers no more. Shelves are empty and messy. The workers seem unhappy and impoverished looking. All the customers are whipping out the welfare card to pay for their orders.
I doubt that you will find a Walmart in any "upper middle class" area. They do well in rural, semi-isolated areas because they take advantage of the lack of choice for consumers, but in a higher income, urban area (ex. Bay Area, NorCal), there are not many Walmarts, save for the lower socioeconomic demographic. I don't particularly care for Whole Foods, for a lot of reasons, but doubt that you would ever find a Walmart near one.
Well maybe I should have just said "middle class" then, depends on what of the country you're in.
Walmart will always get the poorer customers who pay with cash and food stamps. Amazon requires having a credit card, or at least a checking account.
Amazon has plans to start accepting EBT cards this summer. They also accept debit cards and gift cards. So that is a non issue for Amazon. If people have the money to spend, they can buy from Amazon, one way or another.
Retailers need to figure out a way to appeal to shoppers like me. I do not want to buy clothing or shoes over the internet. I want to feel the fabric, look at the construction, and know the item will fit before I buy it. I do not want to order and pay for stuff that turns out not to meet my needs, then have to pack it up, return it, and get a refund - even if the seller pays for return postage.
I am fine buying clothes online, as long as I can return them to an actual store. I've done that plenty of times. I'd rather drive to the store than go to the post office.
But I'll never buy strictly online (like Amazon) because I hate packing things up and mailing them back and I hate going to the post office.
Well maybe I should have just said "middle class" then, depends on what of the country you're in.
Agree, I worked in one of those big box store in a very affluent suburb. Where else do the housekeepers, au pairs, and gardeners go to get their supplies?
I am fine buying clothes online, as long as I can return them to an actual store. I've done that plenty of times. I'd rather drive to the store than go to the post office.
But I'll never buy strictly online (like Amazon) because I hate packing things up and mailing them back and I hate going to the post office.
I am so disappointed to hear this trend.
One nice thing about Amazon is that sometimes they give you a credit and let you keep the item. That's happened to me a couple times just recently. One said it was a 2-pack but I only got one. They COULD have refunded me half the purchase price and I'd have been happy. They refunded the whole price and I kept the product which was worth around $9.
I don't remember ever buying clothing on Amazon so I'm not sure that policy applies, but I've kept some nutritional supplements and a winterizing kit.
I doubt that you will find a Walmart in any "upper middle class" area. They do well in rural, semi-isolated areas because they take advantage of the lack of choice for consumers, but in a higher income, urban area (ex. Bay Area, NorCal), there are not many Walmarts, save for the lower socioeconomic demographic. I don't particularly care for Whole Foods, for a lot of reasons, but doubt that you would ever find a Walmart near one.
Not true.
There are two full-sized Walmarts in my area in the south-eastern suburbs of Denver, where average house prices have hit $400K.
They are both very nice Walmarts, always well-stocked and very busy. One is right across the road from a Sam's Club that is also always busy.
There are also two Walmart neighborhood markets in the same area.
They aren't situated here due to lack of choice, since there are two other major supermarket chains with multiple stores in the area as well as (Super) Targets, Sprouts, Natural Grocers and Costco also in the same area.
They are here because people have money to spend.
And spend it they do.
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