What is it about Walmart that makes people move so slow in the store?
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The local Walmarts are extremely disorganized, and you wind up moving more slowly because you have to hunt for what you're looking for, versus just get in, find what you need quickly, and get out. Like items are not always shelved with other like items, so you wind up having to waste time scanning shelves.
I personally find the having to backtrack all over the stores to be more of am annoyance than people's pace.
Ours is laid out reasonably, and they don't change stuff around. They do run out, which is annoying. We have a much larger store in the next closest larger city, but its just not worth the drive. If I can't find something in the store, I just order it online. The next closest store has the larger items onhand, but then its a half hour drive and you still don't know if they have one in stock. I do a lot of stitching with yarn, and LOVE the yarn isle, where I can go looking for the exact color I need really easy too, with the white light showing the colors true.
I do at least one big buy of groceries online too. There's a lot of stuff available in more sizes that way even if its a full sized store. I do like the convience of being able to get the random non food item like paint, or plumming stuff, in the same place as future dinners too.
It its late I can get dinner too as there is a Subway. Some have different foods but I like their sandwitches, and they are reasonably priced.
I do almost all my shopping from Walmart, in store and ordering, and Amazon. I get milk from a local dairy. I really miss the close by meat market which used to be here. Even if there were more stores, I wouldn't waste all the time to get a ride and drive out to them.
The other thing which I really really like is Walmart is open late. You may not find all the shelves filled, but as I enjoy shopping late, I enjoy it then.
I discovered a while ago that the 'higher end' stores didn't have that much more than the regular ones, but if you wanted something you could always do a one or two item trip and save money.
I don't find this to be true at Walmart (or anywhere). Normally stocked items are always be in the same location.
Sometimes they have special items in special displays. Sometimes they "feature" regular items in special displays.
But those "featured" items will also be in the normal shelved areas as well as the special display.
Having shopped Wal-Mart in 5 different states, I have not found this to be true. I had actually heard from an ex-employee that they move things around in order to get people to LOOK and hopefully buy other items. Also I have noticed less expensive items are on the very bottom self requiring squatting down to get them. I have noticed most older people avoiding the store. It is a hike and half anymore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I avoid Walmart. What I have noticed is that it is hard to move your carts around. Too many carts and not enough room. And never enough checkers.
Worse yet are those racing around in the motorized carts since they do not yield for pedestrians! If they almost hit you, they just give you a hateful look.
I advise avoiding Wal-Mart the first weekend of the month, which I refer to as "welfare weekend", and your visit will be slightly less painful.
Having shopped Wal-Mart in 5 different states, I have not found this to be true. I had actually heard from an ex-employee that they move things around in order to get people to LOOK and hopefully buy other items. Also I have noticed less expensive items are on the very bottom self requiring squatting down to get them. I have noticed most older people avoiding the store. It is a hike and half anymore.
Well, as I mentioned, I have stopped at Walmarts on cross-country driving trips, and their layouts are so standard that can just walk in the door, take a big look around, and walk straight to the area I want.
Now if by "move things around" you mean that something that was once on the third shelf is now on the fourth shelf, maybe so.
I'm pretty sure there is something different about Walmart (understatement); many things, actually.
"Slow shoppers" are an obvious advantage for any store & many stores have utilized the additions of dining areas, banking services, photo editing kiosks, nail/hair/vision salons, automotive, etc ... for this exact reason.
Walmart uses additional manipulation with slightly oversized carts, as consumer research indicates that people compute "full basket = empty wallet". The aisle width & height of shelved products is designed so that the larger carts & the people "driving" them create an obstacle to fluid movement.
During peak hours, you will only be able to go as fast as the slowest shopper. A female consumer shopping for a larger household is forced to reach for larger "family-sized" containers while older/disabled, small household shoppers are forced to stoop for the smallest containers.
All staples, even non-perishable household staples such as light bulbs or motor oil are located at the very back of the store to force consumer traffic past attention-grabbing but "not what I came here for" items. So is the department with the prime-retail products that appeal to a diverse demographic: Electronics.
The anti-asthetics of Walmart; cavernous warehouse with bad lighting & exposed beams is not accidental. It's actually based on market research that proved that customers equate stripped-down & visually unappealing stores with discounts & bargains.
Which poses a significant problem for the shopper "like me"; a parent of a profoundly impaired child with Autism. Parenting a disabled child causes a demographic staus shift to the point that no matter how much I despise shopping at Walmart; I have to.
I have a limited amount of time to get in, get what I need & get out before the ticking time bomb of a now 5'11, 200lb Autistic 13 year old renders the trip useless. What is unappealing to the senses of a neurotypical person is literally painful to a person with Autism.
Headphones, earplugs, sunglasses ... nothing has been able to override the Walmart shopping experience. Other grocery/department stores have been do-able but Walmart ... is different.
All staples, even non-perishable household staples such as light bulbs or motor oil are located at the very back of the store to force consumer traffic past attention-grabbing but "not what I came here for" items. So is the department with the prime-retail products that appeal to a diverse demographic: Electronics.
.
I've never seen a Walmart that had electronics anywhere other than the rear of the store.
Motor oil will be in the auto department that will also be to one side toward the rear where the auto service garage (if they have one) must necessarily be.
The sports department will be very close to the auto department and sports department--all three of those will usually be adjacent one another.
Light bulbs will be with other home maintenance items like house paint, carpentry tools, plumbing supplies...where else would you expect them? If I have to replace light bulbs, I'm going to look in the same department where I'd look for replacement furnace filters. And there they are!
And the home maintenance department will always be near sports and auto. Maybe you could accuse Walmart of being sexist or something ("man stuff" over here, "woman stuff" over there), but not inconsistent.
There was once a 3-level Walmart in South Central Los Angeles, attached to the Crenshaw Mall (formerly a department store called The Broadway). More traffic than the 405 freeway.
First floor had clothing, undergarments, and shoes; second floor had books, toys, household items, foodstuffs, and pharmacy; third floor had hardware, electronics, and crafts.
Anyway, despite those three separate floors, you couldn't get out of there quick enough...especially with the foot traffic from the mall coming in. This location was shut down in January of last year, their excuse that "it wasn't making enough money" (that's bull).
I now have to take two buses and a train to get to Walmart in a different area code. What I've observed more than at the previous location is that I always leave in a bad mood. I really don't buy much except a particular color of yarn that the local craft store doesn't sell but I still end up salty, ready to curse someone out if I'm crossed.
For you Angelenos in this thread, the location I'm referring to is on Pioneer Boulevard & Imperial Highway, in the dreaded, eerie piece of city of Norwalk.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
I'd rather stick a hot poker into my eye than walk into a WalMart.
Considering I have to buy certain colors of yarn from Walmart, I have no choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I avoid Walmart. What I have noticed is that it is hard to move your carts around. Too many carts and not enough room. And never enough checkers.
I'm pretty sure there is something different about Walmart (understatement); many things, actually.
"Slow shoppers" are an obvious advantage for any store & many stores have utilized the additions of dining areas, banking services, photo editing kiosks, nail/hair/vision salons, automotive, etc ... for this exact reason.
Walmart uses additional manipulation with slightly oversized carts, as consumer research indicates that people compute "full basket = empty wallet". The aisle width & height of shelved products is designed so that the larger carts & the people "driving" them create an obstacle to fluid movement.
During peak hours, you will only be able to go as fast as the slowest shopper. A female consumer shopping for a larger household is forced to reach for larger "family-sized" containers while older/disabled, small household shoppers are forced to stoop for the smallest containers.
All staples, even non-perishable household staples such as light bulbs or motor oil are located at the very back of the store to force consumer traffic past attention-grabbing but "not what I came here for" items. So is the department with the prime-retail products that appeal to a diverse demographic: Electronics.
The anti-asthetics of Walmart; cavernous warehouse with bad lighting & exposed beams is not accidental. It's actually based on market research that proved that customers equate stripped-down & visually unappealing stores with discounts & bargains.
Which poses a significant problem for the shopper "like me"; a parent of a profoundly impaired child with Autism. Parenting a disabled child causes a demographic staus shift to the point that no matter how much I despise shopping at Walmart; I have to.
I have a limited amount of time to get in, get what I need & get out before the ticking time bomb of a now 5'11, 200lb Autistic 13 year old renders the trip useless. What is unappealing to the senses of a neurotypical person is literally painful to a person with Autism.
Headphones, earplugs, sunglasses ... nothing has been able to override the Walmart shopping experience. Other grocery/department stores have been do-able but Walmart ... is different.
Very good, valid points. I don't like WalMart but if there is no reasonable alternative nearby, we go there. For us, it's not that bad an experience, partly because we expect shufflers and cloggers and conga lines, and partly because we are not shopaholics. So Marsha, it IS a dance hall after all!
What else is wider and more numerous than shopping carts?
Last edited by Frihed89; 01-10-2017 at 01:40 PM..
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If they almost hit you, they just give you a hateful look.
).
