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Amazon Prime is not cheaper than Amazon. Look at each item carefully & compare to the same items non-Prime. You'll find the cost is the same. (I'm not speaking of Pantry, which doesn't have much of what I would order, so I have never used it. Yu can't use coupons with Prime, either. I use coupons every time I shop.)
I order from Amazon a lot and am a Prime member. Prime item will be, say, $20.00 with free shipping. If you click on "other sellers" and see what other sellers, non-Prime, are selling the item for, the item will be $16.00 plus $4 for shipping. Same price. The sellers have it fixed that way.
You also can't rely on Amazon price being good. Sometimes it's outrageous. Amazon is now composed of a lot of individual sellers, each of whom set a price geared toward certain consumers. Occasionally you'll run across a seller who is aiming at someone buying in a hurry and/or not knowing much about what the item should cost. Example: I saw MilkBone dog treats selling for, say, $28.00. One box. The retail for those is about $3.00, and you can get them on sale or with a coupon for $2.50.
Prime is now for the video streaming service. It offers little, if any, price advantage in purchases. There may be faster shipping, though (which I don't care about).
Why don't you want to shop at WalMart any more?
WalMart's prices aren't necessarily the lowest, either. Their prices have gone up in the last year, I suppose in response to the higher wages it is paying.
A frugal shopper needs to comparison shop at WalMart, Amazon, Target, and other stores, to truly get the best price. Example: I wanted a new pair of CHEAP slippers with foam in insole and a plastic/rubber outside sole. I checked WalMart...one possibility that was on sale AND in stock at my local WalMart for $7 (navy). Didn't want to buy through Amazon in case they didn't fit. Went to Target for household shopping, and saw their slippers were 40% off. I ended up paying about $13 for DeerFoam slippers (good quality). So I paid more than for WalMart, but they were better quality and the color I wanted (black).
I've found that pet supplies at WalMart are not competitively priced. Target actually has the best prices, esp since they go on sale frequently. WalMart doesn't carry a wide variety of bagged pet foods (my local store). Sam's Club has the best price on Cosequin (dog arthritis chewtabs).
WalMart has best prices on frozen foods, usually. WalMart pharmacy sells my dog's medicine for $8, while Wagreen's sold it for $60. (Check those online pharmacy comparison price shopping sites...they work!)
WalMart will have some super cheap things of low quality sometimes, which is sometimes what I want. Example: a super cheap blanket to use for the dogs. I found one at WalMart for $5. It was of low quality, and not soft to the touch. What do you want for $5? It was perfect for the dogs.
Found a new winter coat (red, wool blend, London Fog) at Sam's Club for $50.
Found a new winter coat (black, hooded, high quality wool blend, Ann Klein) at Burlington's for way less than $100 (regular price over $200).
Lg bags of dog food (Iam's Naturals...high quality) - Target (on sale or w/a coupon usu.). WalMart doesn't carry.
Baked chickens: WalMart local store $6, Sam's Club $5, Minyard's $8.
Fresh produce - Deals and quality vary among stores, so hard to compare. I watch for sales. Sam's used to sell bags of red delicious apples @ best price, but switched to fancy types of apples. Now I look for them on sale at regular grocery stores.
The WM employees are okay. Not the friendliest, but they're doing their jobs and not there to "make my day." I am pleasant to them. They are pleasant to me. Sometimes we chat, sometimes not. It's this way at most stores. These are people who are working long hours on their feet, being pushed around by supervisors and customers, trying to earn a living, worried about daycare and car repairs. I cut them slack, unless they're absolutely ugly to me for no reason, which I can't recall ever happening.
I live in Los Angeles where luckily we don't have WalMarts around so there are other places to go and Amazon same day is also available. My issue with WalMart is usually the quality of the employees. I used to live in Vegas and the 24 hour WalMarts seem to hire pretty much anyone. I would continually find myself regretting asking for assistance in finding something. If they knew what it was I was talking about, they never could usually find it and i would spend 15 minutes being led around the store watching them try and get help from another employee who would be as clueless. In case you think i wanted some hard to find things examples are having to ask 3 people about ice cube trays (last one knew what they were and said to check camping), an exposure to different languages, watching a woman who spoke little english ask a woman who spoke little spanish or english (i think it was chinese or vietnamese or maybe pekingese) when i needed a fanny pack or something like that) (didnt understand "camera bag" "travel bag" I was by this point in the womens clothing section and gave up. I have even been there at 3am where NO ONE felt like working the cash register (which is bizarre because they usually treat everyone like we all steal if not watched like a hawk). I tried to ring up my cart at self check out three times but their sensors are so light that they constantly accuse you of adding without scanning and tell me to wait for an attendant. (I yelled hello, i need help, and after the third machine just said "thank you for shopping and restarted, I walked out with my cart. (Stuff it with your indignance over this, if you have it).
Other messes with thier loser workforce:
Left my cart at the end of the Aisle only to find it gone when I came back, most my things i had picked up were on the shelf next to the end of the aisle and a worker who looked at me slightly as she was putting some merchandise (I assume she was asked to move). She also seemed to not notice my jacket she left that i saw on the bottom. I was freaked out about my jacket but didnt think any employee would be that rude or if it were an accident wouldnt say something as i walked up and down looking for another person who may have had it. Then I see the jacket and she says nothing as i reach in and pull it out from under the crap she started loading.
The greeters dont greet most the time (they have ONE JOB) yet never looking at the door (are they retarded) and they often will have many customers and only one or two cashiers. so you have to stand behind the high school accident girl who has 4 kids who ALL are usually screaming. (this is why we have planned parenthood to rid you idiot girls of this issue.)
I genuinely find Target to have way better employees. I dont think they have higher pay or if they are just not treated poorly/as replaceable or overworked or whatever. I think people on here that defend the poor customer service of WalMart employees laughable. Go ahead and yell at the thread creator for expressing a view that is totally valid.
Many areas, though are not able to avoid this crap house. Also there are so many idiots that will praise WalMart the same as they do the country, as though that it makes them a better American. Its a store, owned by ass hats that sit on their money and help choke our economy. Thats not American at all. But as long as you can fight over a Black Friday TV then you go nuts for this crap.
Yes, Target employees are paid more. That doesn't mean they're paid a lot, though.
WalMart gave raises to employees this year...hence the higher prices of their goods.
I find WM employees and those at other stores comparable. They're certainly not rude. They do their job. They are not to make your day. They are there to check you out, provide your prescription medicine, stock the shelves, etc., while being pleasant to you. They are all working long hours on their feet. You are there to do your shopping...while being pleasant to the employees and other customers. I have no trouble shopping or with store employees, usually. I try to be patient and pleasant.
Walmart has more organic produce now than they used to and also organics in the dry good section! They are really
trying to accommodate our needs.
My store is stocking quite a few organic produce items but they don't sell as well as the ordinary 'stuff'. We are also stocking a LOT of gluten free products and people ARE buying those.
People accuse Walmart of "not caring" about their customers but that's just not true. They also want to continue to make money so why would they go out of their way to irritate and anger people? Doesn't make sense to me and, believe me, we are ALL held accountable about how WE treat people. I really LIKE my job, don't mind going to work every day and like my customers as well.
If you plan to stop shopping walmart at least get some mileage out of it and let them know in particular what it is about their corporate practices or policies that cause you to quit shopping with them.
Had a lady tell me this morning that she's "never coming back" and has called Corporate already. Her complaint? There was only one register open at 6:30 AM and two people ahead of her in line. That's outrageous and should never happen! At 7 AM there were three more registers and one bank of self check out scanners open so, conceivably, 7 customers could be checking out at the same time. That doesn't happen at 6:30 or 7 AM. The place is a veritable graveyard, except for overnight employees grabbing something on their way out. By 10 AM there are usually 8 registers open plus 8 self checkout scanners. And then the fun starts. lol
I understand the scheduling process, why they do it the way they do and it generally works out okay. It won't if people call in 'sick' though and when people complain the most it's usually when several have called out. However...and I don't know how other stores handle it...our managers will always jump on a register to get the lines down if we need them. And if you ever hear the loudspeaker say "Code C to the front please" it means they are calling other cashier trained employees to the front to help. We will NEVER let long lines continue and really try to not let them form in the first place. All Walmarts are supposed to do this but I have never worked for another one so I don't know. All I know is that my store does a pretty good job of keeping people happy most of the time.
some walmarts are nice and clean while other look like somebody wipe their butt on the wall
You're right about that! When I do road trips I stop at Walmarts all over the place. I just want to see what they are like, what their employees are like and compare it to my store. I've seen some pretty poor of both at some stores. Most of the stores have civil, if not super friendly employees and most are pretty clean and neat. As for the employees...not everybody is cut out to work with the public. A LOT of them shouldn't even consider it but they do it. I think management is responsible for how a store looks and we have a really gung ho manager! Our floors shine like you wouldn't believe. Until a few hundred people have milled around anyway. Our maintenance department cleans the bathrooms at least six times a day...usually when I get a break or go to lunch! lol Walmart has approximately 4,000 stores in this country, give or take a few, and I'm sure they are all as different as their local surroundings and population.
Yes, Target employees are paid more. That doesn't mean they're paid a lot, though.
WalMart gave raises to employees this year...hence the higher prices of their goods.
I find WM employees and those at other stores comparable. They're certainly not rude. They do their job. They are not to make your day. They are there to check you out, provide your prescription medicine, stock the shelves, etc., while being pleasant to you. They are all working long hours on their feet. You are there to do your shopping...while being pleasant to the employees and other customers. I have no trouble shopping or with store employees, usually. I try to be patient and pleasant.
I have friends who work at two different Targets and they don't make more than Walmart employees. Walmart did give all the new hires...and those who had been working 90 days...a $1 hour higher starting wage this year, so $9 hour average. Some do get more. There is another raise scheduled for this month but I don't know exactly which employees it applies to. I get a raise every year anyway but I sure wouldn't turn one down right now!
It isn't just Walmart where prices are going up. It's everywhere and it happens all the time. I don't know why we are surprised when it does.
Thank you for being "patient and pleasant". It's nice to experience that! Most of my customers are, thankfully, and I appreciate them.
I have absolutely no trouble avoiding Walmart. There are plenty of pharmacies, grocery and other types of stores around. Unless you live in a very rural area, avoiding Walmart is easy as pie.
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