The Rise and Fall of Wal-Mart (sets, price, discount, shops)

[VegasGrace]

Have you heard? Walmart is in the beginning stages of decline. Many will say it's already happened.

After hearing this on the news, I wanted to check for myself...
I made some calls to friends and family scattered across the US.

They've noticed it as well.

Walmart isn't the least expensive on products anymore. We all thought they were as their business model suggests (buying from the manufacturer at a lower cost to be able to sell it for a lower cost)

Besides all the internal problems they are having, it seems now the consumer is discovering it as well.

I went to Walmart w/ my list and then another store and sure enough...Walmart was priced higher than even the regular shelf price. Plus, the stores here are notorious for scanning items higher than the shelf tag. Poor customer service, poor quality of many of their items....
But in all conversations- size is mentioned. It's almost like a warehouse club....get the flu once a year? Can't get your meds at Walmart- they only carry 40 quantity otc meds...who needs 40? 2-3 days worth is all that's needed and then it expires before the next year arrives. (this was said by someone in Maryland)

Anyone else seeing this? It very well could be a regional thing but up and down the east coast and out to AZ- many are starting to switch back to their old grocery stores and Kmart or Target.

[GloryB]

I'm not sure how it is in other areas of the USA, but here, KMart still has some catching up to do....if only for the bad quality of their actual store buildings. Maybe partnering with Sears will eventually bring them up to speed. For now though....it just FEELS all tired and dingy when you shop there.

WalMart really doesn't have all the competitors they once did when they were initially trying to take over the discount shopping market and the mom/pop local shops. They also really did a big sweep in the market as far as all their rural locations. There are actually areas where WalMart is the only thing going for a whole county area.

But you are right. I certainly have noticed the increase in prices and the lack of service. I just assumed it was due to the current economy....but people are fickle. They can leave WalMart just as quick as they all came in. So, WalMart will have to watch this closely or take the fall.

And I'm certainly not dissing WalMart. I do a lot of my shopping there. However, there are discount grocery stores (Save-a-Lot and Aldi's) who are giving them a serious run for their money! Then the stores like Dollar General are coming in with hard to beat prices as well.

[scarletneon]

Perhaps in some areas, but in others Walmart is the only thing going for them, and it will never decline.

[CMichele]

I do agree that they may be declining - drastically. But I have noticed this since early 2008.

There was a time when you could buy any and every thing at Wal-mart. Now? Not so much. I used to decorate my bathrooms straight out of Wal-mart. Now, they barely even have nice sets anymore. And just plain forget about getting solid prints. I recently needed all black accessories for my bathroom. I found them at Kmart and for not that much money. I bought the other items at Target and AJ Wright. I've noticed this with other items, too. For instance, a set of nursing scrubs from Wal-mart can set you back close to $40!! I can get 2-3 pair at Dickies or AJ Wright at that price. The variety isn't even that great anymore.

With food items, they are still doing well as far as stock. Pantry items are still pretty cheap. I don't eat their meat but I do notice that it's higher than most other places.

[CMichele]

Btw, I do remember hearing some time ago that Wal-mart offered companies a set price to even consider selling their products. The companies had to take it or leave it. Of course they took it just to have their items sold in Wal-mart.

I'd imagine some of these companies are now leaving it, lol. I suspect that it the reason for the decrease in merchandise.

[GloryB]

Originally Posted by CMichele

I do agree that they maybe declining - drastically. But I have noticed this since early 2008.

There was a time when you could buy any and every thing at Wal-mart. Now? Not so much. I used to decorate my bathrooms straight out of Wal-mart. Now, they barely even have nice sets anymore. And just plain forget about getting solid prints. I recently needed all black accessories for my bathroom. I found them at Kmart and for not that much money. I bought the other items at Target and AJ Wright. I've noticed this with other items, too. For instance, a set of nursing scrubs from Wal-mart can set you back close to $40!! I can get 2-3 pair at Dickies or AJ Wright at that price. The variety isn't even that great anymore.

With food items, they are still doing well as far as stock. Pantry items are still pretty cheap. I don't eat their meat but I do notice that it's higher than most other places.

I wonder if this is not so much due to WalMart getting more expensive....as it is to other stores dropping their prices due to the economy and trying desperately to stay in business??? I didn't think about that when I made my post.

There was a time when shopping at Macy's was expensive. Now they have so many sales, deals and reductions.....until it can be as cheap as WalMart.

[CMichele]

Originally Posted by GloryB

I wonder if this is not so much due to WalMart getting more expensive....as it is to other stores dropping their prices due to the economy and trying desperately to stay in business??? I didn't think about that when I made my post.

There was a time when shopping at Macy's was expensive. Now they have so many sales, deals and reductions.....until it can be as cheap as WalMart.

It think it's other stores dropping prices plus the whole hard business practices that I have heard about Wal-mart. Companies were basically paying out of their ears just to have their items sold in Wal-mart.

That's why we now have higher prices and not much stock.

[Ninjahedge]

Have you seen the rush on commercials lately?

On basic cable I keep seeing all these smiling happy families all together because of their Wii (priced the same as Game Stop) or because of their "low low prices"... wait, that's Lowes.....

Anyway, they seem to be pushing a lot more than usual, giving odd monitary comparisons like "If you spend $100 a week, you could save $732674678342 in 13 years by shopping at Walmart as compared to the other leading stores".

Anyway, I think tehy are finding the cost of operating that large a conglomerate and may be getting top heavy (more executive and shareholder concern than prices). But this commercial thing is the same thing I saw with beer. Samuel Adams was my beer of choice, usually at $20 a case. They started doing commercials, and 3 weeks later the price bumped to $24. I then went to Petes Wicked. They were at $18/$19 a case. A few months later ads for THEIR beer started popping p. 3 weeks later, THEY were at about $24. Then Saranac. $16 a case. Then the Ads, 3 weeks, and they were up abpve $20.

Maybe WalMart is just trying to make more money without significantly changing anything?

[redjan1225]

Ninja, my husband and I have been complaining for weeks about the run of ridiculous Wal-Mart commercials. They seem to run over and over again and make up a bulk of the commercials I see. Doesn't matter to me. My family does not shop at Wal-Mart. We go to Target, or grocery stores for groceries, hardware stores for tools, etc. I'd never buy food from Wal-Mart. I don't buy anything knowing that their vendors have no choice but to provide merchandise at no profit in order to keep afloat. And the way Wal-Mart treats their employees is wrong. I also refuse to shop at Walgreens and Sam's Club.

[girlbuffalo1]

I am not really a Wal Mart shopper but recently I thought I would give them a try for a few grocery items and quickly thought where are all the organic/natrual products--for instance go into any Kroger and there will be at least 10 different kinds of organic speghetti sauce--the only kind that came close was the newman's all natural.....