It's "official" - hello Wal-Mart (Portland, Eugene: 2014, neighborhood)

[oldtrader]

There is a long article about this in the Southeast Examiner from one of the people who live near the new store. Safeway sounds like real stinkers who did not and still do not give a tinker's damn about its neighbors.

The layout of the store, where loading docks are located, etc., are something that is considered for the practicality of use of the property. Loading docks as an example, are not going to be put in front of the store, etc., just because the neighbors want them away from their home a little bit. They are going to be located, to give the most efficient use of the property.

[Bluesmama]

I'm curious to whether people on this board complain as bad whenever a Fred's (NO LONGER a northwest company) or a Home or another Safeway or Kohl's gets built.

[Nell Plotts]

Fred Meyer and Safeway both pay more $ and provide greater employee benefits better than Wal-Mart.

[Bluesmama]

I don't know about Safeway but back in the 90's Fred Meyer cut most of their employees to parttime to avoid benefits. Perhaps it's changed since then, I don't know. On the other hand, a woman who'd been working at the corner convenience store from my house happily took a job at Wally World because it pays a little better and provides benefits, which aren't great but better than what she got at the convenience store, which was nothing.

[Nell Plotts]

A convenience store does not compare to the likes of Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer or Safeway. Congratulations extended to the lady who worked at the convenience store.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

I don't know about Safeway but back in the 90's Fred Meyer cut most of their employees to parttime to avoid benefits. Perhaps it's changed since then, I don't know. On the other hand, a woman who'd been working at the corner convenience store from my house happily took a job at Wally World because it pays a little better and provides benefits, which aren't great but better than what she got at the convenience store, which was nothing.

I have mixed feelings about all of this. Freds (before Krogers bought them out), Safeway, Albertsons; the workers all belong to the same union. I worked for the TPA that paid health insurance benefits, some of the worst I have ever administered, for twelve years. From what I heard from the employees, these companies engaged in all sorts of unfair practices in treatment of their employees beginning with undercutting the hours of new employees so they didn't have to pay the employer contributions to their health benefits meaning they weren't eligible to receive them. The union didn't do a whole lot to protect them from this or much else.

I don't know how they stack up against WalMart. I don't know anything about how WalMart treats their employees. I suspect it might pay them less but then again employer can pay less than minimum wage so who knows?

Retail is notorious for treating its employees unfairly. The stories my friend who works for Made In Oregon tells me are very disheartening. I don't think one is any better than the other.

[Nell Plotts]

Other than wages in retail the big issue is health insurance. It will be interesting to see how ACA works out for employees (and employers) in that industry.

[NWGirl74]

I see this thread was started about a year and a half ago, and they are just now starting to break ground on the Tigard Wal-Mart.

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Actually, from Longview to Salem (I used a downtown Portland zip code to search) their website shows 15 stores. There are 2 on 82nd, 1 in Wood Village, 3 in the Vancouver Area, 1 in St. Helens, 1 in Woodland, 2 in Longview, 2 in Salem, and 1 in McMinnville (in addition to the ones you listed above).

They just opened one of their grocery stores in what used to be a WinCo in Vancouver; Target, which recently remodeled to add groceries, anchors the other end of the shopping complex. I've also heard they are planning to build one in the Oak Grove area of Milwaukie.

Originally Posted by Bluesmama

A few weekends ago I decided to grocery shop at the Walmart in Cornelius, just to check it out and compare with Winco, which my husband's partial to. Surprisingly, Winco is still cheaper all-around. "Wally" had some extremely good buys on a few select things (of which I took advantage of), but Winco's better. But I may give the new one in Beaverton a try when it opens ~ that one will be ALL groceries.

The quoted statement is from March 2012. My friend and I do a lot of bulk cooking. We have a pretty extensive, comparative grocery list, which we recently added Wal-Mart to. I was shocked by how much less expensive WinCo is than Wal-Mart, though there were a couple of things in which Wal-Mart has better pricing.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

I've also heard they are planning to build one in the Oak Grove area of
Milwaukie.

Heard a radio commercial yesterday talking about their grand opening.

We do most of our food shopping at Winco, but also do some at Walmart.
I would go to Walmart more often, but there isn't one that's close enough to my house to make it worth it.

For non food items, if I see the best deal at Walmart and it's something I need, I don't hesitate to go there.

[VTHokieFan]

I thank WalMart for providing low priced goods to the poor who can't afford the more expensive retailers of food and other goods.