8 Reasons To Stop Shopping At Walmart

I agree with all your comments but the problem is not only with Walmart. I am from Canada and a few years ago Target bought out all our Zellers and closed many of them. The ones that remained stayed open for about 1 1/2 year, were never fully stocked and what they had was the worst junk I ever saw. I was in a Target in Florida so I could compare, it was like comparing rotten apples to cadillacs. What do we have now. We only have Walmart now and they turned most of their store to groceries even though we had enough grocery stores around. Now it is a problem to even find socks, underwares and many other clothes. I worked for Government for 30.5 years and many in government believe that large or big is the only way to go. I never agreed with that kind of thinking. It does not mater how big a business is, they can go bankrupt and when they do they take many other businesses with them and hurt many, many people. I have seen this happen many times. Many times it is not the politicians that are to blame they just sign what some civil servant has put on paper and most of these gov workers are too lazy to go around and work with many small businesses, that is why they are pushing large business only, they only have to work with a few people. This comment is not only about Walmart, I will not buy any food that has “Made in China” on it, especially fish, even though that fish might have come from our own fisherman. We do not have enough jobs so why send the fish to China to be processed in dirty polluted water. Some of this fish is frozen and thawed up to 4 times so it has no taste left at all. I will not buy any pre cooked fish or food if cooked in and GMO oils like, canolla, cotton, soy and corn, they are all deadly to your health.

Eric – you are spot on but have only scratched the surface. I do not believe that Walmart’s modus operandi meshes with Canadian values. They might be the only place for me to buy socks and underwear but I will support our Canadian grocers in lieu Walmart’s terrible selection, brutal vendor relationships and “cheap at all costs” quality standards.

Target was a prime example of American arrogance. “Hey – we’ll dumb it down and Canadians will go for it”. They sooo deserved to lose the millions and millions they did.

A good business person will survive. The big box stores only stock fast moving high profit items. The smart local small store owner specializes. Stocking and selling what the big box does not.

Companies don’t speak for or represent me or any other American. Companies have their own values and act according to their own will. There is no such thing as “American arrogance” any more than there is “Canadian snobbery”. We’re all just people.

I agree with the author and with the comments below. Walmart is a blight on the face of the earth and I blame our stupid governments for not taking a hand in stopping the proliferation of such places (Target is a prime example).
Helping small businesses is an important key to maintaining healthy communities.

Buying at Walmart is definitely not helping anyone in the community.

There is a simple solution to your problem. Don’t shop at Wal-Mart. Instead of preferring a series of lies and innuendoes as to their policies and alleged abuses just stay away.
However many many low income people have to go to Wal-Mart for financial reasons. You may consider them a blight but the people that shop there don’t. Many don’t have stores in their neighborhoods and Wal Mart is better and less expensive that your local mini-mart.

I will not read this until you get rid of the disgusting Fungal Nail ads. Are you mad!?!?

Do you really think that shoppers are willing to spend more money just to punish Walmart? If the locals can find a way to compete with Walmart prices and have online services I would be more than happy to buy their goods. Try to buy an avocado from a local grocery.

Walmart is all of the above, BUT it offers low prices and a lot of people NEED those low prices to get by. I am a retired teacher and I purchase probably 70% of my groceries from Walmart. Another shopping day takes me to Publix or Winn Dixie ( Florida ). These stores are very expensive but their produce and meats/fish are great, so I buy these items there. My pets don’t mind Walmart pet food; canned food is canned food; and my cleaning products are cheaper at Walmart. If you shop at a small store, it will be because they offer something special, or local, but it will cost more. I like the local Farmer’s Market too. Tomatoes at the market are priced nearly twice as much as those at Publix which is probably thee times what Walmart is. You have to pick your battles, and I prefer tasty produce and meats. For everything else, Walmart.

So we should shop Target? Are you kidding me??? Walmart isn’t the only merchant “closing local businesses”. Your one-sided hatred for Walmart is so apparent….you are seething! What happened, did you or someone close to you get fired from Walmart? Did you get laid off?

“Walmart expects a steady supply of produce nearly year-round, which is difficult for some local producers.” ALL groceries do…it’s what the public demands. (That’s basic economics, supply and demand…where did you go to school? No answer required…it was a rhetorical “question”)

“It’s estimated that about 50 percent of Walmart’s goods are manufactured overseas.” Yeah? Look around…it’s next to impossible to find “Made in the USA” merchandise, trust me, I read labels!

“When large chain stores like Walmart open up, they actually take money away from the community. ” Walmart hires local workers from the community they are in…plus, if these local merchants weren’t price gouging the community because of their monopoly on said community, a little competition IS choice!

Your made up “facts” about “2013 (four years ago, really?) Walmart was shown to pay approximately $1.16 less per hour to its female employees than its male employees, despite the fact that women made up the majority of its workforce.” NAME three companies that don’t pay female employees less than male employees…go ahead….even the US government pays female employees less than male employees…look it up!

“If nothing else, it’s often an unpleasant experience to shop at a Walmart. Though the evidence here is more anecdotal, many complain that the stores are understaffed and simply not managed in an effective manner, making it a poor experience for both employees and shoppers.” Have you been to Target (25 registers….5 open) or how ’bout the local grocer….15 registers with 7 (hopefully) open at any given time.

This is ONLY in the USA…they are global “Today, Walmart employs more than 1.5 million U.S. associates at more than 5,000 stores and clubs nationwide. Last year, we promoted more than 200,000 people to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay. In the U.S., the average, full-time hourly wage is $13.69.”

“Target Over 1,790 stores in 49 states over 300,000 team members” Target calls themselves “global” but “Target is an international company with more than 340,000 team members around the world, and headquarters in the United States and India.” Looks like only in India. Big difference…so STHU and leave Walmart alone for a change. If you don’t like them….pay higher prices somewhere else.

Exactly. Besides, it’s called free market. Local small stores should be unique, one of a kind…can’t get it at Walmart, MADE IN THE USA (or Made in Canada)….kinda of stuff….not to flip it over to read “Made in China” with an inflated price tag!

Have never bought anything made in Bangladesh and am totally oblivious to unsafe working conditions in an islamic cesspool. I try to buy refurbished Electronics made in free of muslims countries.

Walmart is no different than Sears or Woolworths, they will sooner or later die out. Walmart is already seeing much of their market share going to online businesses. The Walmart model will go the same way as new ways of buying emerge. This article is nothing more than fear mongering.

Why are so many people bashing Walmart? There are so many stores and other entities that have much more of a monopoly than Walmart. What choice do you have for electricity, water and gas? Where I formerly lived in the US, in Sacramento and a small town in Southern Oregon, ARCO pretty much had the gasoline sales. Some people who use only credit cards for all their purchases bought elsewhere, but so many times there were lines at ARCO. This is where most of my friends and family fill up, unless there is a Costco or similar store, but some people object to the yearly fee to shop there. How many jobs were lost when states saw fit to go to self service gasoline sales? Many jobs in the past no longer exist. That’s called progress. As some posters said, women work the same jobs as men and get paid less in most every business, private or government. I now live in Panama and I do so wish there was a Walmart. Most people here are very poor and the chain stores here really gouge. The things that are imported are justifiably more expensive, but local produce is when you buy from farmers or a market but the regular grocery stores charge double and more. Panamanians could use the jobs, as well. With all the other problems here, the expats are driving up prices to where it’s becoming more difficult for the locals to live. Many come to a foreign country and want to change it to be a copy of the US. The world is full of problems and Walmart is far, far from the biggest.

most of free world countries have product from 3rd world countries.

only difference is purchase label may not reflect it. Biz calls this “the cost of doing business”.

who provided you with these stats??

canadian taxpayer is still paying for this fiasco by target

Love Walmart. I order ,they deliver. You have been trying for years to destroy Walmart.

Eric, I just came across and read your post. Kudos to you for hitting the nail on the head. I believe you are right on about everything and I applaud you for giving that warning on seafood. Please check out the Wilderness Society’s info on what fish/seafood to eat because you are quite correct not only about the fish but about the deadly oils.

Thank you for your post and I love it that you are so informed. Keep on keeping on, Eric. BTW, I have boycotted what I love calling WAL-FART for over 40 years … if everyone else would boycott them too, they might be forced to change their employment practices and pay decent wages (which they CAN afford) and treat their employees to better healthcare (for a start). Also, to hell with this b.s. about a FREE MARKET. When they put other businesses out of business by sheer virtue of their size and elbowing their way into areas where shoppers literally have NO OTHER CHOICE(s) but to shop there, it is no longer a free market. What do you think?

Same in the UK with Tesco but backhanders go to bribe local councillors like a better bus service and such like and then hike the price of the fare up where its cheaper to drive into town and pay to park and our town centre here in ASHFORD KENT is full of over priced coffee shops where there was ever day item shops but Tesco so undercuts them would force them out of business and after that bang the prices backup, Tesco are killing our towns like Walmart are killing yours.

Poorly run stores !!!! Bollocks its capitalism which is greed and fcuk the little people which helped put them in the first place and bigger fools us because it destroys our very fabric of our society.

I don’t shop at Walmart because they do not pay many of their workers a living wage.
And because Walmart DOES put small businesses out of business.
I have also read that Walmart does not properly rotate their stock (higher chance of making people sick) and also products from China and other poor countries are also more prone to making people sick.

I am one of those people who boycott Walmart at any cost whenever possible. I think I only went into a store once (dragged by my daughter in Florida to get what she wanted there, big package of paper towels and cases of water). For the size of their store, they have extremely little in staffing, nothing like they show on those commercials. Their fresh product areas are poorly maintained ( I worked up north in a supermarket and knew what a maintained fresh product area is supposed to look like.) They may have over 20 cashier stands but only will have maybe 3 cashiers working despite the long lines. the few good workers available look overworked while the most of staff just puts in their time. I know they have a 2 scaled pay, giving women less money to do same job as a man. Majority of workers don’t earn enough to support themselves keeping most at part-time schedules with on call schedules. If workers complain, they find ways to eliminate position and blacklist them on a reference call. This is not the concept that the original founder had in mind when he started these stores but this came about when his children took over and became greedy for more profit. Those stores recently closed, had no announcements of closing, (I am guessing they found a loophole in laws they let them close without announcing it). Most of those stores had workers who just asked for living wages. Now they have announced they are going to “create” 10,000 jobs in 2017. How many of them will be above minimum wage and full time?

Because Walmart expects the taxpayers to pick up the tab for their workers being paid less than a living wage. While 4 of the top 10 richest people in the US are Sam Walton heirs.
Because Walmart puts small businesses out of business and rarely offer American made products.
Americans would have more and better paying jobs if more Americans bought American made products and less Chinese junk.
Supporting small businesses over multi-national corporations helps our American economy also.

Excellent and totally true comments Eric Comeau

Disagree LadyLone Star

Yes, agree

Yes, they are certainly not interested in customer health. We should boycott any food processed in China or any other country that has no proper health and cleanliness regulations.

I don’t shop exclusively at Walmart, and I find that the new ‘super’stores are very difficult for a senior, such as myself, to get around to the areas of the store that I’m looking for. It’s too large, and too spread out, so I don’t buy half of the things I might have purchased, if I could find them. That being said, no one forces us to shop there and nowhere else. My main choice is Giant Tiger, but I still go to Walmart on occasion, and there are still lots of people who shop there. It won’t go under, it’s too large and well established, and they operate in busy cities where there is plenty of consumerism for all the stores that are well priced and carry what people are looking for.

Do you think Walmart doesn’t have to abide by the laws of the land, state or whatever? How many companies pay their workers minimum wages? Many companies used to have a great benefit package, but few do now. Some companies pay higher wages, but by the time a family has to pay for health insurance, they are working for less than minimum. What percentage of people work for ‘Mom and Pop’ businesses? There is no use crying over what might have been or even what could be, we need to face reality. Walmart and other similar companies would go out of business if there wasn’t a need for these stores. I think the outsourcing of so many jobs overseas has had much more of an impact on the lives of the workers of the US than anything else.

The fact is more Americans are employed by small businesses.
Walmart does things like keeping workers past their scheduled time working off the clock, paying women less and has had serious legal problems in 2012, 2014, and 2015
I don’t like to support greed.

newser.COM/story/237125/walmart-violated-americans-with-disabilities-act-lawsuit.html

Good Research, Donkey!

to an extent that is true, but if you are selling a quality $200 bicycle and people can go to Walmart and get a similar (but crappy) one at Walmart for $100, it’s really hard to convince folks to spend twice as much. Besides, Walmart has the buying in bulk power that no single owner-operator store could ever hope for. It really is David and Goliath.

and my questions is… how many people do you know who will go to 2-3 unique small stores to get everything when they can just go to Walmart and get it all in one place? Me, I refuse to set foot in a Walmart ever since they sued my hometown. They say they don’t go where they aren’t wanted but that is false. They sue their way in and they purposely, surgically put small businesses out of business so you have no choice but to shop there.
Or have to go out of your way to not shop there, as I do. I don’t have kids, so it’s not quite as hard for me to put off buying something or drive out of my way to find it.

Hey it’s just an article.
Read it and form your own opinion!
I quit shopping there because they repeatedly sued my hometown after we told them “no”- they could not build where they wanted it (would have hurt local businesses and the traffic study gave that location an “F” for a big box store).

I also watched a documentary on how their Chinese workers are treated (17 cents an hour, and the minimum wage is 19 cents, but Walmart used their clout to get it down to 17. And the employees have rent taken out of their checks to live in the Walmart dorm, even if they choose not to live there).

I also read a book about the way WM operates.
It was a good idea and a good company when it started but after Sam Walton died, things got crazy.

If you like shopping there and have no issue with it, fine.
I just can’t shop there in good conscience.

We have a food Co-op and Farm Shares that have incredibly fresh and affordable produce.

I got so mad at them when they sued my hometown I wrote them a song.
We managed to keep them out after fighting for 4 years, but then they built 3 miles away in the next town.
https://youtu.be/r9vlgefMa6M

Sure, that is true. Some consumers are willing to pay more for quality, they are the target. At Walmart you spend the $100. Twelve months later the chain has stretched and bearings have worn and you have to spend another $100. The next time you add the 3 year extended warranty($124). Twelve months later the chain has stretched and bearings have worn and you have to apply the warranty. Meanwhile, one consumer spent $224 and the other spent $200.

Most people don’t realize that will be the end result- paying more.

You start your rant by telling me to “form your own opinion” yet my opinion was formed…it’s the one that you are discounting because my opinion doesn’t line up with yours.
I see…it’s YOUR opinion that you are okay with forming but MINE isn’t okay. Just like a close minded liberal, aren’t you? (NO….that’s not a question.)

So? Am I supposed to care? (Not a question….because I don’t) I have my OWN opinion…read it or move along.

My question, right back at ya, is because of supply and demand, American consumers force the stores….ANY size in ANYWHERE USA…to buy cheap Made in China crap just to compete in the market. Instead of Americans being content with what they have….they want (not need) MORE! So…we don’t read labels…we don’t shop local…we don’t grow our own…we are “slaves” to the man who does.
You rant about “suing your small town” should be voiced to WALMART not me. (which you have done multiple times…your story is not unique). I voiced my opinion…have one of your own.

They blame Walmart but that could happen with any other store like it, besides, in some areas,like where in the one I live , the community is thriving because of Walmart and there is a lot more competition for the store with many others similar to it, so everybody gets a piece of the pie,so to speak. And when you have no money, they have the most reasonable prices. No business is perfect, that is why there are regulations to control them.

Like when you live in a middle of nowhere ,crappy town with only local stores, you have to buy from those stores that might be overcharging you and the selection is minimal and there is no other places to go either, so you are stuck with them. So damn if you do, damn if you don’t!

My point exactly!

I actually agree with you. People buy massive amounts of cheap crap in this country. And instead of buying high quality things that last, or fixing things, we throw it away and buy another. It’s bad for everyone, from sweatshop workers to the bursting landfills.

I boycott WM for several reasons – mostly due to there dabbling in local matters and politics. Wal-Mart refuses to sell Confederate battle flags, for crying in a sheet! However, they will sell ISIS junk with a smiling face. As far as I am concerned, WM is anti-South and, of course, I am pro-South! I buy as little as possible from WM!