The WalMart virus has spread like a wild-fire...

[JoeTruth]

That's because Costco hands out massive amounts of food samples while shopping, Walmart does not. Any more questions?

Originally Posted by foofighter

i wanted to bump this because i thought of something interesting. Walmart is often portrayed as the the big box evil giant that kills competition; yet no one says anything about Costco...thoughts?

[Zippy]

Sprawl Mart isn't bad: ten bucks for a pair of shoes? C'mon now, you can't beat that with a stick.

[Pickettt]

Originally Posted by 1FG rider

Walmart wouldn't exist if there wasn't a market for cheap prices. People go on and on about buying Made in the USA and saving US jobs, but its Economics 101. Consumers shop at Wal Mart, Home Depot, Costco, etc. because they get products cheaper than going to the Mom and Pop hardware or furniture store.

How many people are willing to pay more for a item so that the extra money will go towards someone else's paycheck, retirement or healthcare benefits. I really don't believe the average consumer is going to be that generous when they're looking after their family first.

LBS vs. mail order...see the analogy?

[Rivet]

This reminds me of the whole Anti-Starbucks spiel. So one day on my way to work I decide to hit the local Mom & Pop coffee house instead of Starbucks , guess what, their coffee SUCKED. Weak and bitter, NEXT! The moral of the story, I now grind and brew my own, taste better than any coffee shop coffee.

[kdog4130]

I have to turn away multiple people a week with flat tires, because Wallmart and Costco sell Schwinn comfort bikes that have aero rims on them. The problem is that they come with a 30mm schrader tube, that is very hard to source. In fact, I'm not sure if I can even get them. The solution....... Install tube, remove valve core......install air compressor blower....stick into valve opening.....over inflate, and then try to screw the valve back in before all of the air gets out. It sucks.

[Danimal]

They used to use "made in America" as a selling point.
Now their the biggest importer of Chinese made goods in the world.


I just don't like shopping there, it is messy, and has overall second rate goods.

[Wrecker]

Their gimick is the same as Costco's--some items are cheaper than other places or on sale, some are just different quantities (try checking price per whatever to see if you actually save), and some just shyte quality.

Bottom line, you don't always save, in more than one way--if something is of poor quality, it needs to be replaced more often (cause, like stated above, cheaper to replace than repair, or the item is just too cheap to be repaired), or if you only save x$s on one item, but pay a few cents more on all the other non-sale items, how much do you really save?

[BrewMaster]

I wouldn't lump Costco in with Walmart. Costco has an outstanding return and warranty policy, plus they sell a hot dog and a soda for $1.50. That's charity right there.

[TeamDEKEbmx]

Walmart is going to put local bike shops out of biz. Walmart bikes RULE

[art23rockpile]

Until (if & when) something drastic changes with the economy, Walmart, Costco, and mailorder are the wave of the future... like it or not. When it costs a small fortune to fill the gas tank and everything else is becoming more expensive as a "domino effect" of high energy prices and a weakening dollar, the bottom line for most folks is saving money where you can. It's as simple as that.

[Pain Freak]

Costco has a Camelback knockoff that looks to be of decent quality for 15 bucks. You can't beat that with a stick!

[Pablomatic]

and I kinda miss K-Mapart....

[Pain Freak]

Came apart mart?

[BAD_S197]

My parents were against Walmart for the longest time until they moved to this tiny little town in Colorado called "Craig". The mom/pop shops were higher priced than normal places and everyone thought their stuff was made of gold.

They drove 3 hours to a real city with a cosco in it and did that once every couple months for groceries and normal stuff.

When they stuck a walmart in town, yea it put some of those mom/pop stores out of business.... or should I say the overpriced mom/pop stores. The grocery stores still maintain high prices and they are suffereinig for it.

Super Walmart... embrace it or get the heck out of it's way....

[DISCO]

People are lulled into the illusion of paying for a membership that will save them money when in reality prices are not any better but selection is severely reduced. Being an accountant I track my expenses quite stringently, in doing so I will say there is no advantage to shopping Costco. As far as price Stater Bros, Target, Wal-Mart, and now Sprouts are all lower on the items I buy. And this is the cost per once although maybe your house needs a five gallon pail of Mayonnaise.

The common thread in all of the stores I shop at is that they are all non-union hence the lower overhead. This is why Ralphs is spendier than Staters any day. I feel Unions erode the competitive advantage of a business and in today's market place are obsolete. That is one of main factors for the influx of global products and outsourcing because the cost of doing business outstrips the opportunity for profit on say a pair of flip flops. Unions were great before we had anti-discrimination and workers comp laws but where are we now? mired in a tangled web of EDD expenses and forced to award compensation based on seniority instead of merit.

Last thing on Wal-Mart they carry a variety of American made products and that is usually one of the first criteria on which my purchases are based. And it's not just tool boxes and TV, if you buy groceries there you are still fueling the GDP and at least the owners are in Arkansas and not overseas.

[Wrecker]

First, to Pain Freak, I want a Camel Back knock off that I CAN beat with a stick--have you seen me ride? I ride my Camel Back more than my bike

Second, how much and what I do with my mayo is none of your business disco

Now, I'm off to PMS somewhere else.....

[uzziboy]

Originally Posted by foofighter

i wanted to bump this because i thought of something interesting. Walmart is often portrayed as the the big box evil giant that kills competition; yet no one says anything about Costco...thoughts?

You know why.... because Costco pays their employees a good wage. shitmart stoops to the lowest level of the pay scale, and even then it is constantly trying to screw their employees. Dont even get me started about this totally fu@ked up company. I was on strike for 5 and 1/2 months because of the so called danger of supercenters and how they were scareing the shit out of my company (slaveway)

[wgb]

Walmart, Target, Costco, and the likes are good and bad for the economy. For me, Walmart is a good place for cheap common use goods and foods. Target has an overall better quality then most of the Walmart store brands. If you ask me, its because of Target, that Walmart had to actually step up its game a bit. COSTCO......I basically use for cheap gas or bulk items.

I grew up in a small town in Alabama. I am sorry, but I don't feel the same about the ma and pop shops. They are notorious for overcharging because for the longest, they were the only places in town to buy certain goods and they knew it. Yeah the megastores hurt them when it comes to pricing, but I believe its mainly to the customer realizing just how much they were getting pimped.

I think that if you look at the coffee house market, it illustrates how the two can coexists. There are plenty of lchs (local coffee houses) that survived the initial Starbucks blitz because of one thing.....customer service. For the local shops to survive, they have to build a loyal customer base. By doing so, they are almost guaranteed to keep their nitch in the local economy.

[ChariotsOfTires]

You know I have a theory about Walmart and what happens to the individual when they go into one. I believe that the average persons IQ is immediately cut in half when they get within 100 yards of the entrance. Not because you dumber for shopping there, but because of the way people act when there. I have witnessed more than a few grown ups running a muck in the aisles. And has anyone ever been there during Christmas...
Anyways, I'm not a fan, but it is Capitalism at its finest.

[wgb]

Originally Posted by ChariotsOfTires

You know I have a theory about Walmart and what happens to the individual when they go into one. I believe that the average persons IQ is immediately cut in half when they get within 100 yards of the entrance. Not because you dumber for shopping there, but because of the way people act when there. I have witnessed more than a few grown ups running a muck in the aisles. And has anyone ever been there during Christmas...
Anyways, I'm not a fan, but it is Capitalism at its finest.

I will give you that one. I stay away from Wally World during the Holidays. That place is a true zoo. I have witness grown-ups taking stuff out of kids hands during their big sales. If you must go in there during the holidays I would caution you to take back up with you. Also have a quick-response team waiting outside just in case you need additional support.